Target of my concentration

To think, this time last year we started trying to have a baby, and now we're having a baby tomorrow . This baby bump is the target of my being right now.

Toilets scrubbed, floors moped, nursery complete, Every. Piece, Of. Laundry. Done! kitchen sparkling, all our bags packed and plans for Lil Rev solidified. oh I even created and stocked a snack basket in our pantry for Lil Rev to help out in those weeks after we get home.  

I am experiencing an array of emotions from excitement to finally meet the newest member of our family, to sadness that the wonderful family I already have is now going to change. I didn't expect to mourn the family dynamics we've established for the past 6.5 years but it's an emotion that is very real, very strong and I am honoring it by recognizing it and allowing it to be. I feel extreme anticipation to finally find out if we will have another son or a daughter. I am a little bit anxious (but really trying to ignore this emotion) about the surgery I am about to have and recover from. And I also feel sad that this pregnancy is over. Although I have many pains, symptoms and exhaustion from being pregnant, I absolutely love it and cherish every movement I feel. It's an incredible feeling and honor to have 1/2 created, completely nourish and birth a tiny human being into our world.

We celebrated our Baby Eve tonight by watching videos with Lil Rev from when he was1st born, in the hospital and the 1st month of his life. He laughed and asked so many questions, it was really a precious time. And then the videos reminded me of ALL THE CRYING! I won't even talk about the emotions those memories of his inconsolable crying evoked.

Well, here we go, into another adventure of parenthood,

starting tomorrow morning at 11am...

1000 visitors

ok, well that may not be completely accurate as a few of those "visitors" were me...

but nonetheless, 1000 and counting!!!

                      

 I'm thinking if I want anything more to come from this blog, perhaps grow it and see where this outlet takes me, then I need more activity, comments, virtual love. So... now what? 
 

 

 

Somehow the COMMENTS part of the blog got removed at some point so

I enabled the COMMENTS ability -  interaction is now a go...

 

I'll celebrate all you wonderful RevilleVille visitors by sharing

more pics from  our recent family photoshoot. Enjoy!

 

 

Weight...What?

At my 36 week prenatal check up I was seen by a Nurse Practitioner, who I had seen once in the very beginning of my pregnancy. She took my blood pressure, weight and urine sample and then we had the following convo:
NP: Well you have gained 6# since your last appointment, 2 weeks ago.
Me: oh, ok
NP: Your total weight gain has been 37#. The average weight gain for a pregnancy is 25 - 35#.
80% of your diet should be fruits and vegetables.
Me: Oh... so I SHOULDN'T have milkshakes for breakfast and nachos for dinner? Um... i'm 9 months pregnant, the deed is done.

What I took from that interaction is that I feel AMAZING and beautiful - no matter what a professional says, or co-workers, or neighbors, or family,. I gained weight, YES. Probably too much, YES. Might I regret it in a couple months feeling like a fat cow, maybe. But i'm happy now and have thoroughly enjoy this journey (including my breakfast and dinners of choice).

My Father in Law (retired firefighter) told me over the weekend "I've delivered babies and seen lots of pregnant women but never with bellies as big as yours" followed by "YOU'RE AS BIG AS A HOUSE!" This has been a great test of confidence and self security and i'm happy to report - I got lots of it and pregnancy has really enhanced my esteem despite all the "twin/house/ginormous" comments. I feel privileged to have conceived, nurture, carry and grow our precious baby in my body and i'll celebrate that with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream + vanilla almond milk shakes for breakfast!

When you look in the mirror, see the beautiful woman you are,  

 focus only on the positive in your life and

 love yourself, because you are YOU

32 weeks "ready to POP"

 

 
Working in an office all day with lots of ladies and wonderful people whom i really enjoy was really fun for months 1-7 of my pregnancy. Everyday i felt showered with compliments about my "glow", how great i looked, how i made pregnancy look easy and on and on... then 3rd trimester hit! Now the comments i hear are mostly "WOW - you get bigger everyday" or my favorite = "are you SURE you're not having twins?!?!" which she proceeded to ask me 2 more times after i answered NO!  Today i was told that i look like i'm going to have that baby any day now. my reply?... "I HOPE NOT!! i have 8ish more weeks to go". A Psychiatrist i work with asked me for some paperwork today "before i pop"... all before 10 am.  Then later in the day a co-worker said "you must be ready to have that baby already". Yep, that was my breaking point. My response? "If I hear 1 more person tell me something like that i am going to loose it! why do you think i'm ready? do I look miserable to you? have i complained to you? I'm due in July and actually really loving pregnancy - so NO! i'm not ready and hopefully the baby is not ready either!" Gotta tell you, it felt good too
I feel like making a button that says:
PER BABYCENTER.com

"i'm gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb." SO I"M ONLY GOING TO GET BIGGER!! Please keep your "funny" comments to yourself.

Maybe it's the 3rd trimester crabbiness kicking in, or feeling pretty crappy today that's getting to me but really people, really! I'm trying to think if i was ever so insensitive to those pregnant beauties i know. I do remember empathizing with them and marveling on how amazing it is that our bodies get so big at the end. So perhaps if i said that to a friend at the wrong time, i could have made her feel like i feel now.

I am one who embraces, appreciates and really just loves the miracle of pregnancy. I feel so grateful for this blessing and try to dismiss silly comments by people who  don't understand, or care, how their funny "jokes" may make a VERY PREGNANT lady feel but today sucked! I drove to work and had another "episode" where i feel like i'm just going to die, had to pull over and then was late to work. I get to work, feeling like crap and am showered by those lovely "popping and overdue" comments, and as i type this my back is killing me. I just want to go home and lay down for some back pain relief. But instead i'll stretch, walk it off, find some chocolate and SMILE because i'm pregnant, BIG and having a BABY soonish :) The end.

Baby Love

We had our 20 week ultrasound and received the results almost immediately (via e-mail of course) "Your fetal ultrasound is normal"! WHEW, what a great relief! I do have to say, during that hour long ultrasound, i almost caved and asked to find out  the baby's sex. It was so tempting as the technician was right there and probably able to tell us if we wanted... BUT i stayed strong and declined that temptation. It is really fun, and an incredible experience to not know the gender and just focus on the miracle and excitement of having A BABY! Whatever sex it may be. So here is a projected picture of our baby's ultrasound on my belly, baby love!

CraVings

Well...for the first few months i couldn't eat enough veggies, V8, salads, all things healthy and delicious and then Girl Scout cookie season kicked in. I blame those girls and their cookies for my demise, so now here i am and insatiable. Cravings have fully kicked in & I'm craving FOOD!!! I guess in particular, nachos. Mmmmmm, nachos!
Tortilla chips smothered in cheddar cheese surrounding black beans topped off with olives, green onions, avocados and more cheese. of course some hot salsa on the side. they were so so so good!

Restaurant Considerations

 

 

Next time i make reservations (or accept dinner invites) my 1st question well be "is there a women's restroom on the 1st floor?" because walking up (& down) 3 flights of stairs EVERY TIME i have to use the restroom ain't cutting it for this preggo gal! Well, I'm getting my workout tonight celebrating a friend's birthday. We'll see how much time i actually get to spend with her tonight though :)