Paisley Ann || 3 Months

Wait. What in the what?? I have a 3 month old???

While a LOT of me wants to sit here and sulk in the fact that 3 whole months of my baby girl's life has completely come and gone in the blink of an eye, the other part of me is so so happy we've reached this point. Do I miss my teeny tiny newborn? Sure.  But do I fall more and more in love with my infant on a daily, wait...hourly, basis? Oh ya!

I feel like the transition between two and three months has been HUGE! We went from infant to newborn and now she's really starting to show her little personality and I just can't get enough if it! 

While I don't have anything to compare her to, I can honestly say she's still a really good baby. (I'm forgiving her for the two nights this week she completely forgot how to sleep for longer than 3 hours at a time...) She's sweet and patient like her daddy, but a touch of sass shows every once in a while too and I can't help but love the fact that she got that trait from her big sister, Oakley.

Ok. Maybe she got it from her mother. 

Either way, Paisley is becoming more and more of a "baby" and is getting to be so. much. fun!

Here are things I want to always remember about my little 3 month old peanut:

Weight: 12 1/2 pounds (as of last week)

Length: 21 3/4 inches (as of last week)

Hair: Still a little sparse. Some fell out when she had a minor case of cradle cap but it looks like it's growing, slowly but surely, and it's still light a dark dark blonde/light brown color.

Eyes: Still gray. Some days they look a little blue, some days they look more brown. I'm so anxious to see what color they'll be! Her eyelashes are still long as ever and are so precious!

Clothes: We are officially out of newborn clothes and have even started to outgrow some 3 month outfits, too. It still baffles me how one day an outfit can fit her perfectly, and the next I have to leave open a few snaps so her thighs are squished. (True story...sister has some ham hocks on her. Wonder where she got those from??) She's still a little too short for any of her 6 month cloths but I foresee me pulling them out any day now. Oh-and 3 month socks are a JOKE! She may be short, but she has feet for days and easily fits in 6m-12m socks. (A lovely trait she also got from her mother...sorry kid.)

Diapers: Size 2

Sleeping: We've officially slept through the night several times now! After two nights of reverting back to waking up every 3 hours, we got another full night last night, which makes for one happy momma and daddy! She still sleeps next to my side of the bed in her Rock n' Play and we still swaddle her at night and during naps. That being said, we've started leaving one arm out of the swaddler since she likes to have access to her hands these days. More on that later...

Likes: mornings, baths, Sophie, being sang to, George Strait lullabies (instantly put her to sleep!) and drum roll please...her hands. Goodness gracious sister LOVES her hands these days and it's so cute! I can hear her sucking on them from another room and she's even given her wrists a couple of hickies lol. The only downside to her loving her hands is that it becomes a real issue when I'm trying to get a bottle in her mouth while she's got 8 fingers in there too!

Dislikes: wet diapers, being too hungry, being too tired, being over stimulated and sometimes she still dislikes tummy time. She doesn't like it necessarily, but she doesn't hate it as much as she used to either so we're slowly getting in more tummy time every day.

Eating: Paisley still eats every 3 hours during the day. Sometimes I'll let her go 3 1/2-4 hours if she's sleeping but we've got a schedule we like to try to stick to so I'd say every 3 hours is pretty consistent. She eats 4 oz. in her bottles throughout the day and before we put her to bed, she gets 5 oz.  I'm exclusively pumping and wouldn't have it any other way. While it's a lot (also see: a TON) of parts to wash, it's much easier for me and I really do enjoy it more because I'm not nursing her for an hour at a time and wanting to hand her off as soon as I'm done because I need a break. I give her a quick bottle and them am able to play with her and snuggle with her more. By me exclusively pumping, it also gives Beaus a chance to help feed her, which he enjoys being able to do more, too. (While I'm not pumping professional, I feel like I've got a good rhythm down pat so if any of you have questions about being an exclusive pumper, please feel free to ask!)

Milestones: holding her head up way better whether we're holding her, she's sitting in her Bumbo or doing tummy time. Like I said she's found her hands and there's no turning back! I can't wait for her to find her feet! She also really focuses in on you and will follow you across the room with her eyes. It's so neat to see all these little changes in her over the last month! Also, sleeping through the night is a HUGE milestone! Lets keep that one going, P! This month she also got her first baby cold and it was not fun, for her or us. It was actually so sad. Beau and I felt so incredibly helpless but we've done everything possible and she's now on the mend! Thank goodness!

Momma's favorites: Her sweet, sweet smiles and giggles first thing in the morning. When I hear her wake up, I'll look down in her Rock n' Play, unswaddle her and as she stretches she gives me the sweetest dang smile to ever exist! Speaking of, the 104 times that she stretches in the morning might be the cutest thing in the world, too! Imagine a butterfly unraveling itself from its cocoon and that's exactly what it looks like! Oh-and freshly bathed baby smell. Good NIGHT I would pay big bucks if someone could bottle that smell for me!

Baby items we can't live without: Rock n' Play, SwaddleMe swaddlers, Sleep Sheep, musical seahorse thing (whatever it's called?!), Boudreaux Extra Strength Butt Paste (stuff is LEGIT), Little Remedies Survival Kit, Sophie the Giraffe, Wubbanub, Dr. Brown's bottles and warmer (this warmer is the best and we've tried several), Ergo Baby 360, Summer swaddle blankets, George Strait lullabies album

I'm sure I'll say this every single month, or day, or hour...but I am literally obsessed with this child and don't feel bad for it one bit. Are there trying times? Hell yes there are. But she is our entire universe and I am still (yes, still!) in utter disbelief that she's mine all mine!

Those thighs are e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

Paisley Ann || 2 Months

It is with extreme excitement that I'm writing this post! Though it's always a littttttle bittersweet to see your baby grow so fast, I could not be more happy about the fact that we've reached the 2 month mark! 

As a new momma bear, I truly feel like the first two months are pure survival for everyone involved. You're getting accustomed to one another, setting routines, your baby is still so small & fragile and because you just don't know anything about anything, there are so many questions, worries and fears those first couple of months. Now that I'm two months into this thing, my kid is growing, getting a little chunk on her thighs (which, by the way, I could eat!) and we are into a little routine each and every day, I feel much, much more comfortable with my sweet P and can truly say "We survived!"

Here's a look at my Sweet P at 2 months old:

Weight: 10 lb 9 oz

Height: 20 1/4 inches

Hair: Hair is sparse on top but coming in great in the back so it's safe to say sister is rocking a baby mullet lol! It's like a light brown/dark blonde color. 

Eyes: Her eye color is still gray but a lot of people are thinking her eyes are going to be blue like her daddy's. She has really long eyelashes, too, which she'll thank me and her Nonna for one day!

Clothes: all of her smaller fitting newborn clothes (Carter's brand) are far too small & packed way (#tear). She still has a few newborn clothes that are bigger and still fit (Target & Old Navy brands) but other than that, we are mainly in a size 0-3 month right about now. I honestly thought the 0-3 month size was the dumbest sizing ever...like, I thought it was Baby Gap's way of sizing their clothing differently just to be difficult. Little did I know there's actually a purpose for this size and it's when they are (literally) in between 0 and 3 months. #duhstephanie 

Diapers: Wearing a size 1 in Huggies and Pampers. I've always been told Pampers are the best but we are loving us some Huggies and will probably stick with Huggies once we run out of Pampers. However, Pampers wipes are the best. Hands down. 

Sleeping: During the day, she takes naps anywhere from 3-4 times and from 30 minutes to 2 hours. (Praise God for the 2 hour naps!) At night we usually feed her and put her down around 10 or 10:30p and she wakes us up around 4am to be changed and fed again. No complaints there but I will be really happy when she gives us a fullllll night of sleep! During the day she naps in her swing or Rock & Play and has taken a few naps in her crib. At night, she sleeps in her Rock & Play in our room right next to my side of the bed. 

Likes: Mornings! Paisley is SO happy and sweet in the mornings! That's usually the time I'm able to capture a few smile and giggles and it literally melts me every single time! She also loves being outside! She can be fussy as ever and we will try everything with no luck and all we have to do is step out into our backyard and the tears dry up immediately. It amazes me! So we have a morning person who loves the outdoors...definitely taking a few of my features and I'm not mad about it one bit! Adding to the list of likes: her giraffe Wubbanub (we named her Ginger lol), being held and sleeping in your arms, being read to, riding in the car or stroller and kicking around on her activity mat or in her crib. Oh and she's really starting to like her bouncer too!

Dislikes: Having her diaper changed, when we put her bib on or change her clothes (you would think we were beating her when we do this lol), and tummy time. 

Eating: I gave up breast feeding around 5 weeks when I found out she wasn't getting enough from me. Instead of breast feeding, I'm exclusively pumping and bottle feeding. While it can sometimes be tricky trying to pump with a newborn who likes being held, it's working out so much better to bottle feed her because I know she's getting enough milk, which would attribute to her almost doubling in weight. She eats 4-5 oz every 3-4 hours, except in the middle of the night, which she goes 5-6 hours between feelings. 

Milestones: tracking you with her eyes when you walk across the room, cooing, slowly finding her hands and her head support is getting really good! She's still a little bobble head at times but we're working on strengthening her neck everyday. I can't wait til she can hold her head up on her own!

Momma's favorites: When she giggles in her sleep. Oh. My. Word. It is the cahutest (aka: cutest) thing in the whole wide friggin' world when she does this and I love love love it so much! I always wonder what one earth she's laughing about though?! Another favorite of mine at this stage is that she's really becoming her own little person! Her laughs, her cries, her smiles, her little voice...I love watching her develop! It's so cool to me that she changes daily! 

I know it's so cliche to say this but I really had no idea I could loves something SO much! And the crazy thing is that I fall more and more in love with her every day. Heck, every minute of every day. Sure, thre are times that are a little trying and it takes an act of congress to get both of us dressed and out the door everyday but when she looks up at me with those precious gray eyes and sneaks me a little smile, my whole body turns into a pile of mush!

I still have a hard time believing she's mine all mine and I thank God daily for my precious little Paisley girl! It's true that babie give a whole new meaning to life!

Ok but really...time can slow down any minute now! 

Wittlest Punkin At The Patch

Though it may still be 90+ degrees here in the Lonestar State and our leaves haven't officially "changed" yet, we're still trying to celebrate this whole "fall" season that everyone speaks of. (Who am I kidding? Our leaves don't change. They go from green...to dead.) Oh, however, we did have a few 80 degree days earlier this week so I guess we can consider that to be the changing of the seasons.

Maybe.

Anywho, I feel like the most obligatory thing to do to celebrate fall is to visit a pumpkin patch, especially now that I have a kiddo to do all these things with! Though she (obviously) couldn't participate in actually picking out a pumpkin, petting the animals in the petting zoo or riding the slides with her cousins, I must say I am so so excited to start to reliving all these childhood memories with her as she grows up! I remember doing them as a kid and it brings back so many wonderful memories and I just can't wait to make those memories with my own baby girl!

 Paisley + her triplet cousins! (Aren't they so big and grown up here?!)

This was the best I could get here. She was pretty over it at this point! Ha!

First punkin patch in the books for Miss P and I'd call it a success! I cannot begin to tell you how anxious and excited I am to experience all of her "firsts" with her, especially with all the holidays coming up!

And just like that I'm off to pack up newborn clothes.
And then I may sit in the pile of 'said' newborn clothes and cry like a friggin' baby.

Happy Friday, friends! Have a great weekend!

Paisley Ann || 1 Month

One month. One stinking month.

Seriously...who's in charge of time here because I'm going to need for someone to stop the clock. 

Today our sweet angel turned, well you guessed it, one month old. When people tell you time flies when you have kids, it could not be more true. 

Here's what's been going on in the past month of our Paisley girl's little life:

• Weight: 7 lbs. 6 oz.
• Height/length: 19ish inches (since our last doctor's appointment)
• Eating: Exclusively being breastfed/bottle fed breast milk every 2-4 hours depending on the day. 3 hours seems to be the sweet spot, except for days when she goes through growth spurts and wants to do nothing but cluster feed. While I question my want to wear a shirt on those days, I know it's important for her growth so I just sit back, relax and let sister nurse all she wants to.
• She has a super sweet demeanor and (knock on wood) only cries when she's wet, hungry or wants her momma. Yes, I know I carried her for 10 months, but it still amazes me that she instantly knows when I have her in my arms. And it makes me feel super wanted/needed/loved. :)
• Likes: eating, sleeping, pooping...the norm for a 1 month old right?! She also enjoys being in the car, stroller or when I wear her in my Baby K'Tan wrap and loves being read to or when we sing to her. She just looks around everywhere! It's the cutest thing ever! I adore her curiosity! She also seems to really enjoy her baths (for the most part). As long as we keep the room semi-dark and really warm with a space heater, she just lets us take our time. I'm thankful for that because I can't imagine bathing a screaming, squirmy babe! Talk about stressing a momma out! 
• Dislikes: Tummy time...sister HATES tummy time. She also HATES having a wet diaper. I swear the child starts wailing on me before pee even touches the diaper. I'm okay with it though because I'm hoping that prevents diaper rash. 
• She sleeps a LOT and is awake for maybe 6 hours total out of the day. At night we get at least one good 4-5 hour stretch and then the rest of the time she wakes us up every 3 hours on the dot (no lie) to be fed. At night she sleeps in her swing and during the day she naps in her Rock n' Play. I'm still too big of a wuss to put her flat on her back so for now, these spots seem to be working well for us.
• Though she despises tummy time, she is really getting some strength in her neck. I swear she's been lifting her head like a pro since she came out of the womb. Even the nurses in the hospital agreed she was really strong for her size!
• This month our tiny peanut went from 5 lbs 8 oz to 7 lbs 6 oz so after multiple "weight checks" at the pediatrician, we are so happy and relieved to be on the positive side of the weight gaining debacle! If one more person told me "She's so tiny!", I'm pretty sure I was going to have a serious meltdown!
• On the weight note, she's finally fitting in more of her newborn clothes! Hallelujah! For the first 3 weeks, poor girl only had like 5 outfits and 2 sleepers that truly fit her without hanging off of her like a ragamuffin.  Oh and some of her smaller headbands really fit her now, too! 
• Milestones: She's been smiling here and there in her sleep and I swear she consciously smiled at me this morning when I was changing her to take these pictures!  There really is nothing sweeter than a tiny baby smile, especially one that's followed by a sweet little giggle! 

I've been saying this since August 21 and I'm sure I'll say it for the rest of her life but I still cannot believe she's ours, and we're her's, and we get to keep her forever and ever. I'm so thankful she's a patient baby because Beau and I sure are having to figure out this whole parenting thing as we go! She's the best snuggle bug in the whole wide world and her smell...oh my gosh...the new baby smell is SO euphoric, especially when it's your very own!

Paisley has already grown and changed SO much in just one short month and I thank God every day for putting this little blessing in our lives. She's already taught us so much about life and love and we seem to fall more and more in love with her every single day! ...Even the days that consist of 4 hours of sleep ((max)) followed by cluster feeding all day long. :) 

Though I'm SO anxious to see what kind of personality she'll have, who she'll start to look like,  and how sassy she'll become, I'm really trying my best to absorb every second of my time with her right now. Like they say, she'll never be as small as she is today, so I'm off to soak up some snuggles.

I'm hoping I can get it together (emotionally, mainly) and write out her birth story soon. The thought of putting it all into words brings back so many crazy feelings of happiness and an overwhelming sense of joy that I just know my keyboard will be covered in tears the day I decide to sit down and write it. :) One day, my friends, one day...

Help Baby Addison!

Hi friends! I know it's been a hot minute since I've posted anything, which is completely out of the norm for me so in case anyone was concerned, all is well on the Howard homefront and we are adjusting well to our newest little addition! :) Paisley has been more alert these days so its been a lot of fun getting to know her tiny personality and learning what all of her little noises make! :) Lets just say her loudest scream = wet diaper. ;)

I had to take some time this morning to post about a sweet new momma's story that really hit home for me. Being a new mom too, I immediately felt compelled to share her story in hopes that you'll pass it along also.

Stephanie, from The Vintage Modern Wife, had her sweet baby girl, Addison, 3 weeks ago and her precious little blessing has been in the hospital ever since. Since birth, Addison has been in the NICU and has undergone two surgeries - PDA Ligation and SCT Removal, and she has another operation in her near future. This week, Stephanie and her husband received the news that Addison will not only need another surgery, but they will need to transport her to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston (they live in Waco, TX), leaving Stephanie and daddy, Mathew, incredibly nervous not only about the procedure, but about the expenses involved with traveling to Houston for an extended amount of time, finances, taking off work, etc...

Needless to say, this is a very emotional and trying time for Stephanie, her husband, their families and of course, baby Addison.

While Beau and I have our own plans of helping out this sweet family, I wanted to let you all know you can help them out too, if you so find it in your hearts.

Stephanie's family members have set up an account that you can donate to that will help cover their traveling expenses, time off work, meals, medical expenses and everything else that comes with their baby girl's time in the hospital. Please go here to view their site and know that any penny, nickel, dime and prayer means the world to them. As you can imagine, any little bit helps!

Here is the direct link to their Go Fund Me account if you'd like to share it in a blog post or on any other social media site: http://www.gofundme.com/ejsdf0

If you can, please share their story and lets help their little family out in this time of need. I average about 3,000 pageviews per day here so if everyone who reads this donates $5, we could help them raise $15,000! I hope you skip your morning Starbucks and put that $5 towards this precious little girl. It's the least we can do!

Due Date

September 8, 2014 was my original due date but as it turns out, Paisley had other plans! 'Tis true! Our sweet Paisley Ann was born on Thursday, August 21 @ 12:22 pm! She came into this world weighing 6 pounds 2 ounces and 18 inches long and we have been completely and utterly smitten with her ever since! She's everything we could have imagined, and more! The doctor actually told us "She's perfect!" and, obviously, we agree! She's happy (when she has a full belly and clean diaper) and she's healthy and she's ever so patient with us as we try to figure out this whole "parenting" thing, which is all we can ask for! All I can say is God is good. So so good! And we are so thankful for this little blessing to call our own! While my days are filled with lots of snuggles, tons of nursing and a few naps in between and maybe a meal or two, we're slowly but surely trying to figure out what our new "normal" looks like with this sweet angel. Though things are definitely different around here, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world! I hope to be back soon to write about her birth story (for my memory, mainly) and in case you're interested in reading about it! Overall, labor and delivery was absolutely wonderful thanks to my supportive family, husband and a team of nurses who made this needle-phobic, hormonal pregnant chick at ease as I birthed a real life human being. Sure-the contractions hurt like hell (and no I have NOT forgotten that pain!) and the first few days of breastfeeding made me feel more defeated than any championship softball game I've ever played in, but when I look down at my baby, our baby, our daughter, I can say with 1000% certainty it was all worth it! Every sleepless night, every tear of frustration, every blowout diaper...worth every. single. second. From the bottom of our hearts, I want you to know Beau and I appreciate ALL of your comments and emails asking about me and our little girl and I want you to know not a single one has gone unnoticed!  However, there's a new boss in the Howard household so we're spending majority of our time over the next several weeks soaking up these precious moments with our Paisley girl (& Oakley, too!). I hope you understand!  Until next time...

Hump Day || Bump Day - 37 Weeks

Let's be real for a minute here.

37 weeks (&4 days) has arrived and I think it's safe to say as of this week, I am officially over it. Stick a fork in me. I'm done.

I have had a really enjoyable pregnancy so I am definitely not taking any of the first 36 weeks for granted, but my body hurts. My pelvis, pubic bone and back are killing me. My body is exhausted, mentally and physically. Weird things are happening all around. I don't feel like myself at all. And I'm just ready to meet this baby girl and figure out what life will be like with a little one. I'm ready to see Beau be a daddy. I'm ready to see my mom be a grandmother for the very first time. I'm just ready for her to be here.

Paisley and I have had several real serious pep talks in the past 24 hours and she is welcome to join this world any day now.

A few things I don't want to forget about this week:

• As of my appointment on Monday, I am 4 centimeters dilated, 50% effaced and baby girl is at a -2 position. Like last week, while this could all mean something, it could also mean nothing at all. Aye aye aye!
• All of this to be said, the doctor didn't really say "when" she thinks D-day will be, but she did say "Babies are born all the time at 37 weeks..."
• Thanks to lasagna, cupcakes and red velvet pancakes over the weekend, I refused to look at the scale at my appointment this week but I think it's somewhere around 27 pounds.
• I vacuumed all the blinds in the house this week. Who. Am. I?
• The carseat is officially installed! I repeat, there's a carseat in my backseat and it's a super weird thing to see back there!
• Thank the good Lord I do not have any stretch marks as of today. I've recently heard they can come in full force after delivery so I'll still be slathering on the Burt's Bee's Mama Bee for a few more weeks for sure!
• Labor signs: random contractions here and there but nothing painful or timeable, slight period-like cramping, and I may or may not be slowly losing my plug. (TMI? Sorry...but it's part of the process.) Not 100% sure about the plug part (Google can only help a girl out so much) but it's a possibility.
• That being said...a trip to L&D may or may not have happened yesterday. Without getting into too many details, everything is fine. Baby girl is fine. And I am not in labor.
• Watermelon is still my BFF. I cut one up on Saturday and it was completely demolished by yesterday morning. Note to self: Pick up watermelon after work. OH...and I canNOT stop eating crushed ice. GIMME ALL THE ICE!!! Nom nom nom!
• My roots in this week's bump photo are horrendous. Thank you. I know. My appointment is scheduled for this Friday should I not pop by then.

So here we are. We wait.
(Insert Jeopardy theme song here.)

I could deliver tomorrow. I could deliver in 3 weeks. 

Yesterday when I was in L&D, it was a very sobering feeling. A feeling of "Oh my GOD is this it?", to "Holy crap I'm not ready!" to "Could we possibly be meeting our Paisley girl today?!" back to "No no no, I can't do this today. Not today." When I say every emotion ran through my mind yesterday, I mean every emotion and then some.

I'm completely terrified and excited all at the same time. Terrified of birth, excited about welcoming this precious blessing into our lives. Terrified of not knowing when all this is going to happen, but excited about being a parent with Beau. Terrified of complications, but excited to know that all of the anticipation over the past 9 months could be here any day now.

That's all for today. Only 3 more bump dates left MAX...bear with me people. ;)

In My Hospital Bag

Because I've received a ton of requests from readers and preglet friends, I thought I'd put together what I have packed in my hospital bag. Err-bags...

As you can see, I'm no light packer. And I'm not a minimalist. At all. My biggest fear EVER is forgetting something really important, for example a memory card for my camera...because that is totally something I would forget. (Oh my gosh I don't even want to imagine!)

While I'd like to pack the entire house and kitchen sink in a the biggest suitcase I own, I've somehow managed to squeeze all of this into my diaper bag and on additional bag. Ok and my purse, too. (Who am I kidding?) So technically this should be titled "What to pack in your hospital bagS" because honestly, I don't know who could go into the hospital to have a baby with one bag and there's no way all of this would fit into one bag.

(P.S.-I have updated the lists below to reflect all the advice that has been given to me via comments since writing this post!)

For mom:

• Insurance information
• Hospital registration/pre-natal records
• Electronics & chargers (iPhone, iPad, etc...)
• Chap stick
• Nursing pillow (I'm using my Boppy as mine)
• Toiletries (makeup, shampoo, conditioner, razor, soap, face wash, etc...)
• Camera, charger & extra memory cards
• Snacks
• Blow dryer, flat iron, curling iron, etc (Call me vain...whatever.)
• Notebook
• Maxi pads (unless you want to wear the hospital-provided variety)
• Nursing cover
• Nursing pads
• Nipple cream
• Nursing bra (I found some awesome ones here.)
• Headband, hair band, bobby pins, etc...whatever makes you comfy
• Panties (ones that can get a little messy/be thrown away afterwards) Yes, I know these are provided by the hospitals and the hospital undies are supposed to be legit, but I can't imagine going anywhere for a couple of days and not packing my own panties so you can bet I will still be packing my own - 3-4 pair
• Nursing dresses - 2-3 dresses
• Socks - 2-3 pair
• Loose-fitting or button up pj's 
• Flip flops

For baby:

• Swaddling blankets (I packed two; one for Paisley, one for someone to bring home to Oakley to get familiar with baby's smell)
• Outfits - 2-3
• Socks - 1-2 pair
• Hat/headbands

For daddy: (not pictured)

• Pillow
• 2-3 outfits
• Blanket
• Toiletries
• Snacks

Misc: (not pictured)

• Car seat (properly installed if you plan on bringing that baby home)  ;)
• Gifts for nursing staff
• Snacks for visitors
• Guest book
• Baby book
• Cash (for parking)
• Prenatal vitamins
• Birth announcement for the hospital room door 
• Extension cord (for iPhone/iPad chargers to reach across the room)
• Empty bag to take home all the loot you leave with from the hospital

I'm not sure when the right time to pack your bags would be but I figured about a month out is safe. Plus, I have everything I need so it might as well be ready and waiting, right?! Right.

I sure do hope this is helpful to someone out there wondering what on earth to pack for the hospital! While I did a ton of research as to what to pack (thanks, Pinterest!) I definitely have NO clue as to whether or not I'm forgetting something seeing that I'm a labor rookie. If you think of ANYTHING I've forgotten, please PLEASE let a sister know! I'm not ashamed to add another bag to my arsenal. ;)

Hump Day || Bump Day - 36 Weeks

Well, people. I made it. 9 months! 9 whole months, which means only one more to go! Whoever said pregnancy was only 9 months was full of it! I'm glad I prepared myself by learning a few years ago that's it's actually 10 months...otherwise I'd be driving myself absolutely insane right about now thinking I was past my due date!

So what's going on with this baby bump?

• I started having weekly appointments now, which is absolutely absurd to me. First they were a month apart, then two weeks and now every week!
• We had our final ultrasound this Monday and baby girl is still doing great! We got to see her little heart flutter and watched her suck on her bottom lip, which is quite possibly the cutest thing ever! The doctor said she's measuring just a little bit small but she's already 5 lbs. 12 oz. which absolutely BLOWS MY MIND! They say she should gain about half a pound a week from here on out so the the longer she stays in, the meatier she will be! ;) 
• That being said, though she's measuring a little small...I'm already 2 cm dilated! I know that can mean a lot, or it can mean nothing at all so I'm just taking it day by day! Do I feel any different? Nope! My doctor was actually surprised to see that I had already started making progress seeing that Paisley is "a little small" so I'll take it!
• Also blowing my mind...the next time we see our baby girl she won't be black and white dots on an ultrasound screen...she will be a real life, breathing, pink baby girl in our arms and I absolutely cannot WAIT!! 
• Perhaps I'm oblivious to the world but last week I started taking Epsom salt baths for my bone pain and dang it does that stuff work! I definitely knew it was working, but I guess I didn't realize how well it was working because I ran out yesterday and am totally feeling it today. WHO KNEW?? For ANYONE having pain, whether it's pregnancy-related or not, I highly HIGHLY recommend an Epsom salt bath! 
• I know I said this last week but mine and P's bag is packed! 100% ready to go, with the exception of the stuff I'll need to toss in the day of. The reason I'm saying this again is because tomorrow I'll be posting a "What's in my hospital bag?" type post. I know they're all over the interwebs, but I've received a ton of requests from preglet friends and readers so I hope someone finds it useful!
• My face is really getting round. And so is my butt. I feel like I've definitely "widened" over the past week or so. What a joy! ;)
• Total weight gain so far is right around 27 lbs. and I'm okay with this. I know I'll lose it after the baby comes so until then, I'm trying not to beat myself up over it. After all, I'm pregnant. I'm not going to get ANY skinnier between now and delivery so I'm going to enjoy every single bite and calorie up until then!
• My only fear/anxiety right now is not knowing when any of this is going down. I don't consider myself to be a crazy, type-A planner person, but I mean, bringing a child into this world IS a big deal and it would kind of be nice to have a general idea as to when it's going to happen. Unfortunately, something tells me Paisley will be like "someone I know" and will have a mind of her own when it comes to making her big debut! According to my doctor, at this point, we just wait to see when she wants to come or if I get to 39 weeks and I'm just "done", she said we'll have a different conversation at that point. ;) 
• Someone at work the other day told me "You're waddling! And it's so cute!" Scuse? The last time I checked waddling was only cute on ducks and penguins, which I am not. Thanks?

Overall, I feel good. I feel really good. Some days I'm a little more uncomfortable than others but I know it's just a part of this whole beautiful process and will one day be a distant memory! I am reminded daily of just how incredible the human body is and I just feel incredibly blessed to be able to house a human being in my belly for as long as I have!

And that's all I got for today! I'm off to waddle myself around the office today! ;) Happy hump day party people!

Showered With Love (Round 2)

Last weekend, my sister-in-law and nine of our closet friends and family member threw us, quite possibly, the most adorable baby shower to ever exist in the land of baby showers. My first shower was all of my closest girlfriends, so the guests at this shower was all family and long-time family friends.

The food was excellent. The cake was perfection. The decor was nothing short of amazing. And the guests were so loving and supportive of our sweet baby girl!

The shower theme was the perfect combination of Texas mixed with paislies, mixed with pink & green (Delta Zeta) and lets just say these ladies did not leave out a single detail! The minute I walked in I became instantly obsessed with every single little piece of decor! You'll see why! :)

Needless to say, (and obviously stated from the above photo), Paisley is one incredibly lucky and loved baby girl already!! We got so many essential items we've been needing and left feeling nothing short of blessed!

I'd be lying if I said I got home and didn't automatically start organizing everything! ;) Nesting at its finest, people.