NURSERY REVEAL {08.05.2016}

Well, I am finally ready to post his nursery reveal. Although the photos are a few weeks old, for the most part, everything you see is as it should be for his big arrival. We had so much fun decorating and prepping his nursery. From the bedding all the way down to the final touches, it was just a wonderful experience overall. Our "theme" is based off of Psalm 91:5, which reads, "you will not fear the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day." I fell in love with this verse very early on in my pregnancy and knew that if we were to have a boy, his nursery would be designed around this verse. So, here it is...

For now, we are keeping his name a secret, so that is why the mustache is over his arrow name sign

We are going with cloth diapers, and I just love the way his cloth diaper changing station turned out

This was given to us by his grandma, and I just loved the design, perfect for all of his extra little things (and yes, all of the kitchen stuff is put up and out of his extra storage boxes)

My husband and I worked so hard on these custom shelves. We spent about $20 making them and now, thanks to all our wonderful family and friends, his book shelves are completely full (this was taken months ago) 

And finally, his ladder blanket and DIY "love" sign made by me. I just adore this blanket ladder.

 

All in all, I love the way his nursery turned out, photos just do not do it justice. What theme or ideas do you have for your nursery?

 

 

MATERNITY PHOTOSHOOT {08.03.2016}

One of the many things I was looking forward to during pregnancy was maternity pictures. For years, waiting for our bundle of joy, I would look and save maternity pictures from Pinterest. Finally, after four long years of waiting, I was able to get my chance to take our own maternity pictures. I will say, it took me a long time to find my photographer, but in the end, I am so glad we went with Over the River Photography. Jessica did a fabulous job, but don't just take my word for it, see for yourself.

 

I look forward to move photo opportunities with Jessica. I cannot thank her enough for capturing these amazing moments for us.

 

JMWR | BABY SHOWER {07.21.2016}

I have totally been slacking on my blogging, and am so behind on posting this, but Saturday, June 18, was our baby shower! What a wonderful and amazing, but totally hot, day it was. It was everything I've ever dreamed of, and for a girl who had four long years to dream, it really was the epitome of perfection all thanks to my wonderful in-laws. Erik and I were overwhelmed in the happiest of ways by all the gifts, support, and love everyone showed us. Our little man was showered with love and it was a day I will never forget. Planning for the baby shower started back around end of March, I put complete control in my mother-in-law's hands. Of course, I did tell her color schemes and ideas that I loved, but gave her complete and utter control over decorations and coordination. To say the least, she went above and beyond! Here are a few pictures from our special day for our sweet baby boy...

  

Loved the setup which matched his room theme. Rustic turquoise, and arrows.

 We were truly showered with gifts for our sweet boy and could not believe the love from our friends and family.

Hydrangeas are my absolute favorite so I give major props to my MIL for making these the centerpiece.

 Our cake! My MIL totally shocked me with this cake design and I was totally in love.

Sweets station, cheese and cracker tray, but the hit of the party, the fruit tray!

Sweets galore: cupcakes, candies, cake...all so delicious 

I loved the little bow making station for girls, but since we are very obviously having a boy, I had to think of something cute, so we encouraged guests to make onesies! So fun and I can't wait to see him wearing them.

All of JMWR's stuff is unloaded and his nursery is just about ready, still adding the final touches, but before long, I will be doing a nursery reveal.

 

 

30 WEEKS | BIRTH PLAN {06.10.2016}

10 weeks to go!!!

 

I can hardly believe that we are just 10 weeks away from meeting our little man. I've had some questions about my birth plan, I think this is a pretty common question when women are pregnant, everyone wants to know what we envision for delivery day. Now, I have obviously never given birth before so I have no idea what to expect. I have heard both sides, the good and the horrid, but I realized that listening to stories shouldn't sway my feelings for what I want. Of course the things I plan now may or may not be what takes place on the actual day, but a birth plan is necessary, and this is what I'd like for our day. Let's just jump in:

 

 

1. Information and Notice to Nurses

It's important to provide your information as well as your OB's name because you will likely turn in your birth plan to a nurse at the hospital who has not met you before. We also decided to include a short note to our nurses explaining that we understand they are the professionals, but we would like them to follow our birth plan so long as mom and baby are healthy.

 

2. Environment

Here you want to detail who is allowed and not allowed in the room during labor as well as any additional things that you want to bring with you such as your own maternity gown.

 

3. Labor

 

Be sure that you detail out what you envision for your labor. Who will be there? What do you want the room to feel like (i.e.: rushed or relaxed)? Will you want music playing? What about lighting? Are you going to want pain relief, if so, when would you like it to be administered?

 

4. Birth

 

This is the part of the birth plan where you want to be detailed and answer questions such as who will be present, will you want to catch the baby, do you want a mirror to see baby crowning, will baby go straight to the nurses for measurements or will mom want baby placed on her? I also included that, aside from my husband, I do want the photographer to have access in the room.

 

5. After Birth

 

Depending on mom's energy levels, will you want baby to stay with you while you give first feeding or will baby go to the nursery while mom rests? This is where you will want to talk briefly about expectations for your post-partum room.

 

6. Notices Regarding Baby

 

Finally, you'll want to give a little notice to nurses and hospital staff that visit your post-partum room. For us, we are exclusively breastfeeding and request that baby not be given a pacifier or bottle. And although this may not happen, we would like to either be present during first bath or be able to give baby his first bath. This will vary by hospital requirements, so be sure to check with your hospital to find out how the first bath is handled.

 

Make sure that you take a copy to your 36 week appointment to go over with your OB. Most OB's will want to review your plan and may request that some things be changed. He may even be able to let you know what things will not be able to take place due to restrictions by the hospital.

 

I hope this gave you some ideas for your own birth plan. If you have any questions, feel free to message me!

 

Thanks for reading!

*Disclaimer: this is not my final birth plan; I have re-written it to better accommodate our changes and needs, and I will probably edit it once more after I've brought it to my OB*

 

28 WEEKS | GLUCOSE, RHOGAM, & DAYCARE {05.27.2016}

Yesterday was my 28 week appointment!

What an easy experience.

 

Let me recap on my entire visit. My OB appointment was scheduled for 2pm, but my doctor requested that I go to the downstairs to the lab first to take my Glucose test, so I made sure to get there around 1pm. Once I got to the lab, they gave me the Fruit Punch flavored Glucose drink and told me to drink it as fast as I could. To be honest, I was worried it would be horrible because everyone has always told me about horrific the whole thing is, but for me, it was really easy! I drink the entire bottle in about 30 seconds, it was delicious! Afterwards, I headed upstairs to check-in for my OB appointment. I checked in and was seen by my OB fairly quickly. The nurse went through the normal routine; listening to the baby's heartbeat, weighing me, and measuring my blood pressure. Currently, I am 171 lbs., which means I have lost 10 pounds from my last appointment, and my blood pressure is 124/70, last appointment, I was at 104/60. The best part is, I've only gained 2 lbs. this pregnancy which is absolutely amazing, back in January I was weighing in at 169 lbs.

 

After the nurse finished my normal check-up routine, she gave me my Rhogam shot in the butt. (For those who don't know, anytime a mom is O negative blood type with Rh incompatibility, a Rhogam shot will be given at week 28 of pregnancy as well as after the birth of the baby.) I honestly thought it would be painful, but it was really easy, took a few minutes for her to get all of the liquid out of the syringe, but overall, it was a really simple and quick experience. Afterwards, my OB came in to measure my uterus and we chatted for a few minutes about upcoming appointments and things to know as we approach delivery. He gave me the name of the pediatrician located in the building that would be able to meet us at the hospital after JMWR is born since our pediatrician won't be able to meet us in Houston. 

 

Overall, the experience was quick and painless, nothing nearly as bad as I've been told about, but I have also waited to get to experience this for a long time, so for me, it's just exciting!

 

All in all, this pregnancy is progressing very quickly. I cannot believe that I am in the third trimester and now officially beginning my every-two-weeks appointments. Below are the next appointments I have before our sweet boy arrives:

 

June 9 @ 30 weeks - routine checkup

June 23  @ 32 weeks - routine checkup

July 7 @ 34 weeks - routine checkup

July 21 @ 36 weeks - ultrasound to check on babies size and possibility of induction

July 28 @ 37 weeks - routine checkup

August 4 @ 38 weeks - routine checkup

August 11 @ 39 weeks - routine checkup (hopefully induction date)

 

After my doctor's appointment, we headed over to check out our little's daycare. The faculty and staff were so kind and greeted us immediately upon our arrival. They showed us around the facility, talked with us about programs they offered, and even showed us the classroom that our little guy would be in. We went ahead a put down our deposit to hold his spot to ensure that he has one. To be honest, I'm really excited for the days when I'll be picking up after school. It will be so fun seeing him playing and interacting with other people. Although I do want my six week maternity leave to go verrrryyyy sllloowwwlyy, I do look forward to being able to pick him up from school after a long day at work. I've already got his backpack planned out, I just need to buy it.

 

Our baby shower is coming up quickly too! We are so excited to see all of our friends and family members, and of course, be showered with gifts for our sweet boy. Every part of this pregnancy has just been amazing and with just 11 (induction) or 12 (due date) weeks left until JMWR arrives, we are overjoyed to be expecting and so thankful to God for our miracle baby.

 

And, because I feel like I haven't posted any bump pictures recently, here are a few from week 27!

My comparison between weeks 27 and 7! What a difference! 

Backwards "B" for Boy!

Picture of my bump from my view.

Baby bump!!! I just love him!

 

Once I hit 30 weeks, I want to make it a point to take a picture every week because from what I've heard, the bump changes so much over those last 10 weeks. I also promise to share pictures from my baby shower, and I will be sharing my birth plan with you! So many fun and exciting things coming up. We do plan on doing a nursery reveal, but I want to wait until it is completely ready before I do that, so I'm thinking around week 35 I will try to have it finished and show you his adorable nursery.

 

Thank you all so much for sticking around with me, following our journey, praying for our sweet boy, and allowing us to share this beautiful experience with you.

 

Until my next post, God Bless!

 

LIFE LATELY {05.02.2016}

I feel as though time is just slipping out of my hands. Recently, I have been so busy at work and on weekends, I have been enjoying some quality time with my husband so I feel like I never have time to post anything.

 

Life is great! Currently, we will be 25 weeks pregnant this week. Hard to believe how quickly it goes. I feel like every time I get an idea to post on the blog, I end up getting caught up. My next doctor's appointment is Thursday, May 5. Not sure, but I believe this may be the glucose test, if so, I'll definitely have to write about that. I have heard so many different things about this. Some people say it's not that bad, other's say it was the worst thing ever. I am definitely excited to be able to get to this point because just a few years ago, we didn't know if we would ever carry a healthy baby.

 

Two weeks ago, I fighting the flu and a UTI. That was an experience. I knew something was wrong the second I woke up. I got to work and started throwing up and felt absolutely horrible. My co-workers kept saying that I looked pale, so I finally called my doctor and the nurse basically told me to go home, take my temperature, and if it rose above 100.6 to call them. I monitored it all day while I was home, and around 5:30pm took it again to find that it had gone up to 101.34. I called the on-call nurses who advised me to have someone take me to the ER. Unfortunately, my husband was at school and wasn't able to take me, so my in-laws had to come and get me. We got to the ER and they started with blood tests, checked my urine for UTI, and did the

 

flu test. The doctor came back and told me I was positive for both a UTI and the flu. I spent about five hours in the ER being pumped with fluids and antibiotics. We finally left the ER around midnight. The next couple of days, I stayed home and rested. Thankfully, I was able to get better in time for work. I should say, that I have never had the flu or a UTI, and honestly, I didn't think I had either. I always assumed with the flu I'd feel like death and with a UTI, I'd have burning sensations, but I didn't really have either. I mean I felt really bad and I knew something wasn't right, but I definitely wasn't expecting the flu or a UTI. All in all, I'm thankful to be over that and feeling much better. I still have a cough, but it's slowly going away. Once I felt a little better, my wonderful husband and I went out for a movie date to see The Jungle Book, which we highly recommend, it was absolutely wonderful! I did my best to get "dolled up," but I still felt horrible so it was a miracle I managed to get dressed and put make up on.



23 Weeks

We are just a few days away from our anniversary and baby shower invites will be going out soon! I can't wait to see all of our friends and family. I do have some plans to post more and as I progress in this pregnancy, and doctor's appointments are closer, I will definitely have lots to post about.

 

Side note, for all my preggo friends that live in Texas, dresses are going to be my go-to for the entirety of the summer. It's only the second day of May it's horribly hot! I'm looking forward to getting this preggo belly in a cool pool, and I look forward to grilling because barbeque sounds delicious.

 

I will post after my doctor's appointment on Thursday!

 

Have a great day!

 

 

 

FIRST TRIMESTER DETAILS {02.26.2016}

We are officially out of the first trimester!!!

 

Time to dish out on my experience with our Rainbow baby.

 

 

 

13 WEEKS | BUMPDATE {02.18.2016}

Officially in the Second Trimester!

 

How far along: 13 weeks.

 

Size of baby: Plum.

 

Must have items: 

•  Lotion! My hands have been so incredibly dry these last few weeks, specifically my legs and hands.
• Baths! Every night, before bed, I have to soak in a nice warm bath because if it's not my back killing me, then its my horrible headache and I definitely don't want to take medication every time I have a headache..

Sleep: 

I love sleep. I can't get enough of it. I've heard, now that I'm in my second trimester, that it will ease up and I'll get some energy back, and I hope that's true but thankful for the sleep I was able to get during the first trimester.
 

Cravings: 

Salty foods still. I love sushi, crawfish, popcorn, and pretzels. But I also LOVE veggies with ranch. Oh and water is a must!

 

Baby movement: 

I haven't felt it yet, but at our appointment, I was able to see baby wiggling and waving it's little hands. It was seriously the cutest thing. I was even able to get a glimpse of the baby's sweet little nose.

 

Gender: 

Baby was so stubborn yesterday and we weren't able to get a gender reading, but we are hoping that by the next appointment baby will cooperate and we will get to see what baby R will be.

 

Challenges this week: 

Cooking. I hate cooking, it actually grosses me out. I'd rather eat out every night or just eat popcorn than cook food. Hopefully that will get better this trimester.

 

Best moment this week: 

We had several best moments this week! First, seeing our sweet miracle baby! Although I didn't get to see very much, I was just very thankful to be able to see that baby is growing and moving and grooving. We bought baby's first two onesies, they are gender neutral, but they are cute! Also, seeing the difference between 10 and 13 weeks! The best moment at my doctor's appointment was finding out that the NT scan was perfect, mama has not gained any weight, my blood pressure is 120/80, and my doctor referred to my pregnancy as "perfect." I feel very blessed and it's just another sign that God's timing is always good, always right, and always perfect!

---

WEEKLY UPDATES:

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12



12 WEEKS | BUMPDATE {02.11.2016}

Last week of the first trimester!

 

How far along: 12 weeks.

 

Size of baby: Plum.

 

Must have items: 

•  Water! Maybe it's the fact that I love salty foods, but I can't seem to drink enough water. It feels like there is never enough time to drink all the water that I need.
• Lotion! My skin, mostly hands and legs, have been so incredibly dry. The difficult thing is, I have to make sure not to use too much scented lotion as it tends to burn the dry skin.

Sleep: 

Most nights, I am ready for bed around 8:30-9pm, I'm very tired during the day and mornings are extremely hard for me. Though I've noticed that I do get little bits of energy here and there, but it's not very often.
 

Cravings: 

Skinny Girl popcorn is the bomb! I could eat that for days. Anytime I start to feel nauseated or hungry, I grab a bag, or two, and it settles my stomach. Crawfish are another love of mine. Though I've always been a lover of crawfish, I am from NOLA, but the love is even deeper now. Every chance I get, I want crawfish! Cooked sushi rolls sound delicious all the time, but I only want fresh cooked sushi rolls, not the kind you get from H-E-B sitting in the cold fridge.
 

Baby's movement: 

I haven't felt any movement from baby yet, though I've heard that it will probably be a while before I feel anything. I definitely look forward to it, I especially look forward to seeing E get to feel the baby kick.

 

Gender: 

I always thought I'd have "mother's instinct," and know right away what I'm having, but every single time I think I know, something changes my mind. I'm just going to be patient because, *fingers crossed*, if baby cooperates, we may be able to find out the gender at our next ultrasound!

 

Challenges this week: 

Exhaustion. I feel so tired during the day, but at night, I can't seem to fall into a deep sleep to get a good night's sleep. I'm also having a hard time remembering things. I forget stuff constantly and feel like I can't ever find time to do the things I need to do. Work tends to take all of my energy, so by the time I get home, I just want to sit and rest, or go straight to sleep.
 

Best moment this week: 

Making it to 12 weeks! What a blessing! Also, we moved into our new apartment and started setting up the nursery, so far, it looks great! I'm looking forward to decorating and getting it all set up and ready for when baby gets here.

---

WEEKLY UPDATES:

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

 

Next Prenatal Appointment |Wednesday, February 17



11 WEEKS | BUMPDATE {02.05.2016}

 

 

How far along: 11 weeks.

 

Size of baby: Lime.

 

Must have items: 

•  A/C! Sometimes I am freezing cold, but recently, during the night I am ridiculously hot. I've heard from several preggo friends that your internal thermometer is thrown off and it's so true!
• Warmth! I'm cold all the time, which is so unusual because when I was taking Clomid, and even after I stopped, I was hot all the time. Although I haven't taken Clomid since September of 2015, I would still feel hot until I got pregnant, and now I'm freezing.

Sleep: 

Right now, sleep is so crucial for me. I feel so exhausted all the time, especially when I am working and no matter how much I get, I still want more. Though , I'll admit that the other night I was so deep in sleep that I didn't even know E came home!

 

Cravings: 

I'm still craving salty things. At the moment, crawfish and shaggy dog rolls sound amazing all the time. Thankfully, last weekend, E and I went out for a date night and I got a shaggy dog roll and I swear I ate it so slow because I was really enjoying every bite. I probably could have eaten two more of those rolls. Now I just need to get my crawfish fix.

 

Baby's movement: 

I haven't felt any movement yet, but from what I've read, the baby is jumping, and stretching, and moving around. I'm looking forward to my next appointment because I just know that baby will be dancing around for us.

 

Gender

Although I'm not partial to either boy or girl, I just want healthy, I have this feeling that baby is a boy. Not sure why, but every time I think about baby, or day dream about baby, it's a boy. Not to mention, I did the "Old Wives Tales" and pretty much every single one pointed to boy. It doesn't matter, I will be thrilled either way. The goal is not the gender, the goal is getting a full-term, healthy baby in my arms.

 

Challenges this week: 

Not getting enough sleep, finding a comfortable position to sleep in, nausea that comes and goes, and not having the energy to do the things that I am supposed to be doing, such as packing for our upcoming move next weekend, we have not packed a single thing.

 

Best moment this week: 

Knowing that I one week closer to making through the first trimester. I cannot even explain how excited we are to be pregnant with a healthy baby. It's just absolutely a dream come true!

---

WEEKLY UPDATES:

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10



10 WEEKS | ULTRASOUND & HEARTBEAT {01.28.2016}

No bump photo this week; spotlight is on baby!

 Close-up of ultrasound; measuring 10 weeks and 3.10 centimeters
 

 How far along: 10 weeks.

 

Size of baby: Prune.

 

Must have items: 

•  No bra! Ok, so during work hours the bra is always on, but as soon as I hit my entryway of the house, the bra comes off. The girls are free, sensitive, but free!
• Water! I am still thirsty all the time. Some days I can chug two bottles of water in about two minutes. Water is the absolute best thing in the world.
• Body pillow! I still sleep with my amazing body pillow, and every night it's the one thing, aside from my sleeping mask, that keeps me asleep all throughout the night.

Sleep: 

I'm tired all the time. It doesn't matter if I sleep in or get up at 5:30am for work, I will still be exhausted and looking forward to either A) a nap, or B) bedtime.

 

Cravings: 

Chocolate ice cream, pickles, olives, strawberries with Nutella, and beef jerky.

 

Baby's movement: 

Although I can't feel the movements yet, we got to see our little one dancing around and waving at mom and dad during our ultrasound yesterday. It was the most amazing moment ever!

 

Gender: 

I have no clue. Every time I think it's a boy, something changes my mind to girl, and vice-versa. To be honest, I really don't care. I love this baby more than anything and regardless of the baby being a girl or a boy doesn't change that.

 

Challenges this week: 

Having energy to do anything. Sometimes I get little spurts of energy and can accomplish something like dishes or laundry. But most of the time, I'm too tired to do anything.

 

Best moment this week: 

Seeing our sweet baby move and wiggle, and E being able to see it too! I'm so, so thankful that E was able to go with me to the appointment yesterday. I know it will be harder and harder for him to go, so it's nice that he got to see our sweet baby moving around. We are so excited!

 

---

WEEKLY UPDATES:

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9