This bun in the oven

I had a doctor's appointment today, I feel like having them weekly makes them come sooo much quicker than they used to! Joe started his new shift this week at work (he will be working 4 ten hour days which makes it possible for him to be home with me and baby for 3 days in a row, I can't wait!) so he wasn't able to come to today's the appointment. This guy, let me just tell ya, has been a champ coming to every single doctor's appointment, asking tons and tons of questions, and always making sure I am taken care of. He's been such a huge support and has taken to his role as Dad perfectly already! Our usual nurse that does my vitals every week was shocked when I showed up today without Joe, instead my mom came so I wouldn't have to go alone! Gotta love that momma of mine!

When my doctor checked me last week nothing was going on and I was okay with that! I needed that time to get everything ready and taken care of before this baby's big debut. When she checked me today I wasn't expecting much, but to my surprise I've already dilated 2cm and am 50% effaced! I've been having contractions at night that keep me up pretty consistently, but I didn't think much of them; I notice them the most when I've been out running errands or if I've gone longer at the gym that day. I guess these sleepless nights have been productive!

Since Joe has started this new job, he has obviously had to go through training and with the training he could either pass and keep his job or not pass and not have a job. I never had any doubt that he wouldn't pass his training, but he was nervous and spent much of his energy stressing over not having a job once the baby comes. Well, of course, he passed and was the first to graduate training out of his group making it so that he is now eligible for paternity leave! YAY! Before, we were looking at him only being able to have 2 days of emergency time off with me, and even though that would have majorly sucked, we would have made it work. I'm so relieved that he will now be able to spend at least 7 days home with us! Too bad he hasn't been working at American Express for a year, he would have gotten 6 weeks time off! Maybe for the next baby ;)

I am just so ready to get this show on the road! Things are finally coming together at home, I'm annoyed that I haven't had that "nesting" urge that everyone talks about. I had our place professionally cleaned last week so that helped a little, it's just trying to get everything organized and put together the way I want it. Hopefully, I can spend some more time tonight getting things in order… I have a feeling this baby is coming soon! :) (hopefully I didn't just jinx it)

38 weeks and 3 days

How far along: 38 weeks and 3 days. The countdown is on! 

Maternity clothes: I basically live in my maternity leggings. 

Stretch marks: Just the same few on my left hip. I lucked out and haven't gotten hardly any! 

Sleep: I wish I knew what sleeping through the night was like…I suppose it's just getting me ready for when baby comes. 

Best moment of this week: Not having to work! I have been able to relax, go grocery shopping, do laundry, and finally get ready for the little miss to arrive! 

Miss anything:  I miss being able to bend over. Thank goodness it's starting to warm up and I can wear flats. There's no way I could put my shoes and socks on alone right now! 

Movement: Still lot's of movement even though things are pretty cramped inside my tummy. It's getting more painful since she doesn't have much room to kick and flip. 
Food cravings: Mandarin oranges! I ate an entire can today :) 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, not really! I still have to eat pretty consistently or else I get pretty queasy. 

Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah! My doctor says I'm measuring perfectly! 
Gender: Beautiful baby girl 

Labor signs: Had my first spout with contractions late last night. They weren't consistent, but boy were they painful. Hopefully, this means that baby girl is on her way! 

Belly button in or out: Still in! There's no way that this black hole of a belly button is popping out

Wedding rings on or off: Off and it makes me so sad!! I've been wearing my grandma's ring instead which I love. 
Happy or moody most of the time:  I've been happy! Not working and finally having time to myself has been amazing!!  
Looking forward to: getting all my last minute projects done before this girl makes her big debut!   

Showering Baby Leiser with Love

My mom threw me the most beautiful baby shower ever, it was everything I could have hoped for and more! My mom sure knows how to throw a party, and this was no exception to her party planning skills; she went above and beyond to make this day so special. It was such a nice day filled with so much love and support, this little baby is already so spoiled and so loved.

I had a few of my close friends and family that lives close attend. My mom's good friend that has known me since I was a wee little baby came from Arizona, and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law drove through a blizzard to come support me! I am so grateful to have had the love and support that day, I felt so loved!

We decided to do something a little different than your traditional baby shower at a restaurant or someone's house. The Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City has a high tea complete with tea sandwiches, scones, macarons, fruit tarts, an assortment of yummy teas and flavored hot chocolate. We knew this would be the perfect venue to shower this little princess of mine!  We all had a great time at our little tea party. 

Sorry that some of the pictures are blurry, I'm not sure what I did to mess them up! Whoops! 

35 Weeks and 2 days

How far along: 35 weeks and 2 days!!! Getting closer!

Maternity clothes: Couldn't live without them! Although, I am so ready to wear normal clothes again!

Stretch marks: Just the same few on my left hip. I lucked out and haven't gotten hardly any! 

Sleep: Oh sleep, how I miss you… My days off from work are my favorite because I can actually nap! But other than that I sleep 4 maybe 5 hours each night.

Best moment of this week: Getting the nursery done! It's so cute. At night when I can't sleep, I'll go in there and just stare at the crib or look through all her cute, little clothes and wonder what it's going to be like to have her here. 

Miss anything:  I miss being comfortable. I'm so swollen and huge right now, just walking up and down our stairs in our house is a chore.  

Movement: Yes! She is crazy in there! I always laugh whenever I sit down at work for a quick break she will instantly start jabbing my ribs and flipping all around. Her movements have definitely gotten stronger, this girl has got some strong legs already!
Food cravings: Ice cream and cereal  

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not as much this week, but certain smells can send me running for the hills. 

Have you started to show yet: Yes! My doctor said at my last appointment that this baby isn't curled up, she's completely stretched out so somedays I look like a million years pregnant and other days I barley look 6 months along. I always feel like a million years pregnant though

Gender: Beautiful baby girl 

Labor signs: Not yet. I haven't had as many Braxton Hicks this week. 

Belly button in or out: Still in! It's still stretching horizontally haha so who knows what will happen

Wedding rings on or off: As of the past couple days I haven't been able to wear it and it makes me so sad! I miss my ring. 

Happy or moody most of the time:  I've been moody this week. I think its a combination of being so exhausted, still working full time, and being crazy uncomfortable. 
Looking forward to: meeting this little girl and my final day at work!  

The Grass is Always Greener

Joe has always told me that I'm a "grass-is-greener" kind of person; meaning, I am always thinking that something else will make me happier. He is right, I am totally like that.  Joe is such a great example of seizing every moment for what it's worth, whether it's good or bad, and finding time to appreciate and relish in that feeling. At my last appointment my doctor asked me if I enjoyed being pregnant, I had a hard time formulating an answer to her ambiguous question. No, I haven't enjoyed the morning (all day) sickness, no I haven't enjoyed gained weight, no I haven't enjoyed having zero energy, but I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to carry this sweet little baby. She isn't even here yet, but she already feels so old to me. Feeling her first little kicks to her constant tumbles and twirls in my stomach show me just how much she has grown and developed in such a short amount of time. A part of me just wishes I could keep her inside of me forever; thinking about bringing such innocence into this scary world makes me so sad.

Yesterday, I was having a particularly rough day and I was cranky and just annoyed with being pregnant. It was mine and Joe's day off together and we, of course, had it jam packed with errands and mile long lists to complete. I knew it'd be a long haul of a day getting everything done and since I have gotten to the point in my pregnancy where everything is uncomfortable, I was nervous about completing everything. Sitting is miserable, standing is torture, laying down just sucks, there just isn't anything comfortable about being pregnant right now. I started to cry and told Joe how sick of being pregnant I was and how badly I just want it to be over and to have this baby girl in our arms already. I thought about my mini-meltdown a lot today and it made me sad that I was being such a brat about carrying this child. I know in my crazy, grass-is-greener ways I will somehow miss being pregnant and long for the sleepless nights that I was kept up by jabs to my ribs or never ending hiccups (poor girl gets them every night!).

I just want to remember these thoughts and feelings and remember that I don't actually hate being pregnant; it's seriously been such a blessing in mine and Joe's life to know that we have such a sweet spirit coming into our home so soon. It hasn't been the easiest of times, but I really have lucked out with a relatively low maintenance pregnancy. I love that I am able to carry a baby and bring this sweet girl into a good home with loving parents. I hope she knows how lucky she is to have Joe as her dad, he is already so smitten by her. I worry about how it's going to be when she's older, he is totally going to give her anything and everything she wants and I'll be stuck being the bad cop haha.

Sorry I haven't posted any pictures, I really haven't been in the picture taking mood lately. Being this pregnant and swollen definitely takes it toll on your self esteem! I'll be better about posting pictures soon, I always get annoyed when people don't post pictures with their blog posts haha whoops!

34 Weeks

How far along: 34 weeks

Maternity clothes: All day every day! Since I'm a manager at Hollister I'm expected to wear the clothes, I was able to pull it off for a while, until all our spring stuff came out. High waisted shorts and crop tops anyone? ha I wouldn't wear any of that stuff if I wasn't pregnant, but we've had some funny times playing dress up. I literally wear the same maternity shirt  and skinny jeans everyday and I don't even care. 

Stretch marks: Blah yes…Only a couple on my left hip. Weird that I don't have any on my right hip, but I'm not complaining! 

Sleep: I hate sleeping. Coming from the girl who couldn't wait to snuggle into bed every night, thats a big deal. Between not getting comfortable, to finally getting comfortable and realizing you need to go to the bathroom, it's just annoying. I sleep maybe 5 hours a night- preparing me for baby I suppose.

Best moment of this week: Taking a week off work to relax and recover from some weird bug I caught. 

Miss anything:  I miss being comfortable in my own body and being able to sit or stand comfortably 

Movement: Yes! Lot's of movement! I'm certain my ribs are bruised ha, but it's so worth it! She's been rolling and turning all the time lately! She used to only be active at night when I was trying to sleep, but now she's constantly punching and kicking all throughout the day. I love feeling her. 

Food cravings: Chick-fil-a, cauliflower, and sushi 


Anything making you queasy or sick: The past few weeks I have been super sick, like first trimester sick. It's seriously driving me crazy! I have no idea what causes it, but basically anything and everything makes me queasy. 

Have you started to show yet: Oh yeah, big time baby bump!  

Gender: Beautiful baby girl 

Labor signs: I just started having braxton hicks a couple days ago. 

Belly button in or out: Still in! It's stretching horizontally which kind of freaks me out

Wedding rings on or off: depends on the day. Sometimes, I can get it on no problem, but then there's other days where I'm too afraid to leave it on

Happy or moody most of the time:  Happy! Just ready to meet our little girl finally! 
Looking forward to: putting together the beautiful crib my mom and mark got for us!! Can't wait to start decorating the nursery. 

Blessed

I've been thinking a lot lately about how incredibly blessed joe and I have been in our marriage. I don't want this post to be one of those obnoxious posts about how wonderfully perfect our life is, because trust me, it's far from perfect. I've finally realized that it's fine to have a far from perfect life, it's fine. These are just some thoughts I've had that I've been meaning to write down, so I won't be offended if you stop reading :)

Here's a little back story that most people don't know about our sudden move to Utah. We found out I was pregnant on July 30th and we were over the moon excited. We both had good jobs (mine having insanely good health benefits) we were living comfortably, and we felt ready to be parents... Kind of. Exactly one week after we took that pregnancy test I got news that the store I was working at was getting closed down. The kicker is that they were shutting the store down in two weeks. TWO WEEKS! I remember the day I got the news I sat in the back room of the store on the floor and just cried. Not because I was losing my job, I really hated my job at that store so it was a relief actually, but I was terrified about what we would do to provide for this baby. 

My job had blessed our lives for the entirety of our marriage making things possible for us that most people our age didn't have. I felt accomplished and satisfied knowing that I was able to support our family while my husband finished school. I immediately started interviewing for jobs, but one of the (many) sucky things about living in that area of Idaho was the fact that no one could pay me what I made at Hollister and give me the same kind of benefits I had before. I have a bachelors degree and I couldn't justify working minimum wage. We were completely stuck. Joe and I have been through a lot of crazy things together, but this experience was so different because it wasn't just us anymore. We had this precious little baby to worry about. We prayed so hard to find answers to our problem, but things seemed pretty hopeless. 

 I remember one day I was getting ready for work and I called joe and asked if he would be able to finish his degree online, he asked what I was thinking and I honestly had no idea. I went into work that same day and my DM told me she wanted me to move stores out to Denver; the company would pay for everything to move us out there I just needed to give her an answer by the next day. I spoke with joe about it and we didn't feel good about it... As crazy as that sounds. We talked about moving to Utah because joe would be able to transfer with his job to Utah, but not to Colorado. I pitched the idea to my DM and she said that she would do anything to keep me with the company and would call around Utah to see if they had room for me at a store there. It took about a week to finalize everything with my job, but I was approved for a transfer, we literally had a weekend to sell our contract, pack up our stuff, and move to Utah so I could start working that following Tuesday.

 At this point I was 11 weeks pregnant and so incredibly sick and exhausted all the time I didn't think it was possible to get it all done. It happened so fast we didn't have a chance to ask friends for help with anything. Joe literally packed up our entire apartment and cleaned it all on his own and we drove away Sunday night. We had no idea where we were going to live, luckily my work paid for a hotel for us until we found an apartment but that was stressful in itself. 

Not only were we able to find a cute town home, but our ward here is amazing! We didn't have the best experience in our last ward in rexburg so I was nervous about going to church down here, especially since with joes job he would have to work Sundays, meaning I would have to go to church all alone! I've made some amazing friends and felt so welcomed in this new ward- it's been amazing. Even though I have to go alone, I know it won't last forever and it's made me more independent and outgoing not having joe to hide behind haha. 

Since being down in Utah joe was able to find a new job with American Express! He starts next week  and we couldn't be more excited! With this new job, I for sure won't have to go back to work and we will live the same way we did when I was working! Talk about a HUGE blessing and relief. I was okay with going back to work after the baby was born for a few months until Joe graduates, but Joe wouldn't let that happen. He knows how much I want to be home with the baby and he wants that too which is something I am so grateful for. He makes my dream of being a mom a reality and I am so grateful for all his hard work. I seriously don't know how he does it.

Even though these past 6 months have been the epitome of stressful and filled with uncertainty I know that we have been blessed beyond measure. I don't know why we've been blessed in the ways that we have been, but I am grateful everyday for the life that we have together. I am so excited to bring this little girl into our lives and I can't help but think of how lucky she is to have Joe as her dad. I look at him and wonder why I got so lucky, I certainly don't deserve him. Even after these two years of marriage he still puts up with my crazy high maintenance ways and still loves me through it all! Here's to another crazy adventure with my best friend!