When's that BAABBY Due?!?!?

. . . today actually . . .

However, here I sit, Kaydance still nice and cozy in my womb. I did my very best today, to persuade her to get a move on.

Today, my dad, mother, husband, Paulie and I went to Yosemite National Park. Our goal: hike to the top of the Giant Redwood Loop to see the Fallen Tunnel Tree. Total, my mother and I hiked 5 miles. 2.1 miles up and I mean STRAIGHT up and 2.9 miles down. We took a detour to see some other trees, helping us meet our 5 mile goal.

As I tromped through the wonderful Redwoods, I found many a tourist looking at me with a awry gaze. One said, "Move over Henry, she's due today . . ." as if my water was going to break right there and take him out. Another onlooker commented, "It looks as if she is gonna have that baby at any moment." I find this funny, because earlier in the day, a wonderful woman looked at me with amazement when she learned that my due date was today and not 4 weeks from now, as she had silently deduced from my rotund form. Needless to say, I was entertaining to watch . . . Oh yeah, and STILL pregnant.

37 weeks and GROWING . . .

At 37 weeks and 4 days, I was told that I am 40% effaced, but not dilated at all. To put it in the words of Dr. G., "the door is still shut." "I will be shocked if you have less than two weeks before Kaydance's arrival." He believed this so much, that I have my next appointment in two weeks as opposed to the usual one week. One disturbing bit of information that was given to me . . . Dr. G. seems to think that Kaydance is around 6lbs. at this point. At gaining a half a pound a week, she best make her appearance close to her due date. I really, really do not want to have a larger baby on my hands. My cousin can have those honors . . . no need to share. ;)

Unexpected Blessings . . .

I think that it must be common for soon to be, first-time parents to stress about, "Where it all is gonna come from?!?!?" This feeling of doubt, I have had to combat with who I know my God is and what He is capable of doing, my entire 31 years. I am blessed to be a product of a home that truly lived by faith in that VERY capable God. On a daily basis, my parents reminded me of what faith is and how we ought to live "in it." This life-lesson is one that I WILL teach my daughter. I hope to do so in the same way that my parents did, through their actions and not by words alone.

I believe that God not only wants to give us the necessities in life, but also bless us with the "I really don't need that item, but how cool would it be if we got it," type of item. I usually fight these blessings with the "are you sure?" and "really?" feelings and comments.

Since being pregnant, I have really had to "turn my receiver on." My mother uses that phrase all the time and I find it applicable to our lives more and more often these days. I have learned that the receiver is not the only one being blessed. The giver is also blessed by Him because of their obedience. To ask the "are you sure" and "really?" questions, only cheapens those blessings and I would be so bold to say that by doing so, you are not walking in faith and obedience with Him.

Today, I have been dealing with my own inner-struggles with finances, life, future and all that comes with being 33 weeks pregnant. Questions like, "Where are we going to get that money," "What kind of parent will I be" and "I barely have time to spend with my husband now, how are we going to do so when our child is born," have been swilling in my head all day long. I find that my husband has been struggling with the same questions today and we are in the middle of talking about these very questions, when a good friend pulls up. Out of his truck he brings a gift. This is not just any gift . . . you receive all kinds of wonderful items when you are expecting, but there are some that you register for and HOPE and PRAY that you are able to purchase them some day. As Michel opens his eyes, he sees this:

Our Kelty back pack!

There really was no way that we would of ever been able to purchase this. I registered for it out of faith, beliveing that this very "it is not needed but would be so cool if we had it" gift, would be given to us when the time was right. Seriously, his timing could not of been more perfect. Just as we were questioning where money was going to come from, He blesses us with a truly OUTSTANDING gift. It was almost as if I could actually here Him saying, "see if I can give you this, just you wait and see what I have up my sleeve for the next blessing."

29 WEEK PHOTO SHOOT!

My mother-in-law is an all-star! She took the following pictures. They were taken in Oakhurst at Fresno Flats and off of Rd. 600, in Ahwahnee.

There were many others. You will need to look at my facebook photos if you would like to see those.

A future fashionista?

The local skate-shop was having a sale and DADDY gave in and bought Lil' Darlin' her very first pair of shoes.

I will say that I was surprised, I figured that I would be the first to "crack" and make the first spontaneous, un-budgeted purchase for our sweet girl. Daddy, I have to say, you keep going like this, you are gonna buy a "kitty" some day.

The next day at school, at colleague told me of a sale that Babies-r-Us was having. The LAST thing I need for Lil' Darlin' is more clothes. A seasoned mommy has already given me a TON of clothes, with promises that there will be more throughout Lil' Darlin's first few months. All that said, the deal was too enticing and this mommy loves to buy clothes. So with coupon in hand, I met a good friend and went a shoppin . . . .

Seriously, how adorable are these?!? Lil' Darlin' is gonna be one stylin little chic!

2-7

At 27 weeks, many new things have transpired. First, I now feel Lil' Darlin's hiccups daily. They are so cute . . . I read that this is one of the ways that God designed our little ones to develop their lungs. How amazing is that? It totally blows my mind how intricate and unique our God is in what He creates.

A few of my favorite things . . .

Second, I have been so blessed by so many already. Below are a few of Lil' Darlin's present thus far. I have wanted the BOB since before i was pregnant. My wonderful, generous parents surprised me with it at my L.A. baby shower. I am so excited to strap her in and "go a walking."

Third, below are some of the outfits that I have received as gifts. I am blessed to have some good friends who are allowing me to borrow some of their daughter's precious clothes. But, it is nice to receive some new things as well. I have plans to bring her home in the cute little navy blue outfit. The shorts that were given to her, are so small and SO adorable. The bathing suit has a ruffle-butt, and we all know how I feel about those. The green dress is so "us." There is one more dress that my sister gave Lil' Darlin' that I am saving for another blog . . . so fear not Lindsey, it will make an appearance.

Fourth, I have been given many wonderful friends that have blessed me with gifts and advice. I thank the good Lord for blessing me with each and everyone of them! I love you all and am so thankful and grateful for each one of you.

A L.A. Shower . . .

This past weekend, I packed my car up with three women and a little lady. Myself, Kat, Candace and her little girl Emmy drove down to L.A. this weekend for my very first baby shower. Each lady was given strict instructions to pack as lightly as possible, due to us having to bring back all the wonderful gifts that I was to receive in L.A.


We made it in record time to L.A. and spent the first day prepping for the shower extravaganza. I tried on over 20 dresses that day in hopes of finding a shower dress. No luck!!!! Everything was too big. However, we found a beautiful skirt and my sister let me borrow one of her tank tops for the day. I was set! I introduced Candace to 21 Choices and spoke highly of Saturday morning's breakfast, 42nd Street Bagel. I went to bed that night, excited for Saturday's events.

Saturday morning we walked to 42nd Street Bagel, where Candace had her first honey-glazed bagel. It was a spectacular event! We came home and got ready for the afternoon's shower.

Lindsey did a spectacular job! She planned everything perfectly, down to the very last detail. I had Buca di Bepo, red velvet cupcakes, wine for the guests and a fun virgin drink for myself and lil' darlin'. Please take a look at Lindsey's blog for all the wonderful details of the day.




I received so many wonderful gifts from all of my friends and family. Lil' darlin' and I are so blessed to have all of you in our lives! I had such a wonderful time and could not of asked for a better day. From receiving my BOB, to all the cute little outfits for Lil Darlin', we are two very blessed girls!

because I CAN!!!!

I think that every pregnant woman gets some sort of flack from people. I have heard, "are you actually eating?" "Your really going to go for a run?" The latest that I have received is "You're wearing heels? Are you crazy?! Is that ok for the baby?" All I can say is, "Seriously, you are asking that question?"

Why does everyone believe that if you are doing something, looking a certain way or acting in a non-pregnant norm sort of way, you are OBVIOUSLY hurting the baby, or not being a good "host?" If I were one to be sensitive towards these type of comments, I would definitely be suffering from some sort of emotional trauma by now.

In the past, women covered their bellies, didn't do any unnecessary exercise, wear any inappropriate footwear and ate whatever they wanted. I am here to say, Yes I will run as long as I can, I will NOT eat whatever my heart desires and by God, YES, I will wear heels! These would be preferred of course . . . ;)

24 weeks . . . times 2

My husband wanted me to show you a little comparison between my 24 week tummy and his tummy at my 6th month . . .

My 24 week stats:

Total Weight Gained: 12 pounds . . . moving up in the world!!!

Noticeable changes . . . some I love, some I do not . . .
Likes:

• I actually have boobs!! (Sorry dad)
• I feel her move all the time now
• I actually can feel her flip . . . feels like your stomach does when you go down a big hill. You know, like it drops to your feet and shoots back up again.

Dislikes:

• When people ask me if I actually eat. I want to tell them, "Yeah I do, I just don't follow the same rule you must've when you were pregnant. The "You can eat anything you feel like" rule, is not too smart when your stuffing your face full of fast food ,ice cream and pizza. Then they wonder why they gained an absurd amount of weight . . . really????? I don't actually say this, I just smile sweetly and say, "Yes, I eat, promise."
• Lack of clothing that seems to fit me . . . THANK YOU MARCELLA FOR LONG NORMAL SHIRTS!!!! These all fit nicely and do not look like a moo-moo on me.

Bathroom Hang-Ups

Being at the bottom of a massive list of those that went before me, I thought that I knew just about all the pros and cons to pregnancy. I have heard the stories of happiness and the stories that make the most confident and capable person, tremble in their boots. I have seen DVD's that would make the most seasoned midwife blush and turn away from. I have cried with friends when they experienced loss and rejoiced with friends when miraculous blessings were handed to them by the gracious hand of God. However . . . there was one thing that I was not prepared for that hit me like a ton of bricks this morning . . .

Being a teacher, you have small windows of blessed opportunities to "rush" to the bathroom, quickly do your business, hopefully remember to wash your hands and practically sprint back to the classroom before chaos ensues. There is no time for lines, blunders, obstacles or hang-ups. To allow any of those to occur, would be utterly detrimental. So, this morning as I took care of "business" before the school day began, a blaring red flag waved victoriously in front of my eyes. What used to take me 2 and 1/2 minutes flat, will take me now, somewhere close to a very unacceptable 10 minutes to accomplish.

I count myself lucky to be 6 months pregnant and still able to fit in all of my pre-pregnancy pants. With the help of the trusty rubber band and loyal Bella Band, I can pretty much wear whatever I want. However, buttoning a button and pulling up a pair of pants, is a LOT quicker than fastening a rubber band into place through a series of loops and smoothing a Bella Band into place. Let me run you through both processes so that you may fully understand.
First, non-pregnancy pants for the non-pregnant individual, requires a total of 6 steps. #1 - pull up pants, #2 - button and zip pants, #3 - smooth shirt, #4 - walk out of stall, #5 - wash hands, #6 - leave bathroom and go back to class.Now, non-pregnancy pants with the Bella Band takes far more steps than a simple six. #1 - pull up pants, #2 - adjust pants, #3 - zip pants up as far as you can, #4 - fold left over zipper and button down so that the Bella Band can be put into place #5 - adjust pants, #6 - pull Bella Band into place, #7 - adjust pants, #8 - adjust the folded flap, #9 - fold top portion of Bella Band down, #10 - adjust pants, #11 - pull undershirt down so that it covers said Bella Band, #12 - adjust shirt, #13 - adjust pants, #14 - pull top shirt down, #15 - walk out of stall, #16 - wash hands, #17 - adjust pants, #18 - pray that the Bella Band works and does not leave you in a compromising position with a classroom full of 6th grade students, #19 - adjust pants, #20 - go back to class

I am tired thinking about it all . . . .

Pregnancy woes and a Babies R Us induced trauma . . .

We hit a couple of milestones this passed week. The first is I hit 23 weeks and officially am "showing." I still have the "sure, your pregnant" remarks on occasion, but I feel as if my belly is growing by the hour. I have officially gained three more pounds over the past two weeks, making my total weight gained, 8 lbs. I am having clothing issues . . . I have about three different outfits I can wear when I get home from work and the first two involves some form of "comfy pant." Attractive as it may be, that is what I have and that is what I get for now. I was given a ton of maternity clothes from a good friend. However, I was able to take four items from that basket and put in my closet for what I am guessing will be the end of my pregnancy. I told my sis that all maternity clothes are just too big and she said, "well at least your skinny." For the first time in my life, I thought, "well ya, but it would be so much easier if I could just gain a bit more weight so that I could actually fit the FREE clothes that were made available to me." Needless to say, many of you will probably not feel any remorse for me at all, but I am just plain frustrated with the entire situation.


On a positive note, I was able to wear a friends dress that if not pregnant, I would never of been able to wear. We went to our school's annual auction and had a great time. We left a bit early and decided to do a quick Costco run before the Auction. Apparently we have gotten really good at shopping in Costco, because what normally would of taken an hour and a half to accomplish. only took 30 minutes. So, I decided to introduce Michel to the wonderful world that we all know as Babies R Us.


At the very onset of the experience, Michel tensed up. Imagine a ten year old walking through a store with breakables everywhere. Children in this position, tend to walk very upright, tense and worried that their arm or leg might at any moment spontaneously jet out and knock over some ridiculously expensive item, regardless of how tightly they are currently holding their limbs to their bodies.
After a couple of laps around the store and a couple of "really, we actually need that" conversations, Michel was beginning to relax and become more comfortable with the experience. Then it happened . . . we entered the clothing section. Michel walked towards one of those really frilly dresses, looked at me and sad, "Ahh, this could be our daughter's first Easter dress." I watched as the serene expression on his face suddenly melted away and what looked like outright fear became it's replacement. He then looks at me and says, "First a simple Easter dress, then a prom dress, then a wedding dress . . . " Seriously folks, as my husband expressed his emotions, you could here the "dun, dun, duns" in the background. He then grabs my hand, says something about how we are not ready for this, and marches me right out of the store. It took all that was in me not to laugh hysterically. I later heard from other fathers, that this is a common feeling and that it to will pass. I also told Michel that to remedy the problem, it might require him to take a few trips down to Fresno, so that he can make some laps around BRU, you know, so he can get himself acclimated to the situation . . . cause as he said as we were rushing out the door, "It's not like it is going away, there is no turning back now . . . "