LOVE is a four letter word...

This might be hormone induced or could be a result of my daily bread reading last week but I find myself feeling more loved and being very thankful for those God has put in my life.

I decided to blog about it because I want them to ALWAYS know that I am THANKFUL for them each day.

I'll blog about 3 of them each week just because writing about all of them at once will be too emotional for me :-).

My Husband J - I remember when I was in my 20s, I always wondered who I would one day marry. I wasn't interested in getting married until I was in my late 20s and all my friends were married. I was also set in my ways and always said "whomever I marry HAS to fit into my life cause I am NOT interested in changing who I am." Can I just say love changes everything! I haven't had to change who I am but neither has J. He found our "perfect pieces". I met hubby when I was 29. God's timing is ALWAYS the best and his coming into my life has truly been a gift. I know it sounds cliche` but he is the ying to my yang! We are perrrrfect together! This week, I was just so tired beyond belief. My feet were swollen and they hurt just to walk on them. J did the dishes, filled up the humidifier, cleared up the kitchen and instead of playing his video game like he normally does to decompress, he came in the room to rub my feet! I knew he was tired also because he's been working a lot this week but he put that aside and instead focused on making me more comfortable. When people ask me how I know I married "the right one", I tell them, "I know because we fit into each other's lives PERFECTLY!" Kinda like a jigsaw puzzle piece. With individual parts, it doesn't make sense but when you put us together, we make a beautiful picture.
Ironically, this picture was taken in 2009. After we got engaged :-).

My Dad - One of my favorite Nigerian dish is moin-moin. Its a a bean cake that's spiced up and is very very yummy! Last week, in preparation for my mom coming to town, my dad and mom decided to wash the beans so that they could grind it using their food processor and freeze it. My mom would then bring it with her and cook it while here.
They started washing it around 10:30pm after their work day. My mom told me that my dad stayed up until 4am the next morning washing the beans and removing every single "black eye" from the beans because he knows I don't like it. My mom asked him why he was doing that and he said "because my baby girl is having a baby." Brings tears to my eyes just thinking of it because THAT is my dad! He will walk the hottest dessert for his kids! Gosh...I love him so so much!!!

My Mom - She has called me just about everyday since I entered my 3rd trimester. My mom isn't an overly emotional person but these last few weeks, I have seen a side of her that I've never seen. She calls to check on me. She encourages me (she does this already). She tells me how much she loves me (she's always done that too). On Friday morning last week, she called me to see how I was doing. Then she said she was recalling the day I was born. Apparently, she started having frequent contractions on a Sunday while at Church. So my dad dropped her off at the hospital and went home to get her hospital bag. Figuring it'll be a while before I arrived. However, she said the labor went by rather quickly and before he got back, I was born. She prayed that my labor and delivery would be as smooth and quick as hers was with me. I love that she ALWAYS prays for me like that. She truly is a mom like no other! Love her loads!!!

Thoughts/Random Questions:
Who are the folks in your life that make you feel loved each day? How do you show them you love them back?

Progress pics & pregnancy updates...@ 38+ weeks!

How Far Along? 38+ weeks. I am now less than 2-weeks to "full 40-week pregnancy".

Size of Baby? She has reached her full birth length (19 - 21 inches). Now all she is doing is packing on the pounds!

Maternity Clothes? I am still able to alternate maternity clothes and pre-pregnancy clothes. Not sure if the pre-pregnancy clothes will still fit after though since they are sometimes being stretched. But we'll see.

Stretch Marks? No new stretch marks. BUT I did get some bio-oil on advise from my sister in law to use after just incase. 

Sleep? I wake up MULTIPLE times each night to use the bathroom! 2 nights ago, I got up SIX times!!! And then was up for 2-hours cause I couldn't get back to sleep. Not fun at all.

Food Cravings? Still nothing. Appetite hasn't changed. As of my appointment on Monday, my total pregnancy weight gain is +18. I didn't lose any weight from last week's appointment but I didn't gain anymore either so my OB thinks I have maxed out as far as weight gain goes. 

What I'm Looking Forward To:  We are now more prepared for our little one's arrival so J & I are looking forward to welcoming her into our family and just basking in the glow of being new parents. Notice I skipped the birthing process??? :-).

Symptoms/Movements? She is definitely lower. I used to feel her close to my ribs. Now, I feel her closer to my belly button. I think she's slowly but surely, making her way down the birth canal.

Belly Button In or Out? Still in. YAY!!!. 

Labor Signs? I had a couple last Saturday but they were 12-hours apart so it doesn't really count. It wasn't painful per se. More like very uncomfortable. My cervix will be checked again at my next appointment and I have a feeling the OB will definitely see more progress as far as things go. Plus I now have LOTS of Braxton Hicks!!!

Best Moment of the Week? Having my mom tell me about her birthing experience with me and praying for a similar one for me. It made me teary eyed.

Weekly Wisdom: No one knows everything. Not even you. Take time to listen and learn from others and your surroundings.

Pictures? Yup. Here's one from 37-weeks (taken last week) and 38-weeks (taken yesterday) for progress comparison. Yup...the week to week comparison makes me realize how much she really is growing!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone.

TGIF!!! So ready for the weekend!

It has been such a long week. So much so that I am READY for the weekend!

Work was a little stressful this week. Either that or I am just more tired and less patient due to being in the last stages of pregnancy.

On Monday, the baby's dresser FINALLY arrived. We ordered it from Amazon 2 weeks ago so it was good that it arrived this week cause we were starting to get a little anxious about timing and putting it together before her arrival.
This is the dresser we got. We wanted something she could grow into.

I also had my OB appointment and everything looks good. Doc said baby is right on track and is measuring fine. So far, no additional weight gain and doc thinks I'll max out at +18 lbs. Which is fine by me. I was not skinny to begin with and didn't want to have to worry about losing the weight after.
I know a lot of people say "it'll come off with breastfeeding" but I have also read that some people just don't lose weight while breastfeeding. So for me, I figured better safe than sorry :-).

On Monday night, I decided to try my hands at making Chinese fried rice. I have never made it before. I looked up some recipes online. I also made some baked stewed chicken to go with it.
This is the end product. J had 2 helpings of it that night and another helping for dinner the day after so I know he liked it very much.

Monday night and Tuesday night were spent trying to build the dresser. Unfortunately, we discovered that 2 of the parts arrived broken. So we spent the time building as many of the other parts as we could and now we're waiting AGAIN for the other 2 parts to arrive.
Hoping it arrives before she gets here because our living room needs to be cleared up a bit before my mom arrives next week.

Tonight, we're going to our friend's Halloween event. We don't celebrate Halloween so we don't get dressed up but we do enjoy the company of our friends so we'll be making an appearance for a little bit.
J & I plan on taking it easy this weekend. Even though we know baby can arrive any day now, we are both hoping she stays in until next weekend at the earliest.


Thoughts/random questions:
How was your week? Did you do anything interesting? Are you glad its Friday? Got any fun weekend plans?

Getting ready for baby...the car seat is in, the stroller is done and the bed is made...

It was a pretty busy weekend and I am already looking forward to a little bit of R & R next weekend. That's if baby J doesn't arrive before then.

On Saturday, I met another woman in the kickboxing class I take who is also due the same day as me. We actually have quite a bit in common. Starting with the fact that we are both having girls, due the same day and also are from the New England area originally. She lives in the area so I am hoping to stay in touch with her.

After the gym (yes, I am still kickboxing in my 38th week), I walked to the nearby grocery store to pick up some household groceries and then walked back to my car and headed home.

I typically get my hair texlaxed every 20-weeks. I decided to get it done on Saturday which was a little over 20-weeks since my last texlax. I wanted to make sure my hair is more manageable before baby's arrival. Thanks Pegster for the advise. I like the way it turned out. If only I knew how to maintain my hair like this. I am the worse when it comes to getting my hair to look semi-decent :-(.

Saturday afternoon was spent running errands after. Then J & I attended the Newlywed ministry event organized by our church. Its for couples who have been married 2-years or less. We always feel so blessed after the event.

On Sunday morning, we were up bright and early to attend the 8am service. Because we typically work in the Children's ministry the last 2 Sunday of the month, we go to the earlier service and then do the Children's ministry afterwards.
Sunday afternoon was spent at Babies R Us getting the last few items for baby. Then J & I set up her stroller.
I am loving the Britax B-Agile stroller. I wasn't sure about it at first but it is light weight and can be folded with one hand.

While J put in her car seat, I made her bed. Its kinda plain right now but we're trying not to go too crazy since her nursery won't be ready until we move next year.

J got us dinner and we ate while watching Once Upon A Time. After that, we spent the rest of the evening packing our hospital bag. We're trying to savor each and every moment that we have as just a family of 2 because we know that'll change soon.
The days are FLYING by so quickly! I can't believe in a mere matter of days, I'll be a mommy! Gosh...exciting and scary at the same time!

Thoughts/Random Questions:
How did you spend your weekend?

For the moms, did you feel you were completely ready as far as having all you need for baby before your little one arrived?

Tag. I'm it!

I've been tagged by my dear friend Keya. Here's some info about me, and I tagged some of my readers down below.

1. Do you plan, or are you flying by the seat of your pants?
I am a planner. It is the virgo in me :-).

2. Today was amusing because_____
My fear of needles had me panicking at the doctor's office. So much so that my blood pressure went up and my OB had to have me wait for another reading. Its amusing now but wasn't at the time.


3. How hungry are you right now?
Not hungry. I am almost always full! My appetite has been quite low and I force myself to eat sometimes cause I know baby needs the nutrients.


4. Bad news: sugarcoated or straight-up?
Straight-up. Kinda like taking off a band-aid. Just rip it off and then treat the wound after.


5. How do you get out of a rut?
I exercise, pray, avoid other people (because oftentimes they don't help) and remind myself of all the blessings I have each day.


6. What are you a geek about?
Work. I am a bit of a perfectionist so I want to make sure everything is done right and I am a stickler for the rules. Can be a tad bit annoying but since I am conscious of it, I try to keep that in mind when dealing with folks at work.


7. What do you crave?
Right now, lemonade from Burger King. That is the one thing I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy throughout this pregnancy.


8. What was the last bad movie you watched?
Wrath of the TItans! Just saw it on Friday evening on DVD. Thankfully, I got it from the library so I can't be too too mad since it was FREE!


9. Do you have any new friends?
Yes. I made a new friend on Saturday after taking the kickboxing class! A girl who was also in the same class is due the same day as I am. She's also having a girl and is originally from New England! Such a small world!!!


10. You want a new____
Vacation! Does that qualify? I feel like I need a vacay ASAP. I'd also like a personal assistant. I don't have one but if I could afford one and hubby would let me, I'd get one.


11. What makes you feel wonderful?
Knowing that God is always in control no matter what I am going through. I feel wonderful when I am being productive and accomplish the tasks I have on my to-do list.

Progress pics & pregnancy updates...@ 37+ weeks!

FULL TERM!!!

How Far Along? 37-weeks 2-day. I am now considered FULL TERM!!!. I am now less than 3-weeks to "full 40-week pregnancy". 19-days to her estimated due date! 

Size of Baby? She should now be between 19.5 and 21 inches. She has reached her full birth length. Now all she is doing is packing on the pounds! For comparison, baby is now about the size of a watermelon and should weigh over 6-lbs. According to my OB, she is progressing right on track! 

Maternity Clothes? Fully in them now but I am still able to alternate maternity clothes and pre-pregnancy clothes. So far, I can still fit into some pre-pregnancy items.

Stretch Marks? No new stretch marks. Nothing directly on my stomach. Perhaps I'll get through this unscathed! 

Sleep? Recently, I have had a string of good days. Likely cause I am so tired by the time the day is over. Would love to keep the streak going until baby arrives.

Food Cravings? Still nothing. Appetite hasn't changed. As of my appointment on Monday, my total pregnancy weight gain is +18. I somehow managed to lose 4-lbs in the last 2 weeks hence the +18. My OB said its OK because the baby continues to grow.

What I Miss: A lot of things. Too many to list. Right now, I am learning to embrace the change and just go with the flow. I keep reminding myself that no matter what, this little one is our little miracle and we are blessed.

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Receiving and finishing up the baby's dresser so that we can put things away. We've been setting things up little by little but since I am now full term, we have to get things rolling ASAP to make sure we are not too unprepared for her arrival. Her 0 - 3 months clothes are washed and ready to go including her blankets and her car seat base is installed. J will be doing her stroller at some point in the next 2-weeks and we'll be picking up the rest of the supplies for her. 

Symptoms/Movements? She is definitely lower but making bigger moves! I can feel AND see her more now. I also know she's bigger cause she feels heavier. Last week Friday, I felt like I had to "carry" my stomach cause it felt much heavier.

Belly Button In or Out? Still in. YAY!!!. 

Labor Signs? So far as of my 10/8/12 appointment, I was not dilated or effaced. Next check for that will be 10/29/12 at my 39th-week appointment. I now have LOTS of Braxton Hicks!!! They are much more frequent now and I have to stop and take deep breathes in order to ease it. 

Best Moment of the Week? Spending a day at home with hubby doing absolutely NOTHING. We took Tuesday off and just relaxed all day. Also, my co-workers threw me a surprise baby shower! It was an awesome event and we got quite a bit of cash to help us get the remaining items.

Weekly Wisdom: Take the time to live, love and laugh with the people God has put in your life instead of criticizing or trying to bring them down.

Pictures? Yup. Here's one from 36-weeks (last week) and 37-weeks (yesterday) for progress comparison. I didn't realize how much she's grown until I just saw the comparison pictures. WOW!!!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone.

Happy relaxation day!

J & I decided to take a much needed mental break from work and other activities before baby's arrival. To be honest, I needed the rest because I have been really tired and I wanted to make sure I could get some rest before I hit full term today. We decided not to schedule anything for Tuesday and would just be at home as much as possible. 

To kick off the day, J went to the gym while I went for an hour long walk. The weather was so nice, the hour went by rather quickly. When I got back, I decided to make breakfast for J & I. J walked in with my favorite yellow roses AND my favorite caramel candy...Rolo!!! He had a huge grin on his face and said "Happy Relaxation Day my dear". Gotta love a man who can make a stay at home day just so much brighter.

After breakfast and getting cleaned up, we pretty much lounged around the house the rest of the day. I spent the time knitting the green hat below for our daughter. Surprisingly enough, we got A TON of items from 3-months to 15-months but not a lot of newborn. We got one newborn hat and I know she'll need more than that so I decided to make a couple more for her. 

I made this yesterday in about 3-hours while listening to God Don't Make No Mistakes by Mary Monroe on CD. I LOVE the book series. If you haven't read/listened to it yet, check it out at your local library. Both the writer and narrator (if you get it on CD) do a great job!

I knitted this one on Sunday afternoon while J was out helping his dad. I am not really a pink person but since we'll be having a girl and she has A TON of pink items, I figured it'll be a good idea to make a matching hat. One of her coming home outfits is pink and brown so I figured this will be a good match for it. I took the ribbon that was used to wrap the outfit and used it in the hat as an accent. Thankfully, it fit perfectly.
I have some materials at home that I plan on using to make her some dresses. If I do a good job, I might even venture into making her Church dedication gown. GASP!

I hit full term today so now the waiting game begins! We had our last Infant Care class last night and one of the couples showed up with a baby! Their baby arrived at 37-weeks and 1-day! Needless to say, I was so nervous while she was talking about it, I ate all my Rolo before the class was over! I typically ration them out :-).
Anyways, now J is really adamant that we finish getting all the items we need no later than the 27th so that we are ready for baby.

Thoughts/Random Questions:
Do you knit or crochet or do any other needle work? If so, please share a pattern of something you've done. I'd love to make more items for baby.

Have a fabulous week!

Progress pics & pregnancy updates...@ 36-weeks!

How Far Along? 36-weeks 1-day. Less than 1-week to "full term" and less than 4-weeks to "full 40-week pregnancy". 27-days to her estimated due date! 

Size of Baby? About 20-inches long (at her full length!). All she is doing now is putting on body fat. 

Maternity Clothes? Fully in them now but I am still able to alternate maternity clothes and pre-pregnancy clothes. So far, I can still fit into some pre-pregnancy items.

Stretch Marks? Not really sure. I used a mirror this morning and noticed a couple of what I think might be a couple of new stretch marks but I am not sure if they are real or if its just sleep lines from the way I slept last night. I guess time will tell.

Sleep? Insomnia has gotten worse! I typically spend at least an hour each night trying to talk myself into falling asleep. I know my body is tired but sleeping isn't coming. Baby also seems to know when I am up because she gets up too. Almost like she is trying to say "wanna play?"

Food Cravings? Still nothing. 2 days this week, I wanted a bag of chips so I had a small bag each day. But that quickly passed.

What I Miss: Too many to list. I think I am at the "turning point". In other words, its nature's way of making me so uncomfortable that I actually look forward to being done with pregnancy and having the baby here. I figured if it was all honkey dorey, I'd stay pregnant forever. But with the decrease in comfort, I am ready finding myself looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Finishing up our Newborn Care class, doing the baby's laundry, putting together the baby's dresser with J and packing my hospital bag for the baby. Also, reaching FULL TERM!!!

Symptoms? She is definitely lower! I feel like I need a belly band. I spent last night "carrying" my belly with my hand whenever I walked because it just felt heavier and more uncomfortable. Also, my feet were so swollen, they hurt just to walk on yesterday. Its gotten colder here so today, I was sure to wear socks and sneakers. TGIF! I wore jeans to work :-).

Movement? YES! LOTS AND LOTS of movements. I think she might be trying to get out through my belly button because she really enjoys pushing up against it.

Belly Button In or Out? Still in. YAY!!!.

Labor Signs? Braxton Hicks!!! They occur more frequently now. I need to practice my breathing more. Just haven't had the time but I will just have to make time.

Best Moment of the Week? Helping J set up the baby's crib. She'll be sleeping in our room and seeing that crib every time I walk in makes everything more real for us. Also, having a car seat base installed in my car. Wow...soon it'll actually have a car seat in there!

Weekly Wisdom: Take the time to live, love and laugh with the people God has put in your life instead of criticizing or trying to bring them down!

Pictures? Yup. Here's one from last week (week 36) and another from last night (week 37). Looks like my bump has moved down some. 

He put a ring on it!...Our engagement story...

I was looking through my pictures on Facebook and came across a picture from the night J & I got engaged. I decided to blog about it because even almost 3-years later, I still smile when I think about the evening.

It all started in September 2009. I went to Boston to celebrate my birthday with J. J had unbeknownst to me, asked my dad for my hand in marriage. Shortly after we got back to the DMV, J asked me to keep my New Year's eve opened and not to plan anything. Being the suspicious person I am, I just knew that would be the night J would propose because he'd never asked me to keep an evening open so far in advance.

In November 2009, we went out to a Greek restaurant for dinner. I had gone with my sisters to Greece earlier that year and wanted to sample some "American Greek food". While at dinner, I mentioned that I would like to go out to a nice dinner where I could dress up. So J told me to save yet another date for that. The date was set for 12/12/2009. Throughout the dinner, J smiled everytime I asked him what he planned for our 12/12 date. He said it was a surprise. Since its been my life long dream to one day go to Egypt, I thought he'd gotten us tickets to Egypt. But he refused to confirm or deny when I asked him so I decided to live with that fantasy.

On 12/12/2009, my sister was in town from The Hague. We decided to go shopping and get our hair done. I wanted to get my nails done for the evening but there was no time so I went home to ensure that I was ready when the car got there.

J told me the car would be there by 5pm. THAT should have been my first clue but I was completely clueless! A limo arrived at 5pm and J came bearing flowers.

We got in and headed out to dinner. The driver of course took the longest possible route to the restaurant and we were a little late for our 5:30pm reservation. Thankfully, they were OK with that and were able to sit us relatively quickly.
Dinner was DIVINE!!!

After dinner, J told me he had another surprise for me. We were going to see The Nutcracker at the Warner Theater in DC! I have ALWAYS wanted to go and thought that was just the coolest thing. This should have been my second clue because I really don't know of a lot of men who would sit through an entire showing of The Nutcracker. But my man loves me so I didn't think anything of it.

After the show, we got back in the limo and started heading home. That's when J started talking. He said he had yet another surprise for me. I was sure this was the grande finale! My next flight would be to Egypt!!!

As J went into his jacket pocket, I screamed and blurted out "I knew it! You got us tickets to Egypt!!!". I was just so excited! J looked at me and said "no...but I hope this is better than tickets to Egypt..." He went on to tell me about how he'd like to take our relationship to the next level and on and on. At this point, I was already crying because I could not believe this was happening.

I mean, I just knew he was going to propose on New Year's eve! But this was even better.

So here's an obligatory engagement ring shot.

I wore these BCBG shoes. They were high but I felt like I was floating on air the entire evening.

My sister took a picture of us right after we got home. Still basking in the glow!

Questions/Random Thoughts:
How did you get engaged? Was it a complete surprise or did you know it was coming? Eitherways, I'd love to hear your story.

Getting ready for baby...the crib and other things

This past weekend was a pretty busy weekend. Both J & I had yesterday off for Columbus day. We decided to take full advantage of it and use it to get ready for baby.

On Saturday I went to the gym and lasted through the kickboxing class. I couldn't finish the class 2 weeks ago so I was glad I made it this week. After the class, I went home and decided to sort through the items we got from our baby shower. We got a lot of clothes ranging from Newborn to 15-months. I wanted to sort through it so we could see what else we need.
After sorting through the clothes, I sorted through the coupons we've received in the mail so far and  then went through the other non-clothing items.
I then went to Michaels to get a few more thank you cards to send out to those who got us gifts and then it was off to get a much needed manicure/pedicure (thanks to my sweet hubby J).

Excuse the fat fingers. Everything appears to be swollen these days :-). I know its a winter color but I fell in love with this color. Can't remember the name now but its OPI.

When J got home, we headed to Babies R Us to get the items from our registry that we didn't receive during our baby shower. Almost 2-hours later, we had a VERY full cart of baby items. We felt like we had accomplished quite a bit that night.

On Sunday, we went to Church and then stopped by Target to get a few things from there since we  also got some gift cards there. That turned out to be a wasted trip. For the record, I HATE poor customer service! I'd rather pay a higher price for better customer service. Anyways, we decided instead to order the items from their online site. Since I LOVE a good bargain, I spent the rest of the evening comparing prices online and trying to make sure the items I was getting from the online site was comparable or less than other sites.

On Monday, I had my 36-week OB appointment. So far, no dilation and not effaced so baby is hanging in there for a bit. When I got home, J and I went for a long walk and then we decided to get to work on the crib. Here's J looking so happy building our daughter's crib.

About 2.5-hours later, we were done with the crib. Here's the finished product of our baby's first bed. We decided not to convert the other room into a nursery because my mom will be coming to spend some time with us and also because we will be moving early next year.

After building the crib, I was tired but wanted to get more done. We went through the items we purchased the night before and then I took a MUCH NEEDED nap. Later on in the evening, we went to the outlet mall by us to walk around and pick up some household items.
Overall, a busy weekend and I feel like we need a few more days off to really relax.
I finally feel like we are making strides in getting ready for baby.

Thoughts/Random Questions:
How was your weekend? Did you get Monday off? If so, how'd you spend it?

Progress pics & pregnancy updates...@ 35-weeks!

How Far Along? 35-weeks 1-day. Less than 2-weeks to "full term" and less than 5-weeks to "full 40-week pregnancy". 34-days to her estimated due date! 

Size of Baby? About 19-inches long (almost at her full length!). For comparison, baby is now about the size of a large honeydew melon and weighs about 5+ pounds! 

Maternity Clothes? Fully in them now but I am still able to alternate maternity clothes and pre-pregnancy clothes. So far, I can still fit into some pre-pregnancy items.

Stretch Marks? No new stretch marks. Nothing directly on my stomach. Perhaps I'll get through this unscathed!

Sleep? It still varies. Some good days and some not so good days. Recently, I have had a string of good days. Likely cause I am so tired by the time the day is over. Would love to keep the streak going.

Food Cravings? Still nothing. Appetite hasn't changed. Although, I can now tell when baby is hungry because she moves and moves and moves and pokes out in all weird directions when she is hungry until she is fed. I do know one thing she loves. Lemonade! It gets her going every time!

What I Miss: All the same things from 2-weeks ago. My shoes, my regular sized clothes, being able to get up without feeling aches and pains, having my hips not ache so much when I walk, being able to walk without waddling, being able to turn from side to side in bed without feeling like a beached whale...the list goes one.

What I'm Looking Forward To:  Putting together the baby's crib on Monday. J will be taking on that task. Go J, Go J!!! Also, we'll be sorting through the MANY gifts we got from the baby shower and picking up last minute items we still need. Will also be putting together my hospital bag. We will also will be purchasing her dresser to put away her clothes.

Symptoms? She is definitely lower! I can feel her more now when I walk. I also know she's bigger cause she feels heavier.

Movement? YES! LOTS AND LOTS of movements. They are slower BUT the kicks are more animated now. My stomach actually moves in all directions. I love looking at it.

Belly Button In or Out? Still in and my OB said that she doesn't think it'll come out since its still in this far into the game. YAY!!!.

Labor Signs? Braxton Hicks!!! They are much more often now. Definitely nature's way of getting my body ready because while they were "cute" before, now they are just outright uncomfortable. Been practicing my breathing exercise though and so far, its helped.

Best Moment of the Week? Seeing my sister at our baby shower. It was just THE BEST surprise EVER!!! Also, our maternity photo shoot a couple of weeks ago was AWESOME!.

Weekly Wisdom: Do what makes you and those around you happy. Family is a gift! Cherish it.

Pictures? Yup. Here's one from weeks 34, 35 and 36 for progress comparison. Note: Even though I am 35+ weeks pregnant, I am considered in my 36th week. 

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Thoughts/Random Questions:
What's the best advise you ever got from a friend or family member? How has it impacted you/your views on life?

Getting ready for baby...Our baby shower

I hope you all had a good weekend. Mine was a very fun weekend and I am still basking in the glow of my weekend.
I haven't blogged in a bit because our baby shower was last Saturday and I had family in town until Monday evening.
So a little background. I have 3 sisters and am the oldest one. They are 3 truly awesome women who I love with all my heart! On Friday evening, I picked up one of my sisters from the airport and we spent the evening making a chicken dish for the shower on Saturday. All my sisters live in different cities. One lives in Atlanta, another in Boston and the other in the Hague (the Netherlands).
My sisters and my mother in law hosted the shower but I wanted to contribute in some way so making the chicken was my contribution.

On Saturday morning, J & I went for a long walk since J had been working late during the week and I felt we needed some alone time to just reconnect. After we got back from our walk, I went to pick up my mom and youngest sister from the airport.

My sister who lives in the Hague told me she wouldn't be able to attend and I understood that because it isn't cheap to fly in from Europe after-all especially since she planned on coming home for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Well, on Saturday, when I got to the location of the shower, J told me he had a surprise for me and I couldn't figure out what that could possibly be. I was SURPRISED when he opened a door and in walked my sister from the Netherlands! I immediately broke down and started crying because I really wanted her there. I thought at first it was a cardboard cut out (J does have a sense of humor) but the minute she waved, I knew it was real. I don't think I have ever been that surprised and I still can't believe my sisters AND husband were all in on this surprise and not a single one of them slipped! Typically, when you have so many sisters, someone is bound to say something but they were so good this time, not a single one of them let anything slip.
It was certainly THE BEST surprise EVER!

Without further ado, here are some pictures from the shower.

Me and 2 of my 3 sisters. The one on the left was my surprise! :-)

Our cake! J's aunt made it and it was just soooo yummy!

Me and all 3 of my awesome sisters!

We had a Jack n Jill shower. These are some of J's (and now my) friends.

Food!!! J's mom also made some meatballs. Really goooooodddd...

My sisters and my mom. Their presence truly made me so happy.

Some more of our friends. It was so nice to see/catch up with everyone.

More food...

J helping set up the food. Such a handy hubby. Love him!

My 2 mommies (my mom and my mother in law). I am truly blessed!

That was my weekend. We got so many gifts for our little princess that we only have a handful of items to get before her arrival.
I hope you had an awesome weekend!

Now I am off to catch up on all my blog reading.