Holy Hormones

So far during this pregnancy my hormones have pretty much been in check.  I've only cried a few times and for the most part I had a valid reason.  Today however, things got a little crazy!  I was crying one minute and then laughing hysterically the next, I'm talking the I'm hyperventilating, can't breathe, just about spit my Pepsi on Danny's face laughing.  This all took place in about 3 minutes.  You should have seen the look on his face!  He clearly understood that it was just my hormones gone wild, but at the same time he was clearly confused as to what just happened.  After the tears and the choking on my drink subsided, I felt EXHAUSTED!  Like I just ran a marathon.  My body was just completely drained. 

So you might ask what was so funny?!  My Pepsi can had a coupon for $6 dollars off some water park and Danny said "Oh $6 dollars off, huh."  I briefly imagined me in a bikini, climbing to the top of the tallest water slide, going down feet first with my big white belly splashing through the water only to arrive at the bottom and not be able to get up.  What a site that would be.  Apparently I thought it was funny, but I can only imagine that Danny thought I had really lost it this time.

And those tears just moments before?  Danny and I had been talking about how much I've changed in the past 7 months.  Not just my physical appearance of that big belly referenced above, but just how I've changed in general.  I started to have this fear that Danny was no longer going to be attracted to me after seeing me give birth to our child.  What if my body never returns to it's previous state?  What if he can't look at me the same as before?  All these thoughts raced through my mind and it just became too much for a pregnant woman to handle.  So on came the water works.  Don't get me wrong, Danny has told me that I look beautiful carrying his child and that I'm "glowing" but that I'm different.  He isn't used to seeing me with a big belly, he's always had a set image of who "Alicia" is and that girl has transformed into a beach ball smuggling, baby carrying, "hippie." 

YEP, he said it folks...he thinks I'm a hippie now.  He blames it on "the bump" for my eco-friendly ways.  So we've started recycling a little bit, cans, metal, plastic and glass bottles.  I have tried to cut back on how many paper towels we use, I try not to run the water excessively, and I've been using reusable containers rather than a ziploc bag every time I want to take some chips or crackers to work with me.  I've started returning our grocery bags to the store and I'm slowly starting my collection of reusable shopping bags.  What's the big deal?  What is so wrong with reducing our waste?  It's the least I can do and it makes me feel better when I do it, though I should have been doing it a long time ago. 

Okay, so maybe there is one big sign that screams HIPPIE -- cloth diapering.  Danny said he never pictured me as a "bag of poop carrying mom."  Nice, huh?  I don't know if he's just scared of the whole cloth diapering thing or what.  It's poop, they are diapers, they are cute, more eco-friendly and they are better for not only our wallets but for our baby's bum too.  I just don't see the big deal.  He still supports my decision to want to give it a try, I just really hope it works for us because he isn't 100% on board.  Only time will tell.

So this post got really off topic from my original start of crazy hormones.  But life is full of ups and downs and today I had both.  So there you have it, the good, the bad and the ugly. 

Good night blogger world and my one follower who very rarely gets on anymore.  :)  Though no one probably reads this mumble jumble of a blog, it's a great way for me to get things off my mind and to journal life as I know it.  I hope to one day look back on this and see how much I've changed, and to see how I evolve into a mother. 

30 Week Belly Update

Wow, my belly has expanded quite a bit in the past 30 weeks!  Let's take a look-see!

 Here's my 8 week picture, look how giddy I was!

And 30 Weeks!

I have a feeling Marissa is going to be a good sized baby!  What do you think? 

In other news, my shower is rapidly approaching and I'm getting so excited!  It will be so nice to get together with friends and family and celebrate our new bundle of joy.  It's all becoming so real but at the same time it hasn't really sunk in yet. 

On Monday Danny and I met with a potential sitter, who just so happens to be our neighbor right around the corner.  We both got a really good vibe from her!  She has a one year old and a three year old daughter, so they will make great play mates for Marissa.  Her children were really well behaved, even for the hour and a half that we were there visiting.  That to me, says A LOT!  So many kids these days are just bratty, disrespectful, don't listen and their parents just let them run all over the place and do whatever they want.  Don't get me wrong, I know kids act up and even the most well behaved children can get out of hand, but I think a lot of it comes down to parenting.  Too many parents would rather let the TV watch their children, or they are too busy sitting in front of the computer or on the telephone to watch their kids and actually interact with them.  I really don't want to be one of those parents.  Maybe I'll be sticking my foot in my mouth 6 months from now, but I want to be a good mom.  I want to teach my children to be respectful, to be able to take them in public without being embarrassed and really cherish each milestone we have together. 

Holy cow...I'm going to be a MOM!  :-P

30 Week Check-In (A Day Late)

Still no cravings!

But I did just polish off another jar of these last night...

Aches and pains - Sleeping is starting to get a little uncomfortable.  My hips and back are starting to hurt from the extra weight.  I have to reposition quite often which leads to not much sleep!

Speaking of sleep, with the amount of times (I think about 3 times a night now) I'm running to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I'm not getting much sleep and it's definitely not quality sleep.

Weight gain - I've officially gained 20 pounds.  I was doing so good but I really hit a growth spurt in the last 4 weeks.  As long as I'm not putting myself or Marissa in danger, I really don't care what the scale says.

Appetite - Do I really need to explain?  See point above ^

Heartburn - None recently, maybe some indigestion if I eat too much or if I lie down after eating. 

Movement - Kicks and punches are getting stronger, but nothing painful as of yet.  I think Marissa is still head down which could explain my frequent urination.  But I'll take frequent urination over a C-section ANY Day! 

Milestones - At 30 weeks, Marissa should weigh about 3 pounds.  We gotta keep working on plumping up those cute little cheeks!

Signs of Labor - No, keep cooking baby girl!  Less than 10 weeks now!

Rings - Note to self: Do not go to bed with rings on, your hands will swell.  I woke up this morning to my wedding band stuck on my finger.  With a little bit of patience, soap and squirming, I got it off.  I decided to give my fingers a break today so I'm not wearing my rings, but my fingers look like they are back to the normal size.  I just need to be a little more careful to take them off at night and I think I will be able to wear them a little while longer.  I feel so naked without them. 
 
I haven't had any other swelling, so that's good.  My energy has been pretty good as well, I haven't had that 3rd trimester dip yet. 
 
Danny took my 30 week pictures yesterday, hopefully I'll have them up soon!

*4 Years*

Four years ago today, June 10th 2006, I went on a date with a guy.  He was fun, charming, sweet, and a gentleman, of course!  Little did I know that he would become my best friend, lover, fiance, husband and now the father of our child.  I had just gotten out of a serious relationship, and so had he.  We were both cautious, but were looking to make a new friendship, neither of us wanted to play games and we both just wanted to be happy.  Well, happy we were, together.

Over the next few months we really got to know each other.  We went on fun dates and would spend countless hours on the phone talking (we lived two hours apart), would visit each other on weekends and would lie in each others' arms learning about what we liked, what we didn't, what we wanted to do with our lives, etc.  For our first few dates we went to a Brooks and Dunn concert, the Baltimore Aquarium, a Brad Paisley concert, Cape Hatteras, my first sushi date, the movies, church, countless dinners and I think I *may* have even cooked him a home made meal once or twice.  Hey, the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach!  It obviously worked, so I'm not complaining.  He even came to my mom's family reunion in good 'ol "West by God!"  If that didn't run him off, I don't know what will.  :)

 Gettin' tipsy on the beach in Hatteras*

At the top of the Light House in Hatteras ~ Look how young and SKINNY we were!

He stole my heart from the very start, even my best friend said after just a short month of us dating that she knew Danny was the one.   I told her that I was madly in love with him, and that I couldn't believe that I had found such a great guy.  It was too perfect, things never worked out like this for me before, but it turns out that good things come to those who wait.  After dating for three months, Danny told me he loved me for the very first time.  We both had felt that way for awhile, but didn't want to rush things.  It was nice to get it out into the open, to know that we both felt the same way about each other.

This was taken in Richmond at my best friend's house.

 Our date at the Baltimore Aquarium

Our relationship progressed and we decided to move in together after 6 months {insert your judgments here, yes we were living in sin} of dating.  Neither of us had really planned on living with anyone before marriage, we had actually had a conversation early on in our relationship that it wasn't in our plan, but something just felt right.  Neither of us had to pressure the other to move in, it just felt natural to move in together.  So we started a life together, in my parent's 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath cottage (that they let us live in rent free).  They really don't know how much that helped us.  We really grew into the couple that we are today in that house and I cried the day we moved out.

Our first child came into our lives about 2 months after we moved in together.  He was a chocolate fur ball with blue eyes, sharp little teeth and lots of love!  We got our first dog together!  A chocolate lab, 7 weeks old, and we named him Eli.   

Seriously, how can you resist that cuteness?

 Fast forward another year, to Christmas 2007, and Danny popped the question!  It was so sweet, both of our families got to share in the moment and having him confess his love for me was beautiful!

Can you tell that I was shocked?

And here we are now...married for a year and a half, with two crazy dogs - Eli and Sadie, a cute little house we call home, a sweet baby on the way and four of the happiest years of my life to show for it. 

I am truly blessed to have such an amazing husband, two dogs that love us unconditionally, the joy of knowing I will be a mother and Danny a great father, my family, friends, our home and jobs that provide for us and each day that I get to spend with the one I love.  I know sometimes I get angry over nothing, don't always appreciate each and every moment of every day, but life is too short to have regrets.  I try to embrace each day and love with all I have. 

To many more years together ~ I love you Danny!

Wanna See My Belly Grow?

I'm almost positive I hit a MAJOR growth spurt between 25 weeks and now, 28 weeks.  Let's take a look at how my belly has been growing in just the past few weeks...

Yep, I think it's safe to say that Marissa is growing!  I can't believe I have another 11 centimeters to grow!  I'm going to be GINORMOUS!!!  But it's all worth it as long as we have a healthy, happy, sweet baby girl in our arms to show for it!

And I'm supposed to be going to a pool party at the end of June!?!?  Yikes!  We'll see how that goes!

Just to put things into perspective, this is a picture Danny took at 28 weeks...I look even bigger from far away!  How does that make any sense?

*28 Weeks*

Placenta - Check!

I had my 28 week ultrasound yesterday to check my placenta.  Everything looks great and I no longer have to worry about my low-lying placenta covering my cervix ~ whew!  I also got the results from my glucose tolerance test and I passed with flying colors.  Woot, Woot!  We got to see Miss Marissa for the last time on the ultrasound (pending there are no complications to require another one).  She's growing right on track and looking great.  Less than 12 weeks until we meet our little girl.  The sonographer also confirmed that Marissa is in fact, still a little girl.  No boy parts magically grew over night, so we will not need to re-paint the nursery (much to Danny's relief, though I'm sure he would love to have a boy). 

My mom came to visit this weekend and helped us paint the trim in the nursery.  Danny is currently in the process of installing the closet organizer.  I can't wait until it's ready for me to stuff with cute baby clothes!  Speaking of baby clothes, I got this adorable dress over the weekend to hang in the nursery.  Isn't it cute?

Overall, I'm still feeling great and still (gasp!) enjoying pregnancy.  This weekend was hot and humid but it really didn't bother me that much.  I sat outside in the shade, stayed hydrated and I did just fine!  I don't know why everyone else was complaining so much. =)  I still haven't had any cravings, I have noticed that I'm a little more tired than normal but I also haven't been sleeping that well.  We are dog sitting for a friend and when all three dogs decide it's play time at 5 am, I'm not exactly thrilled.  Between the bathroom breaks, the dogs waking me up and just trying to get comfortable, I'm lucky to sleep 2-3 hours uninterrupted.  Again, I think this is just God's way of preparing me for what is to come. 

Here are a few 28 week pictures that Danny took for me.  I think I really hit a growth spurt between 26-28 weeks!!  Can you tell?

A Whirlwind of Thoughts...

The past week and a half has been busy, fun and productive!  Last Friday Danny and I decided last minute to drive to Berryville to go to the monastery.  The monastery is where we met each other and fell in love about 4 years ago (maybe for our 4 year anniversary (not wedding, but our "dating" anniversary) I will share that story with the world of blogs).  A mutual family friend has their family reunion at the monastery twice a year, once in the Spring and once in the Fall.  Danny and I have both been attending the monastery since we were little kids, I think I was even going there when my mom was pregnant with me...so it's been a long time!

We haven't made a trip up to the monastery in about 2 years so we figured it was time to make the trip.  And what better way than to be completely spontaneous on a Friday afternoon and hit the road?  We had a nice time catching up with everyone.  It is so peaceful and beautiful out on the monastery, it has always been one of my favorite places!
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On Saturday morning, my mom, my dad, my brother and I all headed out for a family breakfast.  Just the four of us, just like old times.  We haven't done that in YEARS!  It was nice.  Then Danny and I headed to Jiffy Lube Live to see Brad Paisley play with some other friends.  We also got to see Justin Moore and Darius Rucker.  This was the 3rd time we have seen Brad Paisley in concert, but we were in for a new treat this time around!  Rain, rain and more RAIN!  Which made for some interesting entertainment...a mud slide!  Danny and I joked that probably a year ago this would have been us...

Brad Paisley's song "She's Everything" was our first dance song at our wedding.  I know that a lot of people have played this song at their wedding, but Danny and I loved this song before it became popular.  Our very first Brad Paisley concert, in 2006, Brad Paisley played about half of the song.  Not many people in the crowd knew it, but Danny and I sure did.  From that moment we knew that was "our song."  I still get teary when Danny sings it to me.  Ahh, the memories...

Now if that doesn't say love, I don't know what does!

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We got home late Saturday night and hit the hay.  We slept in on Sunday and did a little work around the house.  Then we spent the evening snuggled on the couch watching movies.

We also made some progress on the nursery, so you know that I'm a happy camper.  We finally got the combo dresser/changing table and hutch put together and in the nursery.  See that rainbow of colors on the shelf?  That's me proudly presenting those cute little CLOTH (yes, I'm still going the cloth diaper route, so zip it!) diapers that I like to call "fluff."  Oh so cute!

Before

 After

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Yesterday Danny worked in the yard and I, for the very FIRST time, EVER, grilled!  Yep, that's it folks, it's official, this girl can GRILL!  Danny has been begging me for three years now to get a new grill.  It's been in the budget to get a new grill for awhile now, but some things are just worth waiting for, ya know?  This is like the grill of all grills, apparently!  It's a "Holland" .::Insert Ooohhh's and Aahhhhh's::.  I'm not sure if I should get the wife of the year award for breaking in the new grill or if I should just be thankful that dinner turned out pretty.darn.good?!  Anyway, I made Sweet Teriyaki Glazed Chicken, roasted squash, zucchini and onions all on the grill with a side of rice.  Danny says it's the grill that made dinner so good, but I'm not totally convinced!

Remember those flowers I planted awhile back?  Well, they are thriving beautifully in their new home.  They bring a smile to my face as I sit on the front porch with my morning coffee on the weekends and each day when I get home from a long day at work.  Flowers just have a way of brightening your day!

I've gotten a taste of what summer is going to be like around here the past few days.  It was 96 degrees out today, and honestly, the heat wasn't too terribly bad.  We took a walk around the neighborhood with the pups this evening when the day cooled down a bit.  It was nice to get out, stretch my legs and get some exercise.  I hope that we can keep it up, I know it's best for me and Marissa.