Week 34/35: A showering of love and an Ode to My 3W people.

This week I have been spoiled so much by these people this week.

My beyond wonderful co-workers threw me and amazing baby shower. I cannot tell you how overwhelmed I am with love and support. When I came to California, it was anything but a picnic. I struggled finding my people. I am very, very glad I found these people when I did. They made my life exponentially better. I learned a lot from these people. When you work in healthcare, you become very close with people, you spend a lot of your life with these people, so it's very natural they become your wonderfully, dysfunctional family. 

Shout out to Kelly, Kim, Andria and Deidra for all your help coordinating this. 

These ladies below are my A-team from dayshift. I will miss you and love you like nothing else. 

Every single person in all of these pictures played a very big part in always feeling included and loved. 

Today was also my last day before maternity leave (really forever leave). I was feeling every bit of my 35 week preggo emotions.

Most of these people below are my night crew. Even after I went to day shift, they never left me out. I will never forget all our amazing Disney days. I love you guys so much. 

This is also a shout out to all the people that I have precepted over the years. You are all amazing and thank you for putting up with me. Especially pregnant. 

#especiallytheonebelow

How cool is that my friends even get up early enough before they go into work a 12 hour night shift, to see me? I am one lucky girl. 

Do you see this beautiful thoughtful table below? Well this sweet lady to my right, crafted the entire thing. Kelly always puts so much thought and care into everything she creates. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful friend to have put this part together. Kelly, you are so creative and wonderful. Thank you so much again for all you do for everyone. You always make all the people in our RN community feel so loved. 

 On to preggo things!

Week 34 bump pic:

Week 35 Bump Pic: 

These few weeks have been very emotional, not only because i'm pregnant, but because I'm about to uproot myself from the life i've made here over the past few years. Somedays, I feel like I just unpacked and got used to being here. Let's be honest you never get used to the traffic, but you kind of make peace with it, sort of.

I'm excited to focus on having this sweet babe and introducing him to all things outside of my uterus. He's heard lots of things from the inside of this belly and I can only imagine all the things he's thought about.

Cravings: Garlic and grapefruit!

Aversions: Salmon. The smell is horrendous. I don't know how I got back to smell aversions.

Sleep: only brought to me by Naturally calm magnesium drink and Unisom. Unisom, if you're out there reading this, you have a customer for life.

Until next time!

Week 32/33: Hello Month 8 and to always expect the unexpected.

We are officially moving to our next assignment, Fall 2018. Kirkland AFB, Albuquerque, NM.

Albuquerque Balloon Festival! Source

We have been in Los Angeles, CA for the past 3.5 years. It's really crazy how time tends to fly. I really don't know much about New Mexico in general, because living in Texas, I always knew if you landed a little past West Texas there was pretty much nothing. 

Well this will be a bit of slow down for us for sure, something I know we've been waiting for. Less traffic, less expensive, and all around a time to focus on our growing family. 

So our timeline will be a bit full over the next few months: 

1. Have a baby. 
2. Uproot/ Move to Albuquerque. 
3. Deal with having a fresh newborn, a two year old and learning a new city. 

Thank goodness this will all transpire before the holidays. 

Oh yes, on to talking about Week 32/33. 

So I will tell you Week 32, did not go as planned in my head. 

We were going house hunting this week and this happened: 

It doesn't look like much but we were hit by a suspected drunk/altered driver at 3am leaving LA, total hit and run. We were so pumped to be missing the traffic, there was literally no one on the road. 

We are 100% all ok. Literally scared us shitless, but other than that we are good. At 32 weeks preggo, I knew that we would not be continuing the journey, a million things ran through my head, What if I went into pre-term labor due to stress? How stressful would it be renting a car and then continuing?! NOPE. 

So we got home before all the traffic started and went back to sleep to try to start July 4th over again. 

Don't worry we all had our obligatory July 4th Old Navy shirts on. We were celebrating at Chicago Rib Joint, right by the house, so we didn't have to get in the car. 

With all the stress, I completely forgot to take a belly pic this week. :/

Thats ok I got Week 33 belly pic coming at you! This belly is really becoming more of a shelf. I can rest my hands on it, my drinks, my phone, and Allie cat can prop her head there. 

This week this little baby has dropped well into my pelvis. I'm officially uncomfortable, with the constant picking up of Allie, my hips are not cooperating. I don't know if it's due to the car accident or literally this baby dropping, but i'm feeling super preggo. 

Cravings: 

Garlic, olive, pepperoni pizza at Blaze pizza. I literally told the girl behind the counter, "I want you to take a fist full of garlic and pile it on". She was super sweet not to judge me out loud. 

I've burped garlic for 2 days. No I didn't eat this in one sitting, I thought about it, but I can't eat very much in one sitting these days. 

Aversions: really nothing. I'm a bottomless pit these days. 

Preggo symptoms: 

• Lots of burping. 
• Lots of potty breaks. 
• Slight swelling, not like I had with Allie though. I did prophylactically take of my wedding band today just in case, until I upped my water game. 
• Slightly hormonal. 

Lots of changes coming our way, We like to plan our lives to a T, but this is one of those times we will be walking by faith, and praying all works out. 

Questions for all: 

How do you prepare your children for a big move? It will be insane enough that Allie will be adjusting to another baby in the house, but then relocating her. I'm sure many meltdowns will be had. 

Week 31: Sleepless in Los Angeles

A sleepless week indeed, but he's so cute though. How cool is technology?! I mean really. We can literally see this boy scratching his eye in utero. I'm really amazed.

This week I literally got 3 hours of sleep. This is also an accurate depiction of my life when Matt travels and I have to chase a toddler all week.

Allie must have known the days she needed to go to daycare, because each night she woke up at like 2am and screamed from her crib. She really never does this, but she knows when Matt is out of town and mom is sleeping alone. So of course, homegirl gets in mom's bed because rocking her at that hour never works and I have to get some sleep.

Preggo happenings this week: 

• Cramps. Leg cramps. It's pretty much the package you get in the third trimester. Neat. It's a fantastic way to wake up and NEVER GO BACK TO SLEEP. 

• Boob cramps/soreness. I guess this one was bound to show up, hopefully I don't experience any leaks. Question: has anyone leaked heavily before their baby showed up?

• Crazy baby movements. It feels like my baby is moving his butt from one side to the other and It looks like I have an alien inside. A very cute alien.

Week 31 BUMP picture:

Cravings: Carbs. So many carbs. Black olives have made an entrance back into my life. 

Aversions: Nothing. Lucky this week. 

Mom gadgets: 

Some things i'm thinking of buying. 

This. The Willow Breast Pump. 

Pros: 

• It's wearable, you literally put it in any bra. 
• No cords.
• No need for a breast pump bra. (this is huge.)
• Quiet. 
• Can wear it literally anywhere and no one will know. 

Cons: 

• $450. 
• Have to use the bags that come with the pump. 
• It's still $450. 

The price tag makes me feel like I shouldn't need this. 

Dockatot. 

I'm buying this and don't even care that it has a $200 price tag. I bought one for Allie when she was 8 months and my life got so much better. She slept like an angel and I slept like an adult sleeps, one that sleeps longer than 20 minutes. 

Strollers: 

I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love our BOB stroller. I can fit a whole bunch of crap in it. Allie likes to hate it because she's Miss Independent these days, but we went hiking with it and it really held up. I cleaned it with Color safe bleach and hosed it down and got it really clean. BOBs hold up super well for the money you pay for them. 

I'm just wondering who loves the Double Bob? I'm worried it's too wide to get through doors and such. I always see a lot of people who love the City Select double stroller. So i'm really torn. 

Matt really wants the Thule Double stroller. Does anyone have this one? 

The countdown has begun. I literally cannot believe we are less than 9 weeks away. I cannot wait to see this sweet baby's face on our side of heaven. 

Until next time!

Week 30: The tale of the red head and a preggo.

This week was everything.

I had one of my favorite people in town, Olivia. If you recall, I met her in Charleston, SC when we were stationed there back in 2012. Time flies, y'all.

We made makeshift pizzas that literally turned out to be the best. Yes, that happens to be a whole log of fresh mozzarella on two pizzas. Trader joe's sprouted wheat crusts were a definite win. Also, you better believe there was a ton of garlic all over these pizzas. #preggocravings

I don't know if the pizza tasted so amazing because of who I was eating it with or because we are pretty much BAMFs at pizza making and clearly missed a calling. But I do know that everyone needs a friend that brings a little slice of home.

  

I'm grateful for our Disney day too. We might have left super early because this preggo can't hang in the heat of the day, but it felt like no time had passed at all. I always am amazed at the friendships that can withstand time and when you're together you literally pick up right where you left off. 

Cue all the preggo hormones. 

I did go on several rides: the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Little mermaid, and Soarin' around the world.  BEST. DAY. EVER. 

And of course my little Allie cat loved hanging out with her Aunt Liv. There's something about seeing your best friend with your baby. The love you see there is amazing. 

Week 30: Sure feels like this belly popped over night. Every move I make, this wonderfully full belly of baby, gets in the way. I feel out of breath starting this week.

Y'all I was climbing a couple flights of stairs and my goodness, I had to stop to catch my breath. This makes me so nervous with TWO MONTHS LEFT.

Things I'm also starting to notice this week: 

• Allie is acknowledging her brother. For this I'm so grateful. I've been so nervous about this idea of getting her used to. We bring him up everyday and she lifts up my shirt to see if she can see him yet. 
• I'm starting to limit myself. Setting limits for myself has always been a task. I always think I can do anything, and coming to the realization that I need help. For instance, I've actually started making Allie walk to the car. 
• Feeling the all day flutters in my belly. Oh the joy this makes me feel. 
• We have a lot of changes coming our way. But this is the first time I haven't used my Type A personality to the fullest. I literally cannot plan out every detail of my life for the next 4 months. 
• Focusing on today and that being enough. This is the hardest thing to do for a person with anxiety. Learning more about myself everyday. 

Cravings: All things savory. Salty. Cue all the swelling.

Aversions: nothing this week. I'm eating chicken again. 

Sleep: is supplied by unisom. I really think my body is getting used to it too. I'm starting to wake up in the middle of the night after a good solid tossing and turning bout.

When I have been asleep, I've been having the weirdest dreams about going into labor and having my baby in my bed. It's the weirdest thing. I did make the comment that the other day to someone that I hope this baby slips out like he's on a water slide, so I don't have to push forever. Maybe i'm internalizing that! 

The weird things we unconsciously think about! 

Questions for you: 

Did your second baby come out faster?

Did you labor any different than with the first?

Did you do anything different with birth plans the second/third time around?