2013 Goals

I am going to make this short and simple, I have no idea what to expect with our baby and the first year of our first baby.... my 2013 goals are this...

(so these are probably a given, but I want to write them down)

- be the best Christian I can be

- be the best wife I can be

- be the best mother I can be

- learn to have more patience

-be better at household things

-save our family as much money as possible by doing things myself,learning things, such as gardening, making our own laundry soap, breastfeeding, etc.

-grow my photography business by double. 

-lose 60 lbs 

My maternity pics

these were taken December 1st

The ones outside were set up by me, and my sister helped make sure we looked good and snapped the picture!

I can't believe in just a few days my baby girl will be outside of my belly! Not in!

this one was done by me and with a tripod and "clicker"

this one was done by me and with a tripod and "clicker" 

2012 in review

A year ago today I wrote THIS post  about my goals for 2012. I surprised myself by not writing down "to have a baby" because this was something we have/had been trying since 2011, but  I figure I left it out because I felt it was out of my control. Well as you all know.. IT HAPPENED! Well I haven't had the baby yet, but I am about to "pop" :) 5 days away from my estimated due date!

I think I wrote great goals for 2012!

2012 goals:

- Continually grow and develop in my relationship with Christ

- Grow an even stronger bond with my husband (I am so excited about this! It is hard to describe, but I love him so much, and he is forever my husband and I am excited to just get to know and learn and grow in our marriage as we go into our 3rd year of marriage) 

- Process and procedures and growing in my photography business! 

- work on gaining more self confidence

- eat healthier

- get more organized! 

Overall I think I did a good job with these goals. Of course with these goals there isn't an "end" to them, but I feel I really did work on them, and achieve them! I still want to work on each of these! But I know 2012 I made progress in each area and I love that! :)

I love growing in my relationship with Christ, and while I admit some days are better than others, weeks better than others, etc. I am growing and developing and striving for that better relationship.

I have never felt closer to my husband, so far each year of marriage has proven better than the last. I love him with all my heart, and I feel so blessed that he is my husband. This year I have really grown to appreciate all he has done for me. He truly has made my life better. And I really mean that. He "saved me" from a bad relationship I was in. He has made me realize that I can do whatever I want if I work for it. He has made my dreams come true, and does it joyfully. I have never met more of a selfless man. He has such a genuine and pure heart. I know our daughter will have her bar set high for her standards for men, because I am not sure anyone can beat her dad. 

My photography business grew a lot this year! and I LOVE it! I can't wait to see what 2013 brings! I hope it can grow even more.. I have a hope that I can double again this year. 

Self confidence- I will be working hard this year on that! I can't say I made much progress on that in 2012, pregnancy has really been tough on my self confidence in the physical aspect. 

eating healthier- I did overall pretty good in 2012! I hope to improve more in 2013! 

getting more organized- I definitely did that in 2012! A few things need more organization, and then it will be maintenance. :) 

biggest news for 2012- and what kind of consumed my blog this year. :) 

My beautiful baby girl via 3D ultrasound!

I just am so in love with her little cranky face and those gigantic cheeks and beautiful lips. It was such a fun and SURPRISE to get a 3D picture of her! I went in for an ultrasound to check my amniotic fluid ( I have A LOT LOT LOT) and she is a big baby. and my ultrasound tech got everything she needed so quickly she said lets try and get a 3D picture for you! It is a picture of a picture so quality is a little less. This was such a great sneak peak, and now I can't wait to have her come out and snuggle!!

Funny labor and delivery dream & some cute photos!

The other night I had a dream I went into labor and had my baby, and I couldn't remember ANY of it! I had to ask my husband how it went and what went down! He told me (reminder this is all a dream) that I made it all naturally, but they had to put me in a dark padded room, and that I threw up and pooped through the entire labor/delivery. My favorite midwife delivered the baby. In my dream my baby was bald and light colored hair, and I didn't remember anything until we were at home with the baby.


Funny isn't it? I am getting so excited and anxious for her arrival! Bed rest isn't really helping the time go by fast either! My muscles are killing me(shoulder blades mostly) and I think it is from bed rest... I need a good massage!! My husband does a great job at making the pain go away at the time, but the next day it always seems to come back, and I feel awful always having him massage me, he has a lot going on, and I am sure massaging my shoulders are not on the top of his list on things he wants to do. :)

Me on 12-28-12

Since it has been SO long since I have posted anything BUT weekly updates here are a few extra pictures... sorry they are crappy cell phone pictures... but on bed rest there isn't much I can do! And funny thing... I have EVEN LESS motivation than I did before I was put on bed rest. Here is the link for why they put me on bed rest

Sleepy boy

tired pup

Snuggling with the family

38 weeks- December 22nd

How far along: 38 weeks 
Total weight gain: 40 lbs roughly
Maternity clothes: I have been wearing the belly band since I was about 10 weeks. I have about 2 shirts that cover my belly... And sometimes my belly creeps out! 
Best moment of the week: Spending Christmas with my families! It was great! My husband bought me a beautiful COACH DIAPER BAG!! It is to DIE FOR!!!  
Food cravings: oreos and Arby's! 
Food aversions: nothing.
Symptoms: 
boobs sore- no
cramps- nope
tiredness-I get tired easily, but thats about it.
irritability- I have my days...
acne- none!
bloat- a little swelling, its been a little better since on bed rest
burning muscle pain in upper abdomen- gone
boob leaking- I had this happen again! 
*warning of TMI- my lady bits have been feeling bruised!! I don't understand why.. but it is slightly annoying! But fun to know I am getting so close to birth and that is probably part of the reason!  again this has gotten better since going on bed rest

 Movement:  less, but she is moving, 
Gender: Girl! 
What I’m looking forward to: Her arrival! Hopefully it will be soon! They are predicting her at 8 pounds 6 ounces at 37.5 weeks! She will be a big girl! Which runs in our family, so I wasn't too surprised. I am measuring big, and i have a lot of fluid... so labor shall be interesting!! :) 
What I miss: My ribs not feeling bruised, oh man has she been all up in my ribs! It is killing me! bending over with ease. :) being thinner! No stretch marks. 
Next appt: Jan 2nd

How big is baby: Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

(taken from babycenter.com) 

37 weeks- December 15th

How far along: 37 weeks 
Total weight gain: 40 lbs 
Maternity clothes: I have been wearing the belly band since I was about 10 weeks. I only have a couple maternity tops, and my pickings are REALLY slim now days!! 
Best moment of the week: I am full term!
Food cravings: none really
Food aversions: nothing.. go figure.. :) 
Symptoms: 
boobs sore- no
cramps- a little bit
tiredness- yea
irritability- I have my days...
acne- none!
bloat- swelling is definitely coming into my feet
burning muscle pain in upper abdomen- gone
boob leaking- I had this happen again! 
*warning of TMI- my lady bits have been feeling bruised!! I don't understand why.. but it is slightly annoying! But fun to know I am getting so close to birth and that is probably part of the reason! 

 Movement:  less, but she is moving, 
Gender: Girl! 
What I’m looking forward to: Her arrival! 
What I miss: bending over with ease. :) being thinner! No stretchmarks
Next appt: Dec 19th

How big is baby:Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

(taken from baby center) 

update at 37weeks+6 days

I will get my bumpdates up to date probably tomorrow. But just thought I would tell you they put me on modified bed rest Wednesday the 19th. Due to high blood pressure. Which totally stinks! I am not sure what to make of it. I fear that my body won't handle labor and I will have to have a C section. I am really hoping that isn't the case. But I know it really doesn't matter if that is what I need. As long as baby and I are safe that is what really matters.

 I can't help but feel bummed out that I might not get the birth experience I was hoping for. I wanted a water birth, with no IV's and no complications. I wanted to sail through pregnancy with nothing wrong and have everything be perfect. I wanted to feel beautiful and perky and have endless amount of energy during pregnancy and show off my belly to anyone and everyone that would look! Unfortunately that has not been the case. I haven't had a troublesome pregnancy by any means!! But through my entire pregnancy I have struggled with sleeping and being tired a lot, and then now towards the end with the high blood pressure and being put on bed rest, really stinks.

I am worried that this may deter my husband from wanting more kids. For me none of this is that big of a deal, and I hope that I do not burden him with any thing that is going on with me, but I fear that having these little "blips" of imperfection in my pregnancy will deter him from wanting more kids, and I just don't want that! And if I have to have a C section I do not want it to deter him from wanting to have more kids. I just don't want these things going on to affect him or his thoughts in anyway negatively towards having more kids. Is that silly? Am I just hormonal!? LOL. He hasn't said anything at all about it, but I just worry that he is making mental notes for the next time we want to go through this. I am sure if he read this he would probably be doing a HUGE eye roll on me talking about future kids. Sorry hunny. I just don't want what I am going through now to affect our future. That is all.

36 weeks! Dec 8th

How far along: 36 weeks 
Total weight gain: 35 lbs roughly
Maternity clothes: I have been wearing the belly band since I was about 10 weeks. I only have a couple maternity tops, and my pickings are REALLY slim now days!! 
Best moment of the week: My sisters baby shower! 
Food cravings: chocolate
Food aversions: nothing.. go figure.. :) 
Symptoms: 
boobs sore- no
cramps- nope
tiredness-I get tired easily, but thats about it.
irritability- I have my days...
acne- none!
bloat- a little swelling
burning muscle pain in upper abdomen- gone
boob leaking- I had this happen again! 
*warning of TMI- my lady bits have been feeling bruised!! I don't understand why.. but it is slightly annoying! But fun to know I am getting so close to birth and that is probably part of the reason! 

 Movement:  less, but she is moving, 
Gender: Girl! 
What I’m looking forward to: becoming full term... one more week! 
What I miss: bending over with ease. :) being thinner! No stretchmarks
Next appt: Dec 12th

How big is baby:  Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

(taken from babycenter.com)

35 weeks - Dec 2nd

How far along: 35 weeks 
Total weight gain: 35 lbs roughly
Maternity clothes: I have been wearing the belly band since I was about 10 weeks. I am definitely in maternity pants, and have a couple maternity tops, but other than that i have found a few shirts that are long enough! :)  
Best moment of the week: Maternity photo shoot this week!
Food cravings: chocolate
Food aversions: nothing.. go figure.. :) 
Symptoms: 
boobs sore- no
cramps- nope
tiredness-I get tired easily, but thats about it.
irritability- I have my days...
acne- none!
bloat- a little swelling
burning muscle pain in upper abdomen- gone
boob leaking- I had this happen again! 
*warning of TMI- my lady bits have been feeling bruised!! I don't understand why.. but it is slightly annoying! But fun to know I am getting so close to birth and that is probably part of the reason! 

 Movement:  She seemed to lower again this week, which I feel less movement from her when she does that
Gender: Girl! 
What I’m looking forward to: becoming full term... I got several more weeks to go :) 
What I miss: bending over with ease. :) being thinner! No stretchmarks
Next appt: Dec 12th

How big is baby:  Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

(taken from babycenter.com)

Egg Bake Recipe

My mom gave me this recipe, she made these for my baby shower, these are so delicious and such a healthy and filling breakfast! I love making these on Sunday and having them for the week! :) 

12 slices of bacon- cooked and cut into 3rds ( I used gluten free sausage links)
6 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese- pepper jack
1/2 cup of milk/half & half
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 of pepper
onions
green peppers
extra cheese on top

spray muffin top with non stick cooking spray
 put two pieces of bacon/sausage on the bottom of muffin pan
sprinkle cheese on top of the bacon
fill each muffin tin with 1/4 cup mixture
bake 20-25 minutes for 350

(these do make 12, the bottom picture I took was my second batch, and I did a half batch.) 

beautiful pics of moi,3rd trimester hormones & a beautiful quote

"A mark for every breath you took, every blink, every sleepy yawn. One for every time you sucked your thumb, waved hello, closed your eyes and slept in the most perfect darkness. One for every time you had the hiccups. One for every dream you dreamed within me.

It isn't very pretty anymore. Some may even think it's ugly. That's OK. It was your home. It's where I first grew to love you, where I lay my hand as I dreamed about who you were and who you would be. It held you until my arms could, and for that, I will always find something beautiful in it."

-Author unknown

I have been wanting to take some nice maternity pictures of myself, my husband and I are taking some ourselves this weekend, but I knew I wanted to try some more "artsy" ones as well. I wanted to feel beautiful. I have really been struggling with that (more than I thought I would). I just don't feel beautiful and I don't feel that anyone sees me as beautiful and pregnant. 

I really am happy with how these two pictures turned out, however it was not easy going. There was lots of tears and I may have told my husband I hated him... during this picture taking process .. in which he said "I think these are 3rd trimester hormones coming out again" I love my husband. He is so true and honest, and I love the way he comforts me. 

PS- the obsessive labeling of the TGB photography is mainly because this is my body, without my face, and I don't want people to steal these pictures of my body, because I am still insecure, just trying to work on loving who I am.. 

2nd trimester picture collage

I love seeing my growing belly! It is just crazy to me to watch! SO much fun! I look back thinking I was "big" and compared to now... I totally wasn't! haha!

The second trimester was different than I had expected. I was no longer sick, which was great, but I did struggle with sleeping, and I was so anxious to feel the baby kick and waiting to find out if the baby was a boy or girl! I felt like most of my 2nd trimester was waiting. It was still really enjoyable and no aches and pains, just "waiting". I felt my first 2 kicks at 16 weeks, but then not again until 19 weeks and then it was still really inconsistent, and each week would become more consistent!

34 weeks

How far along: 34 weeks 
Total weight gain: 30 lbs roughly
Maternity clothes: I have been wearing the belly band since I was about 10 weeks. I am definitely in maternity pants, and have a couple maternity tops, but other than that i have found a few shirts that are long enough! :)  
Best moment of the week: my prenatal appointment and knowing I am getting so close to meeting this little girl! 
Food cravings: sweets
Food aversions: nothing.. go figure.. :) 
Symptoms: 
boobs sore- still there, way less prevelant though- however my nips are super sensitive, its annoying! LOL
cramps- here and there
tiredness-I get tired easily, but thats about it.
irritability- back to normal. :)
acne- none!
bloat- no
burning muscle pain in upper abdomen- gone
boob leaking- I had this happen again! 
*warning of TMI- my lady bits have been feeling bruised!! I don't understand why.. but it is slightly annoying! But fun to know I am getting so close to birth and that is probably part of the reason! 

 Movement:  She seemed to lower again this week, which I feel less movement from her when she does that
Gender: Girl! 
What I’m looking forward to: becoming full term...yea.. yea... I got several more weeks to go :) 
What I miss: bending over with ease. :) being thinner! No stretchmarks
Next appt: Dec 12th

How big is baby:your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

(taken from babycenter.com)

ugh.,. holiday sickness

I am sick- and I am bitter about it! Every day that I wake up (so far Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) I am so angry that I am sick! I am less than 7 weeks from my due date and I cannot afford to take the time off of work, but I am absolutely miserable! Plus, it is the holidays! I don't want to be sick on Thanksgiving!! I want to enjoy all that tasty food! Tonight we are going to my mother in laws for dinner, which I am super excited about! But I feel like crap, so I know I am just going to sit there feeling sorry for myself.  NOT FUN AT ALL. I need to have a better attitude about my illness and I just need to accept that I am sick, take care of it, and not throw myself a pity party. But its hard when my eyeballs hurt, and my nose is stuffed, and my throat hurts and my body feels like it is going to fall over from exhaustion!!
Today I have my tylenol, airborne, prenatal, vitamin D and cough drops lined up to take at the appropriate times, so hopefully that will help! I unfortunately forgot to grab an allergy pill, so I will suffer for that, but I will take that later tonight when I can grab it.

I will conquer today... and have a good attitude.

Hebrews 13:15

 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.