33 Weeks

Baya was slightly more interested in getting in the picture this time... still not getting the concept of looking at the camera.  hehe.  Also, can you tell what we have been slightly obsessed with watching lately... Yes, this tv has not seen anything but the Olympics since Friday!  Loving it! 
 

Exercising?  Walking, walking, walking, and walking... trying to keep moving, because once I sit down, it is very easy to not  get up for anything... I am enjoying any time I get to relax and rest.  Yet, I have so much to do!  Double edge sword!

Maternity clothes?  As much as I wanted to run out and buy a dress for the baby shower this weekend, I am kinda over buying “maternity” clothes!  I want to go back to normal clothes... I want to wear my regular jeans and my high heels!  I know I have a while before that happens, but really, I am over buying "maternity" clothes...   So… I did stop at Marshals with my lady friend, Valerie, and found the cutest floral dress and pink clog/heels to match!  I wore it to the shower on Sunday and I will probably be wearing it again next weekend for shower #2!

Sleeping?  It is a crazy situation here, people.  Why do pregnant ladies get SO tired in our 3rd trimester, yet we can't get any darn sleep!?  I am always tired... I feel like I could lay down at any time and just sleep no matter what's going on around me... BUT once I lay down and try to sleep - my mind seems to race a little lately, I wake up OFTEN from being so uncomfortable, and all I want to do it just SLEEP on my tummy!  Do I dare say... I would rather have less sleep and be able to sleep on my tummy than have more sleep and sleep on my side??  Will I regret saying that 2 weeks into being a new mom?  
 
Missing Anything?  Okay, so the other day I got done with a LONG day at work and I was dying for a drink... but really, that was the only day where I even thought about a drink!!  But boy, did I want a strong one, bad!  I might be trying to have that glass of red wine soon, now that I am in my 3rd trimester and all.... Pretty sure it will not kill Sal, but also pretty sure it will make me one happy mama to have a nice dark, heavy glass of red wine.  Any suggestions on a good cabernet to sip?

Food cravings?  Nothing...

Heartburn?  A VERY MILD case of acid reflux here and there; still not concerned about it though.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Nope... 

This Weeks Symptoms?  Fatigue, rib pain, and my annoying lower back.  Nothing keeping me on bed rest or anything, so I am trying to keep positive about it!  I am still managing at least two walks a day with Ty and Baya, so once/if I am not able to do those I will get CRANKY about it...  

Any Movement?  Yuppers... I am hoping that we have a little athlete in there... sports' scholarships are always great for our bank!  

Labor Signs?  Nope.  Just a couple of those braxton hix contractions here and there....  

Belly Button: in or out?  Out, but becoming less visible through clothes with the belly continuing to grow!

Wedding rings on or off?  On (9am-5pm) and Off (all other hours of the day)

Overall Mood this week?  Roller coaster would be the only way to describe this week... one second I am crying, scared and overwhelmed by EVERYTHING going on and the next I am all smiles, excited and can't wait for all this to go down!  Figuring out maternity leave has been more of a pain in the ass than expected and although I don't think I will be able to take off as much time as I was originally was scheduling, it will all work out (as my wonderful mother says).  Who knows, we still have time to see what happens and how the dice will roll.  It is amazing how much our obligation to responsibility overpowers all things right now.  We are CONSTANTLY weighing every action right now with results and consequences... with that, we are always trying to caution on the safe side with every decision we make and therefore, for our near future plans, it might be best for me to not miss a month of pay.

Also been feeling very overwhelmed about what recovery will be like after the baby.  I have squashed the fear of the actual C-section, but no matter how the baby gets here I will have some sort of recovery to deal with... ugh... I hate being limited, I hate being "unable to do things", and I hate not feeling "well" … oh and then on top of that, I have to take care of a NEWBORN BABY!?  This just eats at me because I do not want to face the recovery yet!!!  I know every mom in the world deals with it, so I am trying not to be a brat about it, but do you ever just accept it before it all happens or it does it just happen and you have no choice but to deal with it?  (So frustrating!)  I just get very cranky when I am in pain or cannot do something on my own so I assume I will not be the most pleasant person to be around (guests- this is a forewarning).  The upside to this week’s roller coaster ride was cleaning in the nursery and also planning the last finishing touches - OMG, I am so excited to share these with everyone once they are done!!  AND, who can NOT be excited about a baby shower!! Sunday, was the baby shower that my Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law threw for me!   It was a huge mood booster and a blast to see everyone!   It is so awesome to feed off all the excitement of all the "mothers"... I mean ya, I am excited, but I have NO CLUE what I am in for, so when a woman who is ALREADY a mother gets excited for me - I feed off of that and I get so excited to try to understand what is so great about this "motherhood" thing!  The two little duckies were swimmers in the punch bowl and don't you just love the fruit baby!  Great job Anne and Lindsay!

Another big part of my roller coaster ride is the anxiety of breast-feeding.  When you hear about it and hear how many people it doesn't work out for, it makes you worried that you want to put 110% into making breast-feeding a priority for you and the babe, but you don't want to get disappointed if things don't go well right away because all you hear is “it is hard”.  I know it is a LEARNING PRACTICE between you and baby so it TAKES time to get the hang of it... but I do not want to “give up”!  We had our breast-feeding class on Thursday and I feel so much more prepared to take on the challenge now.  I think my number one focus will be breast-feeding once Sal enters into the world, and I am totally okay with that.  Despite all the crap I will put up with the week after his delivery (no sleep, pain, exhaustion, anxiety, hormones, etc.) if there is one thing that I want to work out for the best- it would be the breast-feeding!  Maybe it will be a good focus away from all the other yucky stuff!  To add to this, BEST NEWS I learned about breast feeding---the instructor said that "barley" in beer helps things flow... so it's totally okay to drink a beer to help you feed the babe!  (I looked at Tyler with the biggest smile on my face when she said that!)  Oh, and totally okay to have 2 cups of coffee a day - just make sure to keep water intake up to fight dehydration, OH AND you can have a couple drinks and not have to pump and dump... If you feel okay to drive and/or handle your baby then the alcohol in your system will not kill the baby!  (Just can't do it every night, obviously!)  So at least I will not feel restricted or guilty if I am having my cocktail every once in a while!    

Looking forward to?  Of course... there are 2 more baby showers around the corner, so it I hard to NOT be excited for those… and, Tyler and I just love getting things organized in Sal’s room!  We are doing lots of laundry and folding for all his new little, styling outfits.  We are so close to standing back and admiring our hard work, so I am sure you know if you have had a baby before, we are totally looking forward to walking in that room and seeing the finished product (this includes everything folded and put away)!

Pit of the week?  umm... maybe facing the fact that I still have those darn overwhelming feelings to get everything in order ASAP.  I would like everything to be cleaned spotless and organized to perfection right now!  I assume I will have this annoying characteristic about me for a while and I need to accept that nothing will be organized or cleaned enough to make me happy at this point.. haha.  I just have TRY to go with the flow and try to get things done without freaking out about everything!  

Peak of the week?  Baby Shower(s)!  Had a surprise Baby Shower at work on Tuesday!  It was so nice... got some great gifts for Salvatore AND fresh flowers for my desk... the best part was the FEAST of fresh fruit, chips/salsa, and tacos for everyone to enjoy!  Oh and some delicious confetti cake made by one of the great bakers.  

Then Sunday there was the shower with Tyler's mom's side of the family and a great bunch of girlfriends!  I may be biased since I am a woman, but I love when a whole bunch of WOMEN get together and hang out.  

The showers were awesome, and it made me think of an article that I just recently read about the 3rd trimester that talked about how this is the time to expect feeling like a frumpy, fat, and uncomfortable human being... the moods are jumping all over the place and you might be ready for it to all be over, but most women will say the best part about the 3rd trimester is the joyful celebrations going on in your baby's honor....  And I personally don't think that could be any more true, because even though lately I have had it up to my eyeballs with being pregnant, the celebrations are seriously the best thing to get me back in the mood to finish this journey strong and happy!  

Another great peak is that my girlfriend, Valerie, from college came to visit this weekend and she handled my “nesting” well.  In fact, she crossed off like 10 things on my to-do list (mostly crafty things or items that needed fixing).  She was finishing projects for me left and right… and I am talking about projects that I had been sitting on for months.  Seriously, what she got done in a weekend would probably have taken me 3 weeks… haha.  So it was awesome to have someone around that I trust and who was able to take the bull by the horns.  She also helped me finish the wall with the mural!  We bought the pieces and painted the letters.  Check out the finished wall!  Still working on other parts of the room, but this wall is DONE-ZO!  Biggest project of all, she helped Tyler and I organized our Juke Box.  We were very fortunate to be proud owners of a kick ass juke box when Tyler’s dad left it behind, but it needed a little updating!  Not that we don’t love a little Dean Martin, but Lady Gaga, Shinedown, and my Chili Peppers are a little more fitting for our hosting style!  Valerie and I spent a few good hours organizing 97 slots for CDs and writing up playlists for a couple dozen artists (Ty helped too!).  It was a long process, but it was a HUGE project I had on my to-do list before September so I feel a big weight lifted off my shoulders!  Thank you, Valerie!   

I will end with a picture (sorry for the bad quality) of my two loves, who always make life much more enjoyable!

 

Make it a great week everyone!
Much Love,
Jax

32 Weeks

This might come across as a closing to my blog, but believe me… we still got a ways to go with this pregnancy.  I just wanted to take a minute to thank all those who have been aside me in this journey.  I am LOVING the feedback and responses I have heard regarding each post.  I have learned so much just from all the feedback on this blog and I totally recommend EVERY pregnant lady documenting this part of the journey!  I know every mommy has different ways of being the best mommy ever but it is awesome to gain insight from all of them to decide what will be right for me and baby Salvatore!

Anyway, through each week of blogging I feel that I have been forced to reflect on everything about this life change.  I attribute this particular refection to all the friends and family who have been teaching me expectations (both good and bad) of the next couple years as a mother.  For as long as I can remember I have always defined success as having a career and being financially stable, leaving the thought of motherhood FAR from my mind!  Being very career driven, my biggest goal in life was to have a high paying job that gave me a lot of authority.  Ask any of my friends from high school where they thought they would see me at 26 years old.  They would have probably suggested I would have been single, serious job, and for sure, childless.  In fact, I was "anti-children".  I was going to be the cool "aunt" that just spoiled all my friends' kids.  Funny how your plans for life are so very different than life’s plans for you! 

I was 18 when I met Tyler and granted I was not looking to settle down or anything, but through all our dating we never held each other back from traveling, school, or career choices, and he was just one of those guys you don’t let slip through your fingers no matter what…but unfortunately through the last eight years together I had no career to show for any personal success and a husband that was dying for a baby of his own.  (I have always said career before babies – no question about it)  I have a job that I am pretty damn good at, but it is not what I see doing for the rest of my life.  So, I really had to look at things and revaluate what is more important in life for us as a couple- my mediocre job or my husband's desire to grow a family?  As disappointing as it is and as much as I struggle with being pregnant and no personal career achievements in place, I have been able to see a new perspective to this.  The grass is always greener on the other side.  I am 26 years old and I have a marriage that I feel is unheard of for a girl my age.  I have a husband that has a great head on his shoulders, fabulous career in his pocket, and is extremely excited to take on fatherhood. (I know this is a reoccurring phrase - but I could not ask for more in that department.)  I feel spoiled when it comes to all my relationships in life… that being said, first and foremost I mean my marriage, but I am also including all of my amazing family (Tyler's and mine combined) and all my amazing friends.  I have so many people I can count on and call for anything.  Maybe if I would have had a career I would have lost some of that along the way.  If it is true that you “can’t have it all” then forget the dumb career... I have redefined “success” for my life.  Yes, I still want that career, but it is not what I will classify as the peak of success for my life.  From here on out - my new goal for success is to be the best wife a man could ask for, a thoughtful and dependent friend and family member… and soon to be a loving and nurturing mother!  I don’t know it yet, but from the sounds of it – it’s a very challenging and rewarding career to become a mother so I hope I can step up to the plate and hit a home run here!!  

Exercising?  We have been walking everyday!  Baya is requiring less and less treats for the walk – so that is awesome!  We still can not get her to walk with just one of us though.  It seems to be a two person job.  Other than walking, I have not been keeping up with any other workouts… unfortunately I was feeling the fatigue this week.  Might try some weight lifting this week if I can manage to get the strength!  

Maternity clothes?  Nope, and thinking I will attempt to hold off now – I feel like with a little less than 2 months, I would rather not spend the money... plus the heat limits me to T-shirts and sport shorts when I am not working...  

Sleeping?  Can't get enough sleep, actually!!  I was JUST telling Tyler that I was feeling good and that this 3^rd trimester fatigue is nothing like the 1^st trimester – THE VERY NEXT DAY, 2pm hit and I was dying for a nap!  I had to go and put my foot in my mouth!  I am begging for sleep any time I can get it now.  In fact… I was the happiest kid on the block when I got into bed BEFORE 8:30pm Thursday night.  I don’t understand why I WANT to sleep so much because sleeping doesn’t even go all that well when I zonk.  I am up every time I move because it takes a lot of concentrating on moving with this belly… and then when I am awake, I might as well just get up and use the bathroom because if I don’t I will probably be up soon to do that anyway.  So yes, sleeping has now become a big priority in my life right now.       

Missing Anything?  I need a drink.  With lots of vodka in it.  And a blue cheese stuffed green olive.  Or, know what else I was thinking about this week!?!?  Old Fashions – with GARLIC stuffed green olives… oh man…  I need a stiff cocktail pronto!!  

Food cravings?  YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS!  I THINK I HAD MY FIRST CRAVING!  Saturday night Tyler and I were watching TV and even though it was like 10 o’clock at night – I was dying for some BW3s… to be more specific, I was dying for some medium wings and buffalo chips.  (A nice cold miller Miller Lite would have gone great with that, too.)  I was really wondering if we could go GET some “right now” at 10pm on a Saturday night… I mean if he would have said he was open to it and we should go I would have been the first buckled into the car!  The craving has gone and past, but it was so weird how much I wanted those wings and fries at that very moment! 

Heartburn?  Not really… I am noticing a LITTLE acid reflux... very little though and nothing to complain about.   

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Nada… feeling good! 

This Weeks Symptoms?  Fatigue is the number one thing I am dealing with right now.  Also, thank God we are continuing to walk once or twice a day, because also if I sit or stand too long all day my back starts to dislike me.  It is a very low pain, like almost by my tail bone.  It is nothing like my rib pain, just annoying and it feels like I need to stretch or walk it off.  Rib pain has been very annoying, as usual.  Good thing there is Tylenol – just wish it helped MORE. 

Any Movement?  Non-stop!  I mean I know he naps in there pretty frequently, but I also have no doubt that I know when he is awake!  I can't believe how strong the movements get as each week gets closer to his delivery!  Sometimes they are just a little uncomfortable and honestly, sometimes they make me look forward to NOT sharing my space with a little rambunctious baby.  But as every pregnant lady says, it is awesome to have the experience and feel him in there! 

Labor Signs?  Nope.  Unless... do those braxton hix contractions count?  I don't even know if they are braxton hix but I assuming from what I hear.  It is a SUPER mild and painless tightening around my belly and it gets kinda hard... it feels weird to move when it happens, too.  It is really weird feeling!  I have had maybe 10 in the last week.   

Belly Button: in or out?  Still out but I think it is getting a little more stretched out with the growing belly!!  

Wedding rings on or off?  Still able to wear them during the day with no problems!  Just always looking forward to taking them off after work because they start to get a little tight....

Overall Mood this week?  Tired, tired, tired, and a little anxious which does not mix well when you are tired!  I just want to get the house in order all of a sudden!  I don't really have all the energy in the world, but I want to clean, put everything in it's spot, and make the place look immaculate.... is this called nesting?!?  It was a struggle this week battling the fatigue and the yearning to clean and organize!  It made me crabby that I felt I could not get things done that I wanted to get done!  Instead of painting for a couple hours when I got home from work I was a blubbery sap on the couch because I was too tired to move.  I have been down Tyler's throat about cleaning and organizing this and that... I feel bad for the guy, but I just need things to HAPPEN because once the babe is here- I think the world stops and no one cleans or organizes anything in their house for a long time... maybe like years... haha, I know I am exaggerating but really - who has time to organize a closet when they have a baby that needs to be fed every 2 hours!?!?  So yes - my calm and collective mood has been snow balling into a little more crazy, clean, organize and get things done RIGHT NOW mood.  Also, I am just worried that this fatigue and lack of mobility will get more annoying and I would like to get things done before I physically cannot do them.  So I will add FEAR to my mood, because I honestly am fearing that I will not be able to get the things done I want to get done because, as if you didn't know yet, I am pregnant and I am learning that this slows you down whether you want it to or not!     

Looking forward to?  It will be a great week ahead!  We have our first Kinderpuppy class on Monday and then our first Baby Shower on Sunday!  I cannot believe that we are having a baby shower already!!  I remember my BRIDAL showers like yesterday, and now we are having a BABY shower.  SO surreal.  So amazing that family and friends come together to make this special time even MORE special.  Cannot wait!       

Pit of the week?  Having no energy to get much done after work.  Feeling like my days are going to be getting shorter... the night owl has left the building and not by choice!  The couch calls my name at 5pm!      

Peak of the week?  FINISHING THE MURAL PAINTING IN THE NURSERY!!  Might be one of the biggest peaks of the last 32 weeks, actually!  Haha.  Wow, it was a very strenuous task and I am not sure if I knew how hard it was actually going to be if I would have done it, but it is DONE and it is beautiful!  Being pregnant makes everything a little harder, too, I think...  Anyway, I am MORE THAN HAPPY with it and Sal is not allowed to paint his room till he is 21 years old!  Haha!  Or if we continue to use this room as the nursery for following babies and if there is a little girl in our future, she will have to do with the blue walls... we are not changing that nursery up for anything!

Make it a great week everyone!
Much Love,
Jax

31 Weeks

Baya wanted to get in on the action... maybe next time she will face the camera!  Haha.  

Exercising?  We are still working on the "WALK" process with Baya.. I am sure it will be a while before she has it down, but it is going well!  The only bummer is it takes two of us to walk a little 10lb puppy.  Seems ridiculous, hey?  Ya, so one of us hold the leash (keeping her from straying away or trying to avoid her from just taking a seat in the middle of the road - which she likes to take lots of little breaks!) while the other one walks ahead encouraging her to "COME" while feeding her little bits of hot-dog to reward her for listening!  Haha... it is a strenuous routine (for Tyler, Baya, and me!) and after our walk to the park, a lot of running around chasing Tyler, and then our walk back home... she is ONE LITTLE POOPED OUT PUPPY!  But you know what they say, "A tired pup is a good pup" and that is FOR SURE!  We enjoy her the most when she can't keep her little puppy eyes open and she cuddles with us.  Haha. Here are some fun sleeping positions of a tired puppy - can't even stay on the PILLOW!   

 

Maternity clothes?  Nothing new here...

Sleeping?   We have a great routine down and as long as we tire Baya out, we are guaranteed at least a 5 hour uninterrupted block of sleep... it is a great 5 hours and we are enjoying it while we can because we often talk about how we are going to get use to this and we will feel like this is easy peasy but then, BOOM, Sal will have us up every hour and we will wish for the 5 hour block again!  Other than that ribs have been manageable at night so besides the fact that I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to sleep on my tummy, everything is going well in the sleeping department...

Missing Anything?  Ummm ya, I was talking with a girlfriend of mine about cleaning and it made me miss the nights where Tyler would be away and I would pop open a bottle of wine, crank up the music super high, and clean house like a mavin!  I understand most people don't have clean houses when they have a newborn, and I don't keep an immaculately spot free home to begin with, but I would like to know there will be those days/nights where I can have my alone time (at home), pop open that bottle of wine, turn up the jukebox, and clean my little heart out!  Haha... I am sure some people could think of better things to do with alone time, but cleaning is sooo productive and rewarding when you own a home!

Food cravings?  Nothing food related...  Just craving to sleep on my tummy.  I think the first night I get to sleep on my tummy I will have the best night sleep ever... I mean, I hope I hear Sal cry if he needs me because I just know the second I get to lay on my tummy I will be ZZZzzzzz-ing like fully grown, tranquillized gorilla!  I can't see myself moving for anything.  

Heartburn?  Nothing this past week...  

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Haha... great story... Thursday night I was not feeling too hot, had a rough night sleep (tummy bothering me), and by Friday morning I had my head in the toilet all over again...  Ugh! I was SOOOO hoping that this morning sickness would NOT come back.... so as I rested on the couch Friday with my cuddle buddy, Baya, Tyler and I were discussing what could have made my tummy so upset.  Tyler, being the wonderful and accommodating husband that he is has recently been buying me different juices to mix in water or with soda (like a virgin summer cocktails)... and as we went over the label for the newest one that he had bought (which I LOVED and DRANK A TON OF ON THURSDAY) we calculated that I had about the equivalent of 6 sodas with the sugar and caffeine that was in the juice (crystal light energy).  So I am pretty sure my body was having a total crash that required lots of rest and water Friday and Saturday...  On the upside, I can't say that Tyler is not trying- that drink was AWESOME and with it on ice, I really felt like I was drinking a summer cocktail!  But no more of that for me and Sal... back to cranberry juice and sprite for a while.  Here are a couple pics of my cuddle buddy on Friday and Saturday when I wasn't feeling too hot. 

    

This Weeks Symptoms?  Still a little emotional... nothing outrageously annoying, but I feel like Baya tugs at my heart strings A LOT and it is just crazy to me how much I want to be perfect for her.  I mean I could over look a dog in a heart beat a couple months ago, but now I look at her and my heart melts.  Other than some tears, I am beginning to feel a heavy weight in the center of my body.  I feel like someone strapped a belt to me with weights on it.  This is really all of a sudden that I feel this way and it is hard to explain, but the pressure that I felt on my bladder has now expanded outwards.  Bending down, shaving my legs, getting in/out of the car, and even tying my shoes is becoming a struggle.  Awesome.  Coming from someone who is quite the independent, I am not looking forward to the day I cannot tie my own freaking shoe.  Also feeling a little short of breath.  Salvatore is taking a lot of room up lately and I am curious to know how he can take MUCH more... I know it happens and I will obviously be finding out pretty soon here, but I can foresee the comfort level decreasing pretty quick.  Being TWO months away from my due date has began to (finally) interfere with my GO-GO-GO lifestyle.  This bump is slowing me down and making me really concentrate on all my actions along with making me realize there are something things I just can't do here on out!   

Any Movement?   It looks like an alien has taken over my tummy sometimes... I will be sitting on the couch or recliner and I will tell Tyler to look at my belly and there will be random spots that are clearly NOT in line with a round belly.  There was one night where there was something sticking out right above my belly button and it looked like there was a super ball trying to get out of my tummy... We like to think we gave him a high five... but who knows what little limb was stretching out there.  

Labor Signs?  No.

Belly Button: in or out?  Still out!

Wedding rings on or off?  On during the day still... the bloating doesn't usually happen till after dinner and after walking... that's when I prefer them to be off.

Overall Mood this week?  Preparing... trying to get Baya in order for our new arrival.  The vet visit was very reassuring that we are doing all the right things for bringing a baby home to a family with a puppy.  Think about it, by the time Sal even comes close to the ground Baya will be almost be a year old and probably have gone through at least three training classes...  They also said they see little worries with both of them so young and them growing up together should be a great way for them to get use to having each other around.  So now I am feeling very confident about how we are raising Baya and it makes me feel like I am in the preparing stages of raising a baby.  Baya needs 100% supervision right now and granted, she can be a handful (NO JOKE), I know the feelings of being frustrated and annoyed, yet so in love with this little creature.  This is why God makes puppies and babies so gosh darn CUTE.  They are a lot of work and they need patience and love and guidance, but when all is said and done the rewards last a lifetime.  

Looking forward to?  Continuing our at home training with Baya.  It is awesome to be teaching her new things and seeing her react positively to us.  I am sure I am like every dog owner when I say - SHE IS SO SMART!  Haha... but really she is catching on like crazy.  I will attribute most/all of that to her breed.  Vizslas are highly intelligent and they LOVE to please their owners.  It would be great to be able to take her on a walk by myself, but I know she is young and we have to give her time to learn and adapt to the world around her!  (she is a little skittish still)  We are looking forward to getting her into a dog park ASAP (after all her shots in August)!  We want to get her playing with lots of different dogs as soon as possible.  She has already met a couple new friends, but two of the three were 6/7 times her size, so a little variety will be nice.  She seems to be scared of the larger dogs but she gains bravery and tries to play with them... She likes to tease.  Puppy socialization will happen in our kinder-puppy classes, too, which will be GREAT for her.    

Pit of the week?  Dehydration/upset tummy.  Also really wishing I could soak up this heat!!  This would be an ideal summer for me, but I just can't handle the heat for too long!  Wish I had a knob to turn down this internal heater!    

Peak of the week?  Feeling productive again!  Tyler and his awesome sister, Lindsay, put the crib, dresser, and changing table together on Monday.  It looks AWESOME and totally pumps me up to get this room in tip top shape ASAP!  And thanks to my vacation day (also on Monday) and lovely mother we got a HUGE chunk of the mural painted!  Check it out!  I am so eager to get in there and finish, unfortunately #1) Baya needs 100% supervision right now so I need to plan to have her hang out with Tyler and #2) I can NEVER open the damn paint container by myself without hurting my ribs, so Tyler needs to be around to do that anyway!  Crossing my fingers that this is the WEEK! Haha... I think I say that every week.  But really.. I need to get this done before my first baby shower - July 29th!  PICTURES TO COME SOON - PROMISE! 


one more very RANDOM thing: you know how little kids like to draw pictures of outside... sometimes with a house and a family (stick figures of course) with a tree, and the sky is blue and the tree is green, and the trunk is brown, and USUALLY the grass is green... Well any way, do you think they are confused and using a yellow crayon lately for the grass??  

Make it a great week everyone!
Much Love,
Jax

30 Weeks

Of course, I do not have a baby yet, but everything I am going to reference right now is what I hear from new parents… I truly think that Baya is a small taste of what Tyler and I will be dealing with when Sal is born!  I think I felt EVERY emotion in the book over the last week.  Happy, sad, excited, nervous, proud, pissed, anxious, calm, fear, anger, joy, surprised… you name it and I probably felt it - you can tell just by looking at me!  Haha.  Tyler and I have been so comfortable and structured with our lives and now we have made this huge change with bringing home a little pup and it has been a transition that I believe closely mirrors what most parents feel when they bring home a baby! 

I have never had a dog before so I did not realize the extreme emotional attachment that happens within days of bringing her home and I did not realize how completely responsible I would be feeling for her every waking move and at times it can be completely overwhelming… (Does this sound like bringing baby home?)  As angry and disappointed as she would make me when she cried, nipped or went after my carpet, all I wanted to do was teach her to be a good pup because I felt completely responsible to show my love through discipline.  From the bottom of my heart I just want to give her the opportunity and guidance to become the best dog she can be!  (Does this sound like wanting to do everything PERFECT for a baby?)  While she is trying to get use to us, we have also been trying to get use to HER!  It has taken us SEVERAL trips to PetCo, but after many tries we found some bones (rawhide free) that she loves and mentally stimulating games that diminish her puppy instincts to bite and chew on our hands and stuff!  (Does this sound like adapting to a baby’s needs and wants?)  As we began to adapt to her and make her happy, she was able to do the same with us!  Tyler has already taught her a number of little tricks including the SIT command!  Honest to God, it feels so awesome to see her growing into a great dog within DAYS right before our eyes!  (Does this sound like a baby’s development and growth?)  We have jumped leaps and bounds this past week and the joy of owning a dog has already been an amazing experience even though every day is not a great day… (Does this sound like having a baby?)  The ups and downs of the week are way too many to count, but when all is said and done… I couldn’t be happier with our new little addition to our family and I feel like it is great taste for what Tyler and I are about to dive into with Sal.      

Daddy's girl <3

Auntie Suzie came to visit!

Exercising?  Nothing conventional except for walking… even then, our walks are revolved around our little friend who is NOT the best walker on a leash, yet.  She is making strides, but she is VERY stubborn in the heat!  I don’t blame her but we are finding that walks are the best way to drain her little puppy crazies!  The heat doesn’t allow me very long walks either, so we are trying a couple small walks a day.    

Maternity clothes?  Just sport shorts and tank tops this week!  Way too hot for fashion with a belly like this!  Work has just been in dresses!

Sleeping?   The beginning of the week was a little rough.  Baya was on a 2 - 2.5 hour potty schedule.  Ultimately it didn’t matter if it was my night or Tyler’s night to take her out because her crying woke both of us any way… Her potty breaks turned into potty breaks for me as well.  I can tell I am back to getting up a few times a night to empty my bladder.  Sal loves to nest right on top of it and the fullness is so annoying!  Baya was getting better and better each night and by Wednesday night we took her out at midnight and when she woke us up at 5am we could NOT believe we just got to sleep 5 hours straight without her crying!  It was awesome.  I am sure all the great company she encountered at Tyler’s dads on the 4^th kept her VERY busy and alert so she slept like a ROCK.  Here is a pic right after we got home from the party… Baya and I sat on the ground and we were both out like a rock withing minutes… after tyler took this picture he hit my foot waking me up.  I did not realize he had already forwarded the pic to plenty of people via text… haha.  But it is a cute one!

Missing Anything?  Being that I attended another great friend’s wedding this weekend, this one being with an open bar all night long, YES… I truly missed my drink in my hand and my butt on the dance floor!    

Food cravings?  Nope… just loving my pickles and cheese which is a usual combo for me.

Heartburn?  Nada…  

Anything making you queasy or sick?  Doing good… drinking my protein shakes and eating my oatmeal in the morning (this is what helped any nausea in the first couple months) and seems to be keeping any queasiness at bay.   

This Weeks Symptoms?  So remember last week when I said I was not emotional?  Haha… I should eat those words real fast.  Maybe it was the lack of sleep this week with Baya being up during the night and maybe it was the hormones kicking in to remind me this is not as easy as pie, but whatever it was the tears were flowing this week!  Some tears were from the overwhelming responsibility that I felt with Baya and others were pretty mushy.  For instance, at the wedding when the groom was dancing with his mother and she was crying into his arms, I could not control my thoughts and as I KNOW THIS DAY IS FAR AWAY, but I was hoping and praying that one day I will get to dance with Sal when he marries the love of his life.  It was so sweet to see this grown man hold his mother as she cried proud tears into his chest.  And remember when I said I missed my drink in my hand and my butt on the dance floor… well, the hour ride home I cried about wanting to go out and have a great night like I use to be able to but also hoping that I will not feel guilty as a mom because I want to go out with the ladies and have a couple drinks… I am sure this will be fine and although I always hinted to Tyler that life is over when you have a baby (he hates when I say this) I know he will be the first to say – go out and let me stay with Sal tonight.  So I am trying not to over think and over emotionalize this issue.  Also the heat is getting to me a little more than I wanted it to, but it is better than snow so I am not going to complain about this and I will be drinking lots of water while enjoying little bouts outdoors.      

Any Movement?   Oh ya!  One night he was pushing out on my right side, under my rib and it was almost like a limb was coming out of my tummy… there was a hard spot and even when I touched it, he would hardly move!  I was then telling Tyler to check this out.  As Tyler ran his hand along my tummy he could also feel this hard body part sticking out from the norm!  haha.  Who knows what he is up to, but he is still aware when his space is being invaded as well… Baya on the other hand is not fazed at all when he is kicking, punching, and moving because she always loves to sleep on my belly.    

Labor Signs?  Nope.

Belly Button: in or out?  Still out!

Wedding rings on or off?   On mostly when I am at work or leaving the house, but hardly moving when they are on.  It’s a nice snug fit right now thanks to the 100 degree weather!

Overall Mood this week?  Like I said above, I felt every emotion in the book… the mood was ever changing.  This was great preparation for our next new arrival.  I am sure the first week with the baby being home will mirror this first week of Baya being home.  It is no doubt that Tyler and I already feel 100% more confident about how to care for our little Baya.  I am sure that the uncertainty of a newborn brings every emotion in the book and within a few weeks the confidence grows as well.

Looking forward to?  Well… we have really slowed down on the nursery and we are getting close to baby showers.  I. Need. To. Finish. It.  Hopefully this week will be a good week to do it!!    

 
Pit of the week?   Ribs and emotions – both got the best of me this week!  

Peak of the week?  Despite some rough road blocks and some new learning curves with having a puppy in our family, I am so proud of Tyler and myself for sticking though the challenging times and making the best out of everything.  I could not ask for a better partner through it all.  Even though we get stressed out some times, Tyler is always the first one to turn it around and see the positive from it.  He is never defeated and it is absolutely inspiring!  Baya is just going to be another product of our love for each other and our great team work that we strive for every day.  It is amazing to be sharing in this journey of life and love with such a remarkable man.  Just like the song of our first dance as husband and wife says, “These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive.  These are the moments I'll remember all my life.  I've got all I've waited for.  And I could not ask for more.”  When it comes to Tyler, I could not ask for more!    

Make it a great week everyone!
Much Love,
Jax