First Bath!

I was a little nervous about giving Stella her first bath because she's so tiny but it went really well. She fell asleep in the tub! I guess she liked the warm water. Then she slept really well that night which I appreciated. I'm hoping she will love the water like I did. I can't wait until I can take her swimming. Here's some pics of my water baby:

More Projects by Justin

I feel like my blog has become split between baby updates and home renovations by my nesting husband. He just finished tiling our fireplace surround and is so proud of himself that he would tile our home top to bottom if he could. It came out fabulous and I'm excited to hang our stockings on it. We are also adding a wood mantle later.

2 Week Check Up

I took Stella to meet her pediatrician and to get her two week check up. It was also the first time I was on my own with her. It took thirty minutes to get out the door and a moment of panic when I couldn't find the lever to pop the stroller up at first, but I am so proud of myself for getting through the trip successfully and with no tears (hers or mine).

The doctor said she looks so good and Stella behaved beautifully. She didn't cry at all and just laid there and smiled while they worked her up. Here are all her new stats:

Weight: 6lbs 10.9oz (up from 5lbs 7oz 12 days before)
Length: 19in (up from 17 1/2 in at birth)
Head circumference: 13 1/2 in around (up from 12in at birth)

The day I took her to the doctor was only one day after my due date. It still blows my mind that she's here already. It was such a relief that she is growing and doing so well. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right as a mommy.

Things I've Learned From Having a Baby

1. Showers are like a mini-vacation.

2. Every time you sit down to eat a meal, the baby needs something and by the time you return, your meal has gone cold. No more hot meals.

3. Right when you fall into that deep sleep you so desperately need, the baby wakes up and you realize you fell into said deep sleep in two minutes and are already drooling on your pillow.

4. As soon as you snap together the onesie after changing the diaper, the clean diaper is instantly dirtied, thus making you start the whole process over again.

5. Even when you are so exhausted you feel like you're living in a daze, or when you look at all the residual stretch marks the pregnancy left you with, or when you are splattered with poop, spit up, or drool - you take one look at the tiny human who is responsible and realize it is all worth it.

As I discover these things, I send an apology text to my mom who put up with all the same things for me. Again, sorry mom.

Project Update: Kitchen Rejuvination

This past week, Justin's cabin fever led him to stain the kitchen cabinets. We are so happy with the outcome, especially because it was a $30 cost as opposed to the couple thousand it would have been to get new cabinets. I am so proud of my hubby!

Before:

After:

Currently, he is tiling and painting our fireplace surround. Bathrooms will get done when his handy dad comes to visit.

The Many Faces of Stella

She makes the funniest faces! These are the few I've captured so far.

The "I just projectile vomited on Mommy and I'm proud of it" face

The "I just pooped all over Dad" face

My Husband Is Getting Cabin Fever!

Justin is feeling so cooped up since he's not working and we are at home with the baby. He hit a point last night where he needed to do something so he spent the night building a countertop for our laundry room. It turned out amazing!

Today, he finished our bathroom vanity project. The stain looks amazing and I am so happy how it turned out. He loves it too and decided to tackle the kitchen. So all the doors and drawers were quickly removed. Then he realized what a disaster zone our kitchen had just turned into and apologized, but it is too late to turn back now. Hopefully, it will get done quickly.

Next weekend he plans on tiling the bathroom floor and shower, which I have been bugging him to do for years.

My house is a renovation zone and while I have total faith in him, I'm a bit nervous.

Week 1: Sleep Deprivation and Recovery

Stella is one week old and here is how we spent the first week:

We adjusted to life at home running on empty. For the first few days Justin and I were taking separate shifts. He would be up on baby watch from 8pm-3am while I slept. Then I would take over while he slept. It left us both so sleep deprived. Now we go to bed together and I wake up every two to three hours with the baby. Every now and then I wake him up to change her. He's been so great doing tons of diaper changes.

I had to run to Target and the grocery store and left her with Justin without much worry because he is so great with her. Justin had the hardest time leaving the baby to run to pick up one thing two miles away. He had to be pushed out the door. It was sweet. He always says how cute she is, which is true!

We had a nurse practitioner come to the house to check on the baby and me. Stella weighed in at 5lbs 7oz, which was a great weight gain. Because she was born at 37 weeks 6 days and 23 1/2 hours instead of 38 weeks (a 30 minute difference), she was put in a higher risk bracket so the nurse had us take her for some more blood tests to make sure she was doing well. She passed with flying colors. Next check up is in another week. As for me, my blood pressure was still high so they put me on medication to lower it. My swelling has gone down a lot, which is good. I actually have ankles!!

I had to go get my blood pressure checked two days later and there wasn't any change. Still high blood pressure and still losing protein so I have to go back in another week. Hopefully things look better.

My mom is here until next week and she has been the greatest help. I don't know what I would have done without her. It's going to be so hard to say goodbye. She makes me feel confident about being a mom. Now, our goal is to get her to move out here. We went out looking at homes to entice her.

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful baby. She is so quiet and sweet. No screaming unless she's naked, which is understandable. We are so in love with our daughter.

The Last 12 Gruesome Hours of Labor

So, after 25 hours of no change at all, I had dilated to 6cm and the balloon was removed and they broke my water to see if they could speed things up a bit. The second day if the stay brought in a lot of familiar faces. All the nurses and doctors from the previous day were back for their next shift and all felt so bad that I was still pregnant.

The one good thing about the slow progress was that it gave my mom the time she needed to jump on a plane and make it in time. She, my best friend Sarah, and Justin's parents were all in the room when I started feeling a lot of pain. I had them all leave and the anesthesiologist came back to see what was going on. She tried upping the medication, fixing the port, and finally said the only other option is to reinsert the whole thing, which was no guarantee or I could just deal. I refused to try again after the problems I had the first time so I decided to just continue on without it. About an hour later, around 11pm, I started feeling like I needed to push. I called the nurse who was hesitant that I was at that point. She checks me and all she says is "Yep, that's a baby's head!" Justin looked at me and started crying because he was so happy and ready to meet our daughter. The nurse had me push twice while the doctors and staff were called to set up the room. The doctors came in at 11:15pm and after two more pushes over only 15 minutes, she was born. They held Stella up and put her on my chest while they finished up. Justin and I were so overwhelmed with joy and emotion as we looked at our beautiful daughter. She was so tiny, weighing in at only 5lbs 11oz and 17 1/2in long.

I thought the worst was over and that it was going to be easy from that point on, but I was wrong. The doctor said that the placenta and cord had broken inside and they had to go in and manually extract it. It was horrifying to say the least, but all the while I just stared at my new baby girl and watched as her eyes explored the world. That moment was when the past 37 hours of labor and pain became worth it.

It was about an hour later that we let my mom, his parents, and Sarah into the room to meet her. They were all so overwhelmed by how beautiful she is and everyone took turns holding her. I still was confined to bed for the next day because they needed to keep me on the magnesium. That was awful because I was unable to pick her up or change her without help. Justin was so great and did absolutely everything for me and the baby. It made me love him so much more than I ever thought possible. He's the most amazing dad and he is so in love with his daughter.

After they removed me from the magnesium, we were moved to the Mother Baby Unit. The nurses were all so helpful and nice, which made it much easier for me to recover and for Justin to get some much needed rest.

We were (finally!) discharged on Friday the 16th after what seemed like forever in the hospital. My mom was waiting for us at home and had cleaned the entire house. It made it so much easier to transition into life at home. I can't thank her enough for all her help.

25 Hours and Counting

Here's what has happened so far. It is no picnic and not what we expected. Everyone says birth plans change and they were right!

We went to our appointment with the doctor yesterday morning at 10:30am and after taking my blood pressure and looking over my tests, she sent us to the hospital. She said it was likely that they would induce, but I needed a full work up because I have preeclampsia. It's a condition only found in pregnancy that affects the mother's liver, kidneys, and can cause seizures. The only treatment is to take the baby out.

So at the hospital, the doctor came in and said we are absolutely inducing because the baby is full term (37 weeks 5 days) and the high blood pressure is worrisome. I got the nicest and biggest room, which is great. They started me on a magnesium drip to calm my muscles to prevent a seizure and to lower my blood pressure. I have to stay on it until 24 hours after the baby is born. It also means I'm completely confined to the bed because any activity will boost my blood pressure.

I was not dilated at all so the doctors gave me medication to jump start that, however, it did not work. So, although I'm having contractions, my cervix is not dilating. At about 4am, the doctors decided to insert a balloon to try to get it to open. I had been begging for food since all I had eaten was a bowl of cereal at 8am and they finally have me chicken broth. It was the most wonderful thing ever at the moment. I got an epidural before to minimize the pain, but getting the epidural made my blood pressure bottom out and I almost fainted. They got me stabilized and inserted the balloon which was ridiculously painful despite the epidural. Then my pressure bottomed out again and I vomited up the chicken broth. I have never been so mad about throwing up. That was the one thing I had in my stomach and the one thing that was a perk of the whole day and it was gone.

Justin and I have been trying to sleep when we can, but nurses and doctors come in every hour so it is really hard. We are both exhausted, sore, and so ready for this to be over. No change as of yet, so we will see what the plan is next.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue through this. Thank you all so much for all the well wishes via text, Facebook, email, and calls. We will keep you all updated.

Greatest Husband Ever

This morning I got a call from the doctor and she said my tests from yesterday showed that my liver needs to be monitored closely. So, we had to pick up a 24 hour urine test kit, which is, simply, a giant jug. This isn't the worst case scenario, but it is not the best. If the test shows that I'm not processing protein properly, they will induce me because it is pre-eclampsia. If the test comes back good, they will let it happen naturally, but we still have appointments every few days to make sure things don't worsen.

Yesterday, Justin was so great at keeping me calm while we were told all this and today he is even better. He has to stare at my pee jug every time he opens the refrigerator (did I mention that it has to be kept in there? Ick!) and he is keeping me hydrated to make sure I can fill my jug. This could be a totally embarrassing situation, but he has made me feel at ease. Not just that, he has begun a major deep clean of the whole house just to make sure we are ready if the time comes within the week. He won't let me help much and just tells me to relax and fill my jug. I promised to clean the fridge completely afterwards.

We are two lucky gals to have such an amazing man for a husband and father. I tear up thinking about how great he is. I can't imagine my life without him. Who knew that I would love him a million times more because he cared so much about my pee! 

Best part: I dropped the soap dispenser while in the bathroom and he hears the crash and yells, "Don't you dare spill that jug! You have worked so hard at filling it and we are not starting over!" I love that he was concerned about starting over, rather than the fact that we would have to clean it all up.

UPDATE: We are waiting on the results of the jug. They could call anytime now to tell us it is time to induce if it shows pre-eclampsia. Today, my blood pressure was still high and there was too much protein in the small sample, but they said my liver looked good. Time to pack the bag!!

Week 37: Any Day Now

We had an appointment with our doctor today and unfortunately, they said my blood pressure was high. It's been normal throughout the whole pregnancy so they are concerned. They noticed the swelling in my hands and feet also, so I got sent for a bunch of tests to check to see if it is a problem with my liver. So, now I have to go to the doctor every 2-3 days to be monitored. Worst case scenario is they induce me as soon as the tests come back. Justin was so calm in the room and absorbing all the info, while I was on the verge of a panic attack. So glad he was there.

The baby is doing good. Her heartbeat was strong and we got to see her little face today, which she has always hidden. The bad news is she is a half turn away from being in the ideal position. Currently, she is head down, but facing my right hip instead of my spine. So, I need to get her to turn slightly or I'm in for a bit more painful labor. I've been sitting and leaning on a giant exercise ball to try to make it happen. C'mon stubborn girl! Turn for me!

In two days we will know what the plan is. That is what is scary to me - not knowing the plan. Instead of thinking I've got 3 weeks to go, I'm wondering what the doctors will decide for me. Whatever is best for the two of us works for me though.

Week 36: Yard Sale Fail

Today, Justin and I held a yard sale to try to purge the junk from our garage and house and make some money off it. Since we lost a room to the nursery, we have a lot of extra things which have piled up in our garage. So much so that our cars can't fit in there. With winter coming, I am determined to make room so I am not loading and unloading the baby and her stuff in the snow and freezing cold.

So, Justin home from the night shift at 7am and carried all our stuff to the front lawn and then passed out. I made signs and posted it on craigslist. My neighbor even joined in and put her own stuff out and her ten year old son twirled a sign at the corner. We sat patiently from 8am to 2pm chatting with the few people who stopped by, but mostly with each other.

I made a whopping $22 on some old DVDs and shot glasses. None of the furniture pieces that we really needed to get rid of went anywhere but back into the garage. Now, I am calling a charity that will hopefully come pick up the rest so we can at least get the tax write off.

That was all fine because we don't mind donating everything since it goes to a good cause, but here's the worst part of the day: someone stole all the jewelry I had out. Gold rings, necklaces, earrings - all of it gone leaving behind only the cheap stuff. Someone who steals from a VERY pregnant woman must really have guts. I would like to think that what goes around comes around but they will probably go pawn it and make money off it.

Lessons learned:

1.) Yard sales suck! They take way more work than they are worth. Never again!

2.) People will steal from a pregnant lady.

Week 35: Nesting and Renovations

Justin has the idea that since he will have 6 weeks off when the baby comes, that he will be able to completely renovate the guest bathroom and our master bathroom. I keep telling him that it is unrealistic to think that he's going to have that much spare time with a newborn and lots of visitors. Plus, I refuse to have a newborn in a construction zone. He has been wanting to redo the baths for some time now, so I have been looking at images of what I would want and watching HGTV for years.

If you were to guess the age of our home by looking only at our bathrooms, you would guess the 1980s or early 1990s. Forest green laminate counters, huge mirror, carpet (yuck!), and honey oak cabinets. The house was actually built in 2002 and the builder or first home owner made these horrible design decisions. We've looked at lots of the neighbors' homes and we have never seen anyone else with the green counters. So, needless to say, I really want a beautiful bathroom.

If you have never been on or heard of pintrest.com, it is an addicting website that has millions of photos with links to external websites containing everything from recipes, home decor, DIY projects, fashion, and much more. The concept of the website is that if you find something you like you can "pin" it to your own virtual pin board. Anyways, I've been browsing it a lot lately to find inspiration for home decorating ideas.

We have looked at vanities from Home Depot, Lowes, and IKEA, but they are all so expensive. The other day, while Justin played video games and I sat next to him browsing pintrest.com, I stumbled upon a link to a woman's blog who had the same builder grade honey oak cabinets we do and she stained them a dark espresso color. I've considered this before, but the idea of sanding the vanity down to bare wood seems daunting. This woman found a gel stain that just goes on the cabinets after a very brief (1-2 minutes) sanding. So, I showed Justin and he got so excited and we ordered the exact stain she recommended and last night we began the process in our bath. We figure if it goes horribly wrong we can easily replace one vanity rather than the two (or the kitchen which we plan to do next if this works out). Pictures to come!!

This is the blog photo of the before and after. Lets hope ours looks the same!

I have found a few more DIY remodeling ideas that we plan to tackle also. Apparently nesting for us is home renovation rather than cleaning. We are both so excited to get these projects done before baby time. He feels handy and I am happy that we won't live in a construction zone.

I love my husband because....

I love my husband because he is willing to help and hold back mockery.

I have the most amazing pair of boots and I wanted to wear them the other day. I got my feet into them, but could not for the life of me zip them up. So, like the good husband he is, Justin helps squeeze my legs into the boots and zip them up. It took about twenty minutes, ripped holes in a pair of my leggings, and had me alternating between laughter and tears. After successfully zipping them up, he says I better wear them all day after all that effort. So, I run errands for twenty minutes, come home and immediately take them off. Justin yells from upstairs, "Are you taking your boots off!?" I yell back, "Yeah, I wore the wrong socks." He just glares at me.

Week 34: Heartburn, Aches, and My Belly Button

For the past few weeks I have had bad heartburn before bed every night. No matter what I eat, whether it is healthy or greasy, I have to pop some Tums before I lay down. Every time I move, it flares up. I have never had heartburn before this pregnancy and I actually had to google the feeling I was getting because I wasn't sure what it was. It's not fun and I hope I don't have to deal with it after this. An old wives tale says that heartburn means your baby will have a lot of hair. As much fun as having a baby girl with tons of hair to play with right from the get go sounds, there are some nights where I would gladly have a bald baby in exchange for no heartburn.

For months my back has been sore and I've just become accustomed to it and have managed some ways to alleviate the pain. Since I can't take any pain medication, I have to lay down in specific positions or stand up to ease the pain.

Everyone who looks at my belly thinks my belly button has popped out, but it hasn't! I made the mistake of piercing my belly button when I was in high school. Although I took it out 5 years ago, the scar is still a bit visible. Since my tummy has stretched out, the scar tissue from the piercing pokes out a bit making it look like my innie belly button is now an outtie. I was never worried about that being an issue later. I was more worried about my tattoos stretching and luckily, none of those have.

On a brighter note, Justin and I went to Babies 'R Us to pick up a few more of the many, many essentials we need. I promised Justin we could go to Costco after so he can get some free samples. Luckily, when I bribe him, it is pretty easy. This trip, we walked out with a car seat, diaper pail, some diapers and pail refills. I made sure to go in with a 20% off coupon to ease the pain. We still need a lot of things so I need to keep my eye out for more coupons.

Week 33: End of a Chapter

As of today, after over 6 years of service, Sergeant Justin Pearson is officially out of the Marine Corps. We are both overjoyed that we have finally closed this chapter of our lives. While it was the most important one because it brought us together, it also brought so much heartache when it took him to Iraq for the first year of our marriage. I know how much he used to enjoy it, but the past year has been no fun for him. Luckily, he will have a whole new job starting soon - fatherhood. Less pay, but more rewarding.

We both look forward to having the freedom that we did not have before. He would be called away one weekend a month, which was not good for his job, and two weeks during the summer, which was really hard for me being home alone. We could never move to another city or take an international vacation without the military's approval. Now, we can explore our options and not feel so tied down.

Even though it is pouring rain today, it is celebration time!

Justin getting promoted

Marine Corps Ball 2009

Payback is a Bitch

Justin has worked for a utility company off and on for five years and I always hated how he dressed. Being in construction meant that he wore dirty work boots, spray painted jeans, and tee shirts (often worn inside out to hide labels). I was embarrassed by his appearance and called him homeless or a hobo. This is why I love his military job and sheriff job - very nice, presentable uniform.

Anyways, the other day we were just leaving the house to go to the Starbucks drive thru and therefore, not getting out of the car. So, I got into the car in sweatpants and a sweatshirt and my loving husband (who managed to put on jeans and a shirt) looks at me, smiles, and says, "Who's homeless now!" I just sat there in shock for a second while he laughed at his own cleverness. I couldn't help but start laughing too. I guess I deserved it since I was wearing a sports bra instead of a real bra and I couldn't remember if I had brushed my hair yet that day. He said he's been waiting five years to use that on me and he finally found his window of opportunity. I'm flattered, in an odd way, that I went five years without ever looking "homeless" to him, but he chose to say it to me while I'm 33 weeks pregnant and feeling icky. I don't think he will ever say it to me again, for fear of getting slapped, but payback sure was a bitch.

Week 32: Cold Weather, Happy Couple

This week, the weather in Colorado has been so great. By great, I mean cold. I have been so hot these past couple months and running the air conditioner nonstop. Justin has been a great sport about keeping me cool (partially because he knows that I get super cranky when I'm hot). Trying to sleep has been difficult because I am so warm. Justin has been opening windows and placing box fans to get our bedroom as cool as possible so I can sleep, even if it means he is freezing. I had begun to think that it was impossible for me to get a chilly feeling.

Today, the weather has been a fantastic 46 degrees so our house has been at 63 degrees all day. I slept with my blanket covering me and I'm actually wearing sweat pants. I own two pairs of pajama shorts (both are very old and have gigantic holes in them that make Justin laugh) that I have been constantly washing to keep cool. The cat is buried under blankets or cuddling on our laps to keep warm. Justin is in long sleeves, wrapped in a blanket, and drinking cup after cup of tea to keep himself warm. They are both being so great about adjusting to my needed temperature. I think Justin is excited to see a dramatic decrease in our utility bills because he knows the AC is off and I have no plans to turn on the heat.

While I am so incredibly relived to see this weeks forecast, I do not think I am ready for the snow yet. I need a dose of fall before we head into winter. Weather related fear: blizzard when I go into labor and getting to the hospital takes forever because of the snow storm. Please snow, can you just hold off blizzards until December when I will have no plans to leave my house for a month. 

Week 31: Colorado Baby Shower

On Sunday, September 30th, three of my girlfriends, Lauren, Lisa, and Sarah, threw me a baby shower! It was so beautiful and they all put so much time and effort into it. I felt so special. The theme matched with our nursery so it was a Paris themed tea party. I got lots of sweet gifts for the baby and one special one for me: the Titanic DVD, which is my favorite movie and our Tivo broke the other day erasing it from its memory.

The beautiful invitation my friend Chandra designed for the shower!

Sarah wrote a beautiful post in her blog that has some of the 180 photos she took throughout the shower. She wrote it better than I could so CLICK HERE!

Week 30: Baby Classes

For the past three weeks, we have been attending a prepared childbirth class. Justin was not happy to find out that it required 4 three-hour sessions, but he has been a great sport about it. He rubs my back and listens to all the information. There are about 12 couples in the class, one of which turns out to be my former boss and her husband. I was a little nervous about having someone I knew in the class because then I start to feel embarrassed, but we don't sit next to each other so it hasn't been a big deal. 

The first week we looked at images of what is going on inside the woman's body and Justin commented on the final image (3-4 weeks before birth) with regards to the almost absence of a bladder. "I thought you went to the bathroom a lot now, but in a couple weeks you'll just be permanently on the toilet." We watched the typical birth video and discussed the stages of labor.

The second week was spent on relaxation techniques and positions to relieve pain and move the baby if need be. That was helpful to an extent, but most are only applicable if you are not planning on an epidural, which I am. However, I did enjoy the massages Justin gave me during our mock contractions. 

We went to a separate class to fill out all our pre-registration paperwork so we wouldn't have to do it while I'm in labor. They went over the birth certificate forms, insurance, and social security card procedures. 

This past week we went on a tour of the hospital's maternity ward. I am planning on delivering at Exempla St. Joseph Hospital, so it was really nice to be able to check out the facility before it's go time. They showed us where our visitors enter the hospital and the room for them to stay in, since I do not want ANYONE in my room with me except Justin and my mom. Then they showed us the birthing suites which all come with tv's, ipod hook ups, jacuzzi tubs, and wifi. That is where the baby is delivered and you stay for two hours after. Then they move you into a different room, which you stay in for the next 24-48 hours before being discharged. That is the room I can finally have Justin bring me sushi for dinner!

It is all so nicely decorated and makes for a soothing environment. It definitely helped us put together our birth plan and figure out what we are going to want to do when it's time. Plus, any hospital that offers free valet parking out front of their emergency room is impressive.

After each class, Justin and I go to Old Chicago for Monday Night Football, pizza, and to laugh about the silly breathing techniques they made us do or the guy who made his pregnant wife rub his back while he ate an apple and peanut butter from a very large jar he brought with him.

We have one more session to go and a class all about bathing, diapering, and swaddling a newborn. I can't believe how little time we have left before our little one makes her grand arrival!

Mail Call!

My cousin and Stella's godmother, Meg, sent a box (full of outfits she picked up while on vacation at Disneyland and a Christmas ornament from her mom) which arrived today. Look at who it was addressed to:

Not even born yet and she gets more mail than us! Justin and I thought it was hilarious! Apparently, Meg didn't even know she had done it! Hah!

My Mom's Birthday

The day after my baby shower was my mother's birthday and I was so glad I got to spend the day feeding spoiling her. I made German pancakes with fruit and whipped cream for breakfast, which we ate in her garden. We sat there and chatted for an hour or so, which was nice, until it got too hot out.

For lunch, my brother and I went to one of our favorite places, the Burger Barn, and picked up burgers and fries for the three of us. We ate those and then my brother and I gave my mom her gift......we shaved her dog for her. 

Tucker is a little black poodle, who was in desperate need of a hair cut. He couldn't see and he was so shaggy he looked like a sheep. So, with the 40 year old clippers my mom handed me that were used for her childhood dog, I started hacking away at Tucker's mangy hair while Bren held him still. I had strict instructions not to do his face. After about 2 hours of trying my best, I gave up when the clippers became too hot to hold anymore. 

I feel so awful for what I did to that poor dog. His back is naked, legs are half done (so it looks like he has boots on), and head is still outrageously fluffy. I do not have a future in dog grooming. For the next day, he wouldn't go near me. He was so angry at me for doing what I did to him (and laughing at his appearance). Now I understand why my mom wanted me to do it - so I would be the bad guy, not her. Poor dog.

Tucker before (with his best bud Opie the pug)

Tucker after

We rounded out Mom's birthday by having dinner at Grappolo's, the best Italian in Santa Ynez.

Mom, me, Bren, Luis, and Pam

I hope Mom enjoyed her birthday, I know Tucker didn't. I'm sorry Tucker....

Week 29: California Baby Shower

Because I am such an incredibly lucky girl, I get to have two baby showers! The first one was September 15th in Solvang, California, where I grew up. It was all put together by my mom and her best friend, Lisa O'Neill, (who was my fourth grade teacher and has since become like my second mother and had a large part in raising me with my mom). They took inspiration from my nursery and did a Paris theme with hot air balloons. The tables had pink table cloths with burlap runners topped with mason jars full of fresh lavender.

Food Table

Even my gift from Lisa was in theme!

I was so excited to see all the ladies who I hadn't seen in a long time - my girlfriends from elementary school and college. Seeing all their faces was great. We chatted and ate croissants, salad, fruit, and had tiramisu and chocolate cupcakes for dessert.

Left to Right: Kim, Liz, Tracy, Me (we all went to school together from elementary to high school.)

All my ladies!

Julia and I (She went to college with me and was my saving grace on many occasions)

Jenny and I (she's due right after me and having a boy!)

After eating, I got to open gifts. This baby is already so spoiled! We got tons of cute little outfits, bath supplies, toys and keepsakes. My friend Kim actually made some adorable baby boots! The bath tub we received was AMAZING! It is a jetted baby tub with shower attachment. It is more elaborate than our baths at home. Everyone says I should use it as a foot bath until it's time for baby. I can't believe how lucky and loved I am. I was so touched by everyone's presence and generosity.

The day was amazing and it was much needed. September 15th marks the anniversary of my father's passing and having my baby shower on that day truly shows the circle of life. We had a moment to remember my dad and enjoyed the happiness of welcoming a new life. I think he would have been the best grandpa and I'm sure he is very proud.

Now the dilemma: I flew to California with only one large suitcase. Packing everything up was impossible so I had to prioritize what to haul back, while keeping in mind not to go over 50lbs for fear of a $75 fee! Luckily, the bag weighed in at 33lbs (Damn! I could have packed more!) and Justin agreed to drive out to California and bring the rest of the gifts back. Such a great guy!

Maternity Photos

Matt did such a great job with these photos! We were really worried about how cheesy maternity photos can be so we avoided all of the silly traditions people typically do and we love the way they all came out. On top of the hard work he already put in, he printed all of the images for us as an added surprise. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing person in my life who would give up his free time to spend two hours taking our picture, editing all the photos, and then printing them without complaining or charging us. 

It was hard to narrow it down, but here are some of my favorites: