Week 23 Recap: Weeknight Walkabouts

Isn't he glowing?

No bump pic in week 23, we were slackers! 

Well, another week down and only seventeen to go. Hey time, slow down, would ya? I've still got tons of studying to do before we reach the end of pregnancy and the beginning of parenting...

Last week was made for lots of walks around the 'hood. We live near Loyola University and its beautiful campus set on Lake Michigan, which just so happens to feature the best bunny spotting for our weeknight walkabouts. These evening strolls, that could also be known as "Walk and Talks" since they help us reconnect at the end of the day, are something I look forward to on the regular. (We don't really call them that, it just flowed out of my fingers as I was typing...) Despite being within city limits there's a nature vibe in the area that's calming and rejuvenating for me; the water views, pretty flowers, and baby bunny spotting along the way - it's a wonderful chance to step away from devices and daily life. Plus the exercise (if you can call it that) is a nice bonus. Given that these jaunts are so much a part of our summer (even winter!) routine I was a bit surprised to realize that we'd never actually documented them. Maybe because they're somewhat of a sacred "live in the moment" tradition. But considering we won't always reside nearby and are bound miss our sunset saunters someday, we decided to carry along the camera just this once and capture some of the beauty we're so fortunate to enjoy. Walk with us!

And here's what's new in pregnant-ville.

• Back pain. Ugh. Sitting is the worst. Prenatal yoga seems to be helping though. #thankful

• Alex rubs my belly and points it out to people constantly. "Have you met my wife? And this is my baby!" as he motions to the bump. It's so endearing and sweet. I'm amazed at how much deeper our relationship feels already, there's like this unbreakable connection that's not new, but so much more intense and neither one of us can explain it. 

• I've become a plate cleaner. If it's on there, I'll finish it. 

• The belly button has almost popped. I've always had sort of a halfsie button (half innie, half outie) so I figured this would happen sooner actually, I give it another week or 2, and boom!

• I've been surprised by how genuinely interested men are in the whole pregnancy thing. Don't get me wrong, women are great, because they just get it. But the male attentiveness was unexpected. From the cafeteria guys at work asking, "So, what does she want to eat today?" to strangers just being helpful, it seems like daily I encounter a male with some sort of comment or question. I don't mind though, the conversation is actually kind of nice! Several new dads have given some great advice that I've yet to hear elsewhere, and the guy perspective is quite interesting. 

Lately I've been feeling even more grateful for this pregnancy experience. I can't really say why, just that more pinch me moments are happening. Maybe because the belly keeps right on growing and sometimes when I pass a mirror it stops me in my tracks that there's a real, live baby in there. Or perhaps because symptom wise I feel pretty normal so it's easy to forget until someone asks how I'm feeling or how far along I am, then it hits me, "Holy crap, that's right, I'm growing a tiny human. What a freaking miracle!" Even on the days that my back hurts so bad I'm hunched over and could burst into tears, I make myself remember that my body is only her temporary home for a little while longer and for every knife stabbing spine pain I endure, at some other point that day I'll also get to enjoy her many little kicks and flutters. I'm really trying hard not to take a single day for granted. I'm so thankful for feeling good, for having healthy baby reports so far, and for the ability to enjoy this process rather than resent it.  I know pregnancy can be/become difficult, I still have a way to go, and my luck could change at any moment so it felt like the time to put my gratitude out into the world before I change my mind. (Just kidding. ;)

Week 22 Recap: 11 Year Anniversary!

"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty-two." Weeks that is. 

Our eleven year anniversary happened to fall this week so baby girl got to celebrate with us. Even though she's not technically here yet, it's fun having her along for our adventures in utero. Since we normally travel for our anniversary we decided to do a Chicago stay-cation this year and it ended up being one of the most incredible yet. Things seemed to fall into place in that way that you can't just plan. We used our favorite travel credit card points to book the W Hotel - Lakeshore - it's the city's only lakefront hotel, it's just been remodeled, and it's fabulous. We were kindly upgraded to a larger, water facing room and a few hours later the staff sent champagne, goodies, and anniversary wishes to our door. It was the sweetest surprise and really started our stay off special! Normally when we travel we spend very little time in the hotel room, but with a comfortable layout (also known as, "where's my robe?"), modern decor, and a gorgeous view (plus maybe being five and half months pregnant) we were content to lounge for a few hours before dinner.

We've spent many hours in the Playpen so it was fun to get a view from the other side.  

We dined downstairs and forgot to ask someone to snap a picture so we staged this one in our room just before the Navy Pier fireworks started. Over the years I've watched this show from several great spots in the city but I have to say, the 26th floor was my favorite to date.

In the morning, Alex woke up long enough to snap this Sunday sunrise photo from our room and we slept in for a few more hours before brunching, trekking around downtown, and journeying back home.


More baby girl updates this week:

• She's kicking on the regular and I'm kind of obsessed. I could seriously lay and watch/feel it constantly. Everyone says, "just wait" (which drives me nuts... I CAN just wait, thankyouverymuch) so I'm enjoying each little nudge and flutter, even the ones to the bladder that send me running to the nearest ladies, before they get harder and maybe painful.

• We talked a lot about baby names and Alex's main requirement is for her name to be so lovely that when you say it, it melts your heart. No pressure... ;)

• We also talked about what kind of personality she might have, what she might look like, and what we want her to learn from us. I hope she gets his entrepreneurial spirit, and he hopes she gets my kindness. I might have teared up a little at that point. Okay, teared up a lot.

• I literally have 5 things to wear. 

Hope your week was happy!

Birthday Blog

Another candle on the cake means I've been blessed with another year!

We celebrated last night with a divine meal at Pump Room in Chicago's Public Hotel (the food never disappoints and the service is stellar) and my wish this year was for a healthy baby girl.

It's hard to believe this is my last munchkin-less birthday. Over dinner, we talked a lot about how our lives will change (for the better!) and all the things we're looking forward to doing with her and teaching her. (I hope she likes theme parties.) And even though I haven't given birth yet, being pregnant brings a whole new appreciation for "birth" days. So thanks to my Mama for bringing me into this world 33 years ago!

And thank YOU for all the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram love - so sweet and thoughtful!

Week 21 Recap: Grandma's in Town!

My Mom was in town this week and I was in absolute Heaven. Living far away means I don't get to do the day-to-day things with her, and even though we talk each morning, having her in person for ten days of girl time, catching up, and baby stuff was so special for me. There's nothing like a mother's love and I feel so lucky that we share such a bond.  I honestly don't know how I'd function without her - she's my greatest friend, biggest supporter, on-call therapist, and I can only hope to be that for our daughter someday. Now that she's back home I miss her like crazy. Thank you for a wonderful week, Mom, and all of your help and love!

21 weeks big!

In baby news, our girl's the size of a pomegranate but because my nickname is Peach we've started calling her Apricot since they look like mini peaches. She starts kicking every night around 10:30 and sometimes a little throughout the day. My pre-pregnancy clothes are getting pretty snug; roomy tops and dresses that I hoped could see me through the end of summer are suddenly not an option but maternity clothes still seem too large and ill-fitting. I can count at least three closet meltdown moments this week. Each time I try on something that'll no longer go over my hips or belly I have a mini heart attack even though I know it's only temporary (hopefully). Having your body change so rapidly is a very strange sensation. Mentality you "get it" but that doesn't mean it isn't frustrating sometimes. However, I'm trying to enjoy the curves and my newest accessory as much as I can, I only hope you guys don't get tired of looking at stretchy skirts just yet. Otherwise I'm feeling fantastic and think the nesting has begun - I've become a purging and cleaning maniac over the past few days. A friend gave me some baby name books and I bought another as well, but nothing's doing it for me so far. I have a feeling that picking her moniker is sure the be the hardest part aside from giving birth - wish us luck!

Week 20 Recap: It's a....!!!

What an incredible week!! My mom flew in from Tennessee on Thursday and was able to attend the 20 week ultrasound with us. It's always an amazing treat to see our baby on that screen. You spend so much time thinking and dreaming about the little one, that getting this glimpse makes all the more real. There was so much wiggling (again!) and so much growth since last time - the length of a banana now compared to the size of a peach in week 13. I'm trying hard to wrap my mind around how we've made it to the halfway mark already and semi-wishing I could slow things down just a little. We got a healthy report back for this point, which was a huge relief for me. Since the beginning, I've worried (probably a little too much) about all the things that can and do go wrong and have spent many a moment in prayer for a healthy, happy baby. Even though neither of us have a gender preference either way, we'd always planned to find out. But as the day approached it felt more and more bittersweet knowing that the abstract days were coming to a close. For a split second I thought about backing out but since we had a reveal party on the books later that evening I knew deep down the planner in me couldn't wait that long we had the tech write the baby's gender and place it in two envelope's - one for the party store, the other for us (in case the party store lost it - I need something for the baby book!)

Since Alex was leaving town the next morning we'd planned an outdoor reveal soiree for later that evening on the same rooftop where we celebrated events like this and this, which seemed fitting given our love of theme parties. (I knew I didn't want to find out in the doctor's office, that just felt too sterile and hospital-y for such an incredible event.) So after the appointment came the mad dash of prep like wrapping our balloon box, explaining to the store associates what we needed without having the surprise ruined, a last minute grocery store run, and an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. (I had purchased the most beautiful blue silk dress shortly after I found out I was pregnant hoping that it would accommodate the bump later in the the summer. Since we'd decided to wear the color of the gender we suspected and my feeling all along was boy, I was dead set on this dress. However, the zipper had other plans. It wasn't the bumps fault, just shoddy construction, and after tugging and trying as hard as the three of us could it finally snapped and I was left scrambling for a back up outfit. I guess it's good practice for when the baby spits up on a future planned ensemble...)

We arrived at the party with what felt like minutes to spare and as our friends trickled in I became more and more anxious with each passing moment! Soon we would know if a sweet little boy or precious little girl would be making us a family of three.

But first, snacks. 

And socializing. 

Pappa pops the champagne in preparation for the reveal. 

Our friends donned diapers with their gender picks, Team Girl...

and Team Boy.

And the moment we've been waiting for... 

It's a ..........

Words can't explain how amazing it was to share that experience with my Mom and so many of our friends. Though I initially wondered if finding out the sex early would take away from the actual birth day moment, after experiencing such excitement and outpouring of love that night, I have no regrets. From the thoughtful little gifts (unexpected, unnecessary, but so appreciated!) to the loads of hugs and cheers immediately following, my heart is full with love and warm with the thrill of it all that won't soon be forgotten. We knew we wanted something visual to share with the loved ones who couldn't be here, and I hope this makes them feel part of the festivities. Celebrating in the spot that's housed so many wonderful memories, in front of the skyline that's been our home for nine years, could not have been more meaningful. One day, I can't wait to share these pictures and video with our little one and remind her how much she was loved before we'd even met her.  

This is where the pictures get a little blurry because they're screen shots from video. 

To say I was shocked would be the understatement of the year! 

Since the very beginning I just *knew* it was a boy. From boy-leaning old wives tales to the way we kept referring to the baby as "he", having a girl never entered my mind, even though we would have been happy either way. People would ask if we wanted a girl or a boy and when I'd say I honestly had no preference whatsoever, just healthy, they'd act bored and basically accuse me of lying. But I've felt/feel so honored to be able to be part of this miracle, and hoping/doing all I can to grow a strong babe, that it felt too selfish to wish either way. I believe we'll get what we're meant to have and if it's one baby girl, two of each, or three of the same, nothing could change my mind about that. However, even as I write this a few days later, I'm still getting used to all the pink. I guess I had four and a half months of thinking blue so it might take some time to convince my mind otherwise. But I couldn't be happier. 

A daughter. 

Alex will adore her. 

And I can't wait to share shoes with her. ;)

Kisses, baby girl! 

P.S. The night after the reveal I felt her first "kicks". Although I'd been feeling bubbles and flutters for a few weeks, the midwife had asked the day before if I'd felt any biggger movement yet and described the early sensation as "being punched through a pillow", which I hadn't. But at bedtime the next night, little tap, tap, taps from within started and I was melted. It feels exactly like being punched through a pillow, if you imagine the tiniest fist possible coming from the sweetest of babies, pushing on the softest of pillows. Yeeep!  Lying in bed at the start of a new day, or end of an old one, feeling her wiggles and seeing parts of my tummy move up and down on it's own is my new favorite thing. It's our little moment and it's so surreal!