tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55409156926404612522024-03-26T23:38:26.623-07:00benchmarks and babiesa journey of FAITH, GRACE, and HOPEAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-53784800487885384962013-09-30T08:56:00.002-07:002013-09-30T08:56:36.627-07:00I haven't blogged in so long that Blogger logged me out.<br />
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For the first 12 months of my daughter's life, I was the one who got up with her at night (yes, I've been <strike>cursed</strike> blessed to have what seems to be the only 14 month old in the world who doesn't sleep soundly through the night). After much argument and complaining, my husband is now the person who does so, and somehow (are you wearing your thunder vest?) <em>I have lost the ability to hear my daughter in the middle of the night</em>. Yes, the monitor is on MY nightstand, and the volume is set to the highest, but somehow, I still wake up in the morning having to ask my husband how many times she got up during the night. </div>
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Every so often since this late night switcheroo, I feel guilt about him getting up with her several times and then having to be the one to get up with her in the morning and do the breakfast routine before he goes to work. (In my defense, he is, after all, the early riser between the two of us. And I am the one who stays home all day with the risk of busting my eardrums from exposure to this little girl who has, in recent weeks, discovered her own signature high pitched scream)</div>
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So the past couple of days, I've groggily woken up at 6am to brave loss of hearing (or limb, on her more rabid days) and sanity and had my husband sleep in, even just for a few extra minutes.</div>
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I'm exhausted, and the skin around my eyes is still taut from the sleep that I barely watered down upon getting up this morning. How do people get up this early all the time?</div>
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When this kid goes down for her nap, you bet your sweet bottom, I'm going back to bed.</div>
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-24932995945450435692013-03-18T16:17:00.000-07:002013-03-18T16:23:45.808-07:00How to Get Great Holiday Pictures<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I was texting with a friend of mine earlier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">She is one of those friends I go to when I am in dire need of a laugh. A fellow newer mom, she is the kind of friend I can make inappropriate jokes with, whether it is about pregnancy, motherhood, or people we once {or still} knew from high school or years prior.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Today she asked me how it was that I am able to get such "perfect" photos of Camden for holidays and such. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I smirked a little. I can see how she {and many of my other Facebook friends} can assume this. The pictures I post or mail from holidays do give a "pretty" -- albeit unrealistic -- impression of our photo-taking process. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But how do I explain that "perfect" is just smoke, mirrors, and a whole lot of self embarrassment? My child, as wonderful and adorable as she is {sorry, I'm her mom. I have to double up on the positive adjectives}, is far from perfect. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Still, being a two-year veteran in the mall-Santa scene and having this as a turnout, I can see Kacey's twisted humor in asking. {Don't worry, I have her full permission to use this. It's in WRITING on my text messages, Kace! In writing!}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I get it. These two girls are seriously some of my favorite children in the world. They are funny and are ridiculously gorgeous, but I get Kacey's dilemma. She and I are one and the same in our vanity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So, here you go: A step-by-step on how to get your little one to cooperate for his / her holiday photo sessions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Step 1</u>: <b>Location, location, location</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Google images search each mall and its corresponding Easter Bunny</b>. For Cam's Easter photo this year, for example, I did a Google Image search of Easter Bunny pictures from all malls I considered taking her. Not only did I want to have a good environment to take my little girl for an outing, I very selfishly wanted to put my mind at ease that we wouldn't arrive at the Easter Bunny set to find a rabid looking rodent from generations past. Exhibit A:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{<a href="http://www.popthomology.com/2012/04/photos-25-scary-easter-bunnies-of-past.html">source</a>}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Side note: As a result of my research, I have found that most malls {or rather,<i> </i>the <i>more ideal</i> malls in our area} seem to have gotten all their Easter Bunny costumes from the same manufacturer. This made my choice obvious: Screw what the Easter Bunny looks like; just go to a mall where I can do the most damage -- I mean, where I can do the best shopping. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Step 2</u>: <b>Timing is everything.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Remember these words: After nap, before lunch.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We decided to take an almost two-hour trek to Fashion Island in Newport Beach, near our old home, to get the Easter Bunny photo done. It wasn't only an excuse to hang out near our old digs, but we made it a lunch date with some of our dear friends in the area. My friend Amy is one of Camden's godmothers, and we have made it a tradition to get Cam's and her daughter, Olivia's, holiday photos done together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I digress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">With the two hour drive, I knew that a nap would be key with Camden, so I made sure not to give her any of her bottle before we left the house so that she would be hungry on the road. That way, she drank a babba early in the drive, napped for the majority of it, and by the time we pulled into our parking spot at Fashion Island, she was groggily waking from a bumpy-freeway-induced slumber. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Woozy, she was able to wake up a little bit more during our walk from the car to the middle of the mall to meet the Bunny. We were smart to have the girls take their pictures <i>before</i> lunch, as after lunch would have resulted in my child having remnants of chunks and smears of arrowroot cookie on her face and grease from <i>pommes frites</i> on her entire hands, courtesy of Brasserie Pascal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><u>Step 3</u>: Don't say you weren't warned.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Warn photographer that your child WILL cry as soon as you set her down on said Bunny's lap, and that photographer should just snap pictures as quickly as possible before meltdown happens.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As sweet and bubbly as she is at home, this little girl's personality is described by three words: slow to warm. You come at her too quickly, she will melt down into a loud, crying, and sometimes drool dripping mess. She has to see you for a while, look at you, give you that mean muggin' stare, burn holes through your soul, and then maybe, just maybe, you can come near her. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Exhibit B: My child during her first time at the Pumpkin Patch:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Having learned my lesson from the Pumpkin Patch Incident, I did the same as what I did when she went to see Santa at South Coast Plaza a few months ago, I walked into Bunny's cottage and forewarned both photographer and the bunny of what could occur.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">{Just like with Santa, she didn't melt down, which was a welcome surprise, but I assume, just a lucky one.}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">Step 4</u>: <b>Bite the bullet.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Buy the entire flash drive and copyright of all pictures so you can wittle it down to the most acceptable image you can print / post. </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4mHyLOcRWc5LTrgFFKN72S-VUQXl5phxZxxEl12nRwKGBiGL9dOjN7MSMEAfiRnmXDXLRAhT0tPKnlEEdYKNBSm7nfrJipb-ww7OwB-yID5FCggRx9iM_rPeszB6G-tRvS6eFxpXYuw/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4mHyLOcRWc5LTrgFFKN72S-VUQXl5phxZxxEl12nRwKGBiGL9dOjN7MSMEAfiRnmXDXLRAhT0tPKnlEEdYKNBSm7nfrJipb-ww7OwB-yID5FCggRx9iM_rPeszB6G-tRvS6eFxpXYuw/s400/Image.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It's like fishing with a rod versus a net. Buy 'em all, choose the one where your child looks the least like a slumped and hungry Winston Churchill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><u>Step 5</u>: Bite the bullet once more.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Apologize profusely to your husband for overspending on holiday pictures.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Again.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It ain't cheap. It ain't clean. It ain't easy. But in the end, your vanity will prevail.</span></div>
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Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-16209154526696407802013-01-20T10:46:00.000-08:002013-01-20T10:50:19.243-08:00Keeping Up With Camden: 6 Months!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fBrZVmHoz5kG090WENM1rOgkeu1_8olG5eIEZIGqVXxuq5Zwan6M2DDYcznQEuL2FAljIH8bfW7ZqnAbxPdZv1Q-wqhUNxj3OvBGkl6xUT0i_J7S82b0ORmN0ekJR7RIQ1bjYLltlZs/s1600/DSC_1441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fBrZVmHoz5kG090WENM1rOgkeu1_8olG5eIEZIGqVXxuq5Zwan6M2DDYcznQEuL2FAljIH8bfW7ZqnAbxPdZv1Q-wqhUNxj3OvBGkl6xUT0i_J7S82b0ORmN0ekJR7RIQ1bjYLltlZs/s640/DSC_1441.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Height</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{to be updated after her 6 month checkup}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{to be updated after her 6 month checkup . . . although I would venture to guess that she is about 18+ pounds now} </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Milestones</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">* We think that someone will be talking pretty early. Cam has been practicing her sounds all the time. All she wants to do is talk, talk, talk!</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxFBoPuYDBkVjf8yHNydDzC6LafCUNQgUqR72KhWmB9HBS2rDCdIFXtXiIDEPsoC_GUFtkQYssRjLKUv7ZoAw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Although she has been sitting up already, it's pretty cool to see her improvements in stability. I would say that almost daily, you could tell how her muscles are getting stronger, not just in sitting up, but in standing too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #414141;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">* Our big girl is quite the food connoisseur too. I know it's pushing the limit, but aside from her baby food, she also LOVES ice cream and creme brûlée, which I have allowed her a few bites of every so often.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #414141;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">* One of my favorite things she has learned is how to raise her arms up when she wants to be picked up. Now, when I ask her "uppie?" she raises her arms and squirms around. Also, she starts to lean and raise her arms towards J or me or my mom now when she wants to go with that particular person. So sweet!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Notable Events</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">* Camden's first trip to Big Bear: Our dear friends, the Simpsons, {NOT the cartoons} invited us to go on an overnight trip to the frigid mountain town. There was no snow yet, but we had a wonderful time doing "our" Christmas with them, with the dads went off-roading for a few hours while we mommies napped with our little ones in the afternoon, then in the evening, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Camden and their daughter, Olivia, exchanging Christmas presents, cuddled by the fire.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWj19QhTDUEBUNO8JY6tjHVreg525VeOMQRzMWEef6aH7VGUVb3uOKukIenhxjCVT5knmhC2fYe7H8nfhu51GxG5fFNPIhgHYhAMkj7jVSlUGFu8uCD59atrL78DOCdRVSp5UGP3vT194/s1600/DSC_1204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWj19QhTDUEBUNO8JY6tjHVreg525VeOMQRzMWEef6aH7VGUVb3uOKukIenhxjCVT5knmhC2fYe7H8nfhu51GxG5fFNPIhgHYhAMkj7jVSlUGFu8uCD59atrL78DOCdRVSp5UGP3vT194/s640/DSC_1204.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Camden's first Christmas! Like most families, our Christmas season consists of several events. This year, Camden went to her first Bench Christmas, which we celebrate with J's dad's side of the family every December 23rd. It is a tradition that has been upheld in his family for generations. One of the biggest parts of it is the opening of presents, which is done one person at a time, in age order from youngest to oldest. This year, Camden was able to open her presents first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Following Bench Christmas, we took Camden on her first road trip to Northern California to spend her first actual Christmas there. J's aunt, uncle, and cousins live in the East Bay area, and we spent 5 wonderful days with them, celebrating Christmas, eating, and relaxing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuppZ_TdLJhSrDaTQI28d2UOTfruGKYcYdKyCBrQKVs1ugjhOBUywU4yjgxqNx2FrsKEIZ-Ex66z1Z5SXFi52l7_zexx5ydGq8ewWHc0FMvuCm1Syij0EIfksaVJ-lmN4RvjIT1jGcIE/s1600/DSC_1430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuppZ_TdLJhSrDaTQI28d2UOTfruGKYcYdKyCBrQKVs1ugjhOBUywU4yjgxqNx2FrsKEIZ-Ex66z1Z5SXFi52l7_zexx5ydGq8ewWHc0FMvuCm1Syij0EIfksaVJ-lmN4RvjIT1jGcIE/s640/DSC_1430.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Camden left a note for Santa on Christmas Eve. She tried to stay up and wait for him by the Christmas tree, but she didn't last too long and fell asleep.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy-UrEU5I8RKBKJsrcSkjGCISIFnb4RlbTcE9TI3gQRS5V6OnmxE5KnyiVFzsVJxjuNCXtdTUx4at2FUMc4ukvzpZgh24ypqlzP_dWfwb1NPyVVr67c3nFslkbbOQHl_YdWMCnd9xzx4/s1600/DSC_1329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixy-UrEU5I8RKBKJsrcSkjGCISIFnb4RlbTcE9TI3gQRS5V6OnmxE5KnyiVFzsVJxjuNCXtdTUx4at2FUMc4ukvzpZgh24ypqlzP_dWfwb1NPyVVr67c3nFslkbbOQHl_YdWMCnd9xzx4/s640/DSC_1329.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* O</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: justify;">n our last full day, J, Camden, and I headed off to San Francisco to eat and take pictures for Cam's first trip.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; text-align: justify;">Little City Girl is bundled up and ready to take on SF!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiZ6OvLYCCJoiezYAGVMUCAEkJBY7gck_N_NbcyxHqN435Wi0Ug3Q3DrntTBsjhcaCvlXvTokN7pOQt_sVPeCquywhv6akYrVX5eVtbaeLHD0PkhBm-eGDTmhUQtbTUniUFLCnHLa9rg/s1600/photo+1-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiZ6OvLYCCJoiezYAGVMUCAEkJBY7gck_N_NbcyxHqN435Wi0Ug3Q3DrntTBsjhcaCvlXvTokN7pOQt_sVPeCquywhv6akYrVX5eVtbaeLHD0PkhBm-eGDTmhUQtbTUniUFLCnHLa9rg/s640/photo+1-4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Here is our little fromagier at one of our favorite stores in the Ferry Building, Cowgirl Creamery.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Although she was tired by the time we got to the Golden Gate Bridge, she still obliged and was ready for some pictures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* The Big Move: We found out at the beginning of December that J was getting a promotion within the company, and we were asked to move temporarily to Lancaster, the city where his company's corporate office is, and is where I grew up and where J and I met. The move was quite the culture shock, as it is worlds different from our life in Orange County, but we are slowly adjusting to our new digs and our new surroundings. It was definitely very difficult to say goodbye to our neighbors and friends in Orange County, but we know we are only 2 hours away, and we will visit them and vice versa. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We are, however, completely thankful for this move. While it was the most difficult decision to leave our life in OC, it was the best decision for us. Being in Lancaster allows us to be closer to our families and we also still have lots of friends here. We will be able to save more money, and the house we got is literally twice the size of our house in OC. Not many people are given the opportunity to be able to regroup their lives, but we were, and I am so grateful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Personality Revealed: Our Quirky Little Girl</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">* Camden, from the time she was in utero, has always responded well to music. While she still likes "Spin Around" by the Fresh Beats Band, she has gone back to her original roots of loving Van Morrison. When I was pregnant with her, I played Van Morrison for her and I have a video of her kicking to it. On her first night home from the hospital, I played her "Crazy Love" and her eyes got bigger and she looked around as if looking for where that familiar music was coming from. Now, at six months, she still loves Van Morrison. We play her "Crazy Love", "Into the Mystic", or "These Are The Days" and immediately, she calms down. and relaxes. Similarly, she now does the same when I sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to her. I sing that to her when she is relaxing on my lap before bed, or to stop her from squirming when I am cleaning her ears and nose after her baths, and almost immediately, she smiles and just lays there listening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">* Camden is also now discovering her consonants. She loves "talking" and spends hours a day yelling and talking as she plays. She loves making sounds using our fingers on her mouth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Now that the holidays are over, and the stress of the big move is slowly dwindling, both J and I are able to take a step back and look at how much our little girl is growing up. I, for one, have dreamt of doing a first Christmas for my own child, and I was able to enjoy that with her this past month. Despite an unusually stressful holiday season, we were able to give her the kind of holiday that we dreamt of for her. Just like her, it was perfect, and we could not be more thankful.</span></div>
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<br />Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-35428662448985314152012-12-19T12:38:00.002-08:002012-12-19T12:38:43.356-08:00Pay It Forward<div style="text-align: center;">
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Visit NBCNews.com for <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; color: #5799DB !important; font-weight: normal !important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none !important;">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; color: #5799DB !important; font-weight: normal !important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; color: #5799DB !important; font-weight: normal !important; height: 13px; text-decoration: none !important;">news about the economy</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As a mother, I am deeply affected by the tragedy that occurred last Friday in Newtown, CT. I have found myself reading every article, watching news clips about the victims' and their families, and shedding tears for their pain and sorrow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Much like the rest of the country {or really, the world}, I mourn these losses and am beside myself. I remember that day, Camden was in rough shape. My stubborn little girl refused to nap all day, and gave me one of her most difficult days. And still, despite the whining and tears, I had my little girl to hold. Being a mother who lost daughters only 20 short months ago, I almost feel guilty, that I have this little girl who is about to celebrate her first Christmas, and there are families in Connecticut who now cannot even fathom celebrating theirs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I had made plans to send a letter to Sandy Hook Elementary, perhaps send a donation, but no idea has struck me the way the video above has. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">26 acts of kindness. It is a simple concept that seems so fitting, not only in light of the Connecticut tragedy, but also because it is Christmas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">My family is very busy this Christmas. On top of the usual family gatherings to prepare for, presents to buy, Christmas cookies to bake, we are preparing to go on vacation to Northern California for a week, and we are also in the process of packing up our house and moving. However, this is something I want to make a point of doing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I make this promise today and it is something I would like to continue with Camden as she grows up. 26 Random Acts of Kindness. This year, I am starting it today. It was said best in the card in the video: How do you fight evil in the world? This is my own personal solution.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I urge every one you as well, in these last few days before Christmas, or even before the New Year, to conduct these random acts. They don't have to be big. They don't have to be broadcasted. Just do it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Benchmarks and Babies was started because I wanted to share my husband's and my experience in bringing life into this world. In these past two years, the blog has transformed into so much more -- a place to pour out frustrations and heartaches, a countdown, and a place for celebrating life, love, and family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We honor and remember those fallen victims and their families. What better place to start than here. What better time to start than now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Pass it on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">26 Acts.</span></div>
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-84434848997959318502012-12-13T15:07:00.000-08:002012-12-13T15:08:12.301-08:00Keeping Up With Camden: 5 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After the last post, we went to her doctor's appointment and found out {i LOVE being right} that she was 15.25 lbs. That was in the beginning of November. My guess is that now she is about 17 lbs. This kid is a major chunk. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* There is a little girl who, while she refuses to roll over, has been sitting up pretty much on her own. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Camden has also been eating baby food! {hooray!} Dr. Medina preferred that we wait until she was closer to 6 months, but honestly, we couldn't wait, and I think neither could Cam. She absolutely loves, loves, loves her baby food. The food we've chosen for her is by <a href="http://www.ellaskitchen.com/">Ella's Kitchen</a>, which is an organic baby food company that offers not only single item foods {i.e. First Sweet Potatoes, First Pears} but combinations of different fruits and vegetables. We feel that this will help Camden, by not only providing her with so much nutrition from different sources, but by exposing her palette to different tastes. We want a worldly eater for a little girl, and we feel that Ella's Kitchen will help us shape her into that.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.ellaskitchen.com/buy-now/">{ source }</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Our little social butterfly has also become such a talker and quite a little dancer. She does this squirm-dance that is so adorable and she normally does so when she is laughing and "talking" to us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Notable Events</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Camden's first Thanksgiving! I have to admit that at first, I felt a little guilty because this is the first year in seven years that I didn't cook a Thanksgiving meal. Normally my Thanksgiving cooking involves 3 days of active prep and about 8-10 hours of cooking on the day itself. It is exhausting, but I absolutely LIVE for this holiday. This year, however, J and I decided that I needed to take a rest. After all, I <u style="font-style: italic;">am</u> taking care of a 4 1/2 month old. So this year, we decided to go out to eat instead. J and I made early reservations at Maggiano's, and I have to say, it was the best idea ever. We've eaten at Maggiano's countless times just for regular dinner, but have never done Thanksgiving there. We loved the experience so much that we think we may even go there again next year. It was such a nice, stressless Thanksgiving for us . . . and we still had leftovers afterwards! Camden, the our nosy little bugger, loved Maggiano's. She sat with me on my lap and looked around at all the people {all the while unknowingly drawing attention to her and her gigantic turkey beanie bow that I made for her, of course!} and when she was done doing that {and sampling the whipped cream from Mommy's dessert}, she went back into her car seat and slept! It is fairly obvious who J and I were most thankful for this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* With the holidays fast approaching, Camden has had her fair share of shopping excursions. From a few trips with one of her godmothers, my dear friend Amy, to our friends {my former bosses}, the Gustave family, or just trips with Mommy, Daddy, or both, this little girl has seen her fair share of spending. On top of that, she had her first experience of Black Friday shopping!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Though she is not a stranger to the camera {the phone kind and the professional kind}, Camden joined us for our first family Christmas photos, done by our dear friend Carla of <a href="http://www.carlag-designandphotography.com/">Carla G. Design and Photography</a>. Carla is the wife of one of J's very best friends from childhood {and one of our groomsmen at the wedding}, Tim. J and Tim are like brothers, and Carla, who is just starting her photography business and has done so well already, especially this holiday season. Our sweet girl did so well for the photos, braving a cold fall afternoon and not crying one bit during our session. We are so happy with the way the photos turned out!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Our favorite: Santa's best present!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Since we were having our pictures taken in Downtown San Juan Capistrano, where we had our <a href="http://www.adriennegundeblog.com/2009/11/san-juan-capistrano-engagement-photography/">engagement photos</a> done {by the insatiable Adrienne Gunde}, we decided to recreate some of the same poses from then, but this time, of course, have our sweet Camden with us. I think they turned out fabulously!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Camden's first visit to the LA Auto Show... Last year, when I was only 7 weeks pregnant with Camden, I won two tickets to attend the Auto Show. It was my first time ever going, and J and I were so excited to have won the tickets. This year, I joined the same giveaway {through Yokohama Tires, a huge sponsor of the event} and won 4 tickets! We asked our friends, the <a href="http://lowdownonthelowreys.blogspot.com/">Lowrey</a> family to come along with us, as they have two little girls as well, and their flexible work schedules allow for them to take a weekday off and go with us {last year, we found going on a weekend to be too hectic; we couldn't imagine doing that again this year, especially having an 18-, 8-, and 5-month old with us}. We had a wonderful time and even got to introduce them to one of our favorite restaurants in Little Tokyo. We love the interaction between Camden and the two Lowrey girls, Coley and Dylan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* First visit with Santa: My friend Amy {one of Camden's godmothers} and I decided that we wanted to start a tradition of having our girls take their Santa pictures together every year. Her daughter, Olivia, 5, is very close to us, and we want Camden and Olivia to have this tradition to look forward to every year. So we decided to take the girls to see Santa in the Crystal Court at South Coast Plaza. I was a little concerned at first, as Cam has been going through a very clingy phase, where she does not let ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE, except for me or J hold her. I warned Santa's elves to take the picture as soon as I put her down on his lap, because it wouldn't take long for her to melt down. I was so happy to be proven wrong! Not only did Cam not cry at all with Santa, she also sat there and at least somewhat focused on us and the camera while her picture was being taken! So proud of my girl!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Camden's first Ugly Christmas Sweater Party: Our neighbors {and friends} Andrew and Kali invited us to their annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party this year. Although children weren't allowed, they made concessions for their friends who had babies. Camden got to wear a hideous little gem that I found at a kids consignment store and embellished with more gems and tacky snowflakes. She didn't win the Ugliest Sweater award, but we are proud to say that Daddy got 2nd place!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* We stayed local during most of her 4th month. She did, however, have her share of new places in town visited for the first time: Maggiano's, South Coast Plaza, Slapfish Restaurant in Huntington Beach, to name a few. I think we decided to stay in town this month because we knew that we would be traveling a lot during the holidays and wanted to not get our little girl wasted prior to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Personality Revealed: Our Quirky Little Girl</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Tech-Savvy Baby: I guess it should be expected out of all babies and toddlers in this day and age. Camden loves anything that involves technology -- iPhones, light up toys, laptops, and even the remote control. Many times, we have had to keep one of those items in front of her to keep her happy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* The Whine-Cry: It's the new crying . . . Cam has truly discovered her lungs. In this past month, she has taken to her new hobby: Yelling. She yells just for fun and when she wants to make noise but doesn't want to yell, she does a puppy-like whimper/whine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Little Lady: I don't know where she gets it, but J and I have noticed that this little girl likes to sit and have her legs crossed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Someone has discovered her thumb! Before she was born, I refused to buy a pacifier for her. I didn't want her to be attached to this bink. That was until after her first night at home. The next morning, I sent J to the store to purchase a bink for her. I figured, you could take away the bink but not the thumb, and as an avid thumbsucker until the age of 10, I wanted the total opposite for my daughter. Especially now that she is teething heavily, it brings her comfort and she gnaws on her little thumb happily.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* New favorite song: I am a firm believer in NOT allowing young children to be glued to the TV. I've seen other people's children who cannot even hold a conversation with adults when there is a TV, let alone a computer, in the room, and J and I would like our little girl to have a little bit more social graces than that, so we limit her TV exposure to about 15-30 minutes a day. Why 15 minutes? Because when J goes to work in the morning, Mommy needs a few minutes to wash her face, go potty, brush her teeth, and put herself together to be a little bit presentable, and keeping Cam on her post on our bed in front of Nick Jr. for a few minutes becomes a necessity. At any rate, her exposure to Nick Jr. has introduced her to the <a href="http://www.nickjr.com/the-fresh-beat-band/">Fresh Beat Band</a>. Being a little girl who absolutely LOVES music, she is mesmerized by the colors and the songs on this show. One of them is a song called "Spin Around". Whatever I am doing, when "Spin Around" comes on, I go over to Cam's spot and I dance with her for the few minutes that the song is on, and she totally enjoys it. She loves the song so much that I downloaded it on iTunes and I know that when we play it for her and do a little dance with her, she lights up and giggles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Another giggly time: Bedtime. I admit that there are many days when bedtime is signaled by a bald and cranky baby rubbing her eyes and doing her whine-cry. There are, however, most days when our signal for sleepy time is a room full of giggles from our 5 month old. She gets herself so deliriously tired that she just giggles at anything and everything as we are putting her to bed. It feels like a cheat sometimes, but I try to take advantage of those precious few minutes as much as possible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As Camden's first Christmas is coming, I am filled with so much excitement, anticipation, and a little bit of disbelief that I get to celebrate it with this perfect little girl. We are so blessed to have her and thank God daily for bringing Hope into our lives through her.</span></div>
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-4901920537875161142012-11-12T21:24:00.000-08:002012-11-13T00:54:25.631-08:00Keeping up with Camden: 4 months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Height</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">26 inches </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">At her last doctor's appointment {two months ago}, she was 12 pounds. Whenever J and I lift her up, we always comment on how heavy she is now. Our guess is that our little chunk is now 15-17 pounds. We will find out this Wednesday. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Milestones</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Sat on the Bumbo for the first time. She likes it, but doesn't quite get it yet, that she's got this cool tray to put her toys on and play on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">* Sitting up {with some help} on her own. She still has the tendency to lean forward, but she's definitely working it!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_HP5alAQqqmiBR70HA2eKqjpUjklQrcO6umnym9P7wOYTb256LirsVQEbXNVq8YfJFbScJYiiVbJRpKUcg0RA9kzNWs133upNeki9CTARQmXTa0Z41QKqfWgiyj05hW0XTx61dz5Bbw/s1600/DSC_1119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_HP5alAQqqmiBR70HA2eKqjpUjklQrcO6umnym9P7wOYTb256LirsVQEbXNVq8YfJFbScJYiiVbJRpKUcg0RA9kzNWs133upNeki9CTARQmXTa0Z41QKqfWgiyj05hW0XTx61dz5Bbw/s640/DSC_1119.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* First REAL long laugh! On Mommy's birthday, she gave me the BEST present! Since then, she has been laughing so much and it has been so wonderful to be able to make our little girl giggle. What an amazing sound. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Notable Events</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* First Halloween Party: The Mathis Halloween Party</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Tried cotton candy for the first time and LOVED it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">* Three (yes, THREE) trips to the pumpkin patch! She melted down the first time as Mommy and Daddy didn't plan it too well around her naptime. If you ask me, I think it was because we placed her in costume very haphazardly {so as to make it as quick as possible} in a pile of pumpkins and she was so discomforted by it that it led to a meltdown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The second time, we planned it so well -- we went early to meet up with our friends, put her in costume for a few quick pictures, and changed her </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">into street clothes quickly after. Ahh, success.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The third time was a trip to Tanaka Farms, a local working farm, with our friends Melanie and her two sweet girls, Makenna and Kamryn. Camden loved it so much she... uhhh... fell asleep ;-) This was also her first playdate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Baby's first Halloween! By the time Halloween came around, she was so used to wearing her costume {we had had 4 different occasions when she had to wear it prior to the actual holiday} that it was a piece of cake for her. Our neighborhood had a party, and we had our friends Steve & Melanie come with Makenna and Kamryn and we all trick-or-treated together. Well, the babies stayed in their strollers, and Mommy and Makenna walked up to the doors to gather loot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Camden was there for the first time to celebrate Mommy's birthday. {NOT gonna share how old. Let's just say this is the last birthday I will want to acknowledge.} The Saturday prior to my birthday, we went out with my mom and brother to dinner at one of J's and my favorite restaurants, Cucina Enoteca, and on the actual day itself {Tuesday}, we had a casual dinner with our neighborhood friends at a local pizza place, Selma's. Through both dinners, Cam did not want to be in her seat -- she HAD to be in my lap, sitting up the whole time, so that she can socialize and be part of the group. Any and all meals have been the same ever since.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Meltdown City: Camden met some relatives from my side of the family who were visiting from the Philippines. I'm pretty sure this little turd was too overwhelmed and was in meltdown mode THE.ENTIRE.TIME. It was so much that we had to leave early, and the combination of the car ride and her exhaustion from spending hours wailing on and off knocked her out within three minutes of leaving the party.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>New places visited</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Kaiser Hospital - Daddy's gall bladder removal surgery - I guess it wasn't really "new" to her, as she was born there, but it was her first time as a visitor. I have to say, Camden was <i>such</i> a good baby. She was quiet, well behaved, and she self-entertained most of the time. She only got cranky when it was naptime, during which time I put her in her carseat {on her stroller}, put the canopy down, and she fell right to sleep. This poor sweet girl was dragged around so much in those two days and her schedule was so thrown off, but it was like she knew she had to be a big girl, and gave us the best version of herself possible.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgCQRYEtfDeIV35tZeHeF5cRfwJQCcZjVCWR86UV0gLFHA3Ay8HirBIup8PZSdp-9qJtVNqY7k2drLRz8wpf5pIwz22cuKMhlqej1MjoZfkQseB-nL5pdLwvd4y3M545vOybCsNlJopo/s1600/IMG_3615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgCQRYEtfDeIV35tZeHeF5cRfwJQCcZjVCWR86UV0gLFHA3Ay8HirBIup8PZSdp-9qJtVNqY7k2drLRz8wpf5pIwz22cuKMhlqej1MjoZfkQseB-nL5pdLwvd4y3M545vOybCsNlJopo/s640/IMG_3615.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* When my former boss / our dear family friend, Tina, had to get surgery at the UC Irvine Medical Center, Camden and I were among her many visitors. By this time, Cam was an expert hospital visitor. She kept her Thea Tina smiling and just sat quietly and watched TV with her. We also visited Tina when she came home to recover.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">* Camden went with us to my informal high school reunion and the Homecoming football game that followed. While the high school reunion was a bust {only 6 of my graduating class of 162 showed up}, it was actually fun because those of us who were there all had kids ages 3 and under, with one on the way. We all were able to relate with each other on kid meltdowns, feeding babies, and we all even valeted our strollers one behind the other in the large football stadium. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUszOpXAm-MEXN8syCQtWe782RvIo9kc_NnnXIglYwmCE8IFNt7LUDfkWIrsNcNX8nWDa64F6DEwx-K7x-lUky0Cw1UNynp_gV5YBSJo60A_Gbz1I1TiaZMQTkWBZnQtTKsTsCTbOF_WM/s1600/IMG_3720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUszOpXAm-MEXN8syCQtWe782RvIo9kc_NnnXIglYwmCE8IFNt7LUDfkWIrsNcNX8nWDa64F6DEwx-K7x-lUky0Cw1UNynp_gV5YBSJo60A_Gbz1I1TiaZMQTkWBZnQtTKsTsCTbOF_WM/s640/IMG_3720.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Personality Revealed: Our Quirky Girl</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Cam is such a creature of habit. She likes her routine so much that she freaks out when she's thrown off and takes a day {or more} just to recover. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* We tried to have her sleep in her own room as soon as she turned 3 months, but we have found that {a} she really likes to sleep with a warm body next to {or at least, within arm's reach from} her and {b} she isn't completely sleeping through the night yet, and in the interest of getting any sleep at all, it's best to keep her in her co-sleeper in our room until she can sleep through the night. In the early hours of the morning, we move her to our bed so we can have a few hours of cuddling, and this is where she seems most comfortable. I figure, why rush it? She won't be this small and cuddly forever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* When she wakes up every morning, her favorite thing to do is "talk" to Daddy. She coos and makes all sort of extremely loud sounds as her Daddy talks to her. She loves it, and of course, so do we.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwu1jzxpRyFzp4xCzvukPbCtGNjUBsoEjHte4NRL1kxP9_ITvkbJTHcVmV10T82ApRS-NjtqPhILgqLyzqVCQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Another favorite of hers is slow dancing with Daddy. She cuddles with her dad like no other. On weekend mornings, J lets me sleep in and takes her into the family room to watch {gulp!} The Military Channel with him, and they spend a lot of time slow dancing together. It's the sweetest thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* This silly little girl likes to have the blanket over her face to go to sleep. I understand the sighs of disdain coming from many of you. Yes, she uses a blanket because it's the only way she sleeps. When I rock her to sleep, she lays across my lap facing me on her Boppy and I have to either cover her entire head by a blanket {which I remove later on} or with my hand covering her eyes. I'm tempted to make her a baby eye mask.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAlX1zQ8KrFO_ajfFl1DlmMS89_WiZ91cNKlVujmreT62yB6Ih6-c5UeEfwovBZxHUjpR9D3dp10izr8zBuFwHbWHntKsJQmbp0ZzGX5SIuXNnGYUtq19vvsJvgC8xnAOri-1hZ7uMXg/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGAlX1zQ8KrFO_ajfFl1DlmMS89_WiZ91cNKlVujmreT62yB6Ih6-c5UeEfwovBZxHUjpR9D3dp10izr8zBuFwHbWHntKsJQmbp0ZzGX5SIuXNnGYUtq19vvsJvgC8xnAOri-1hZ7uMXg/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* She is starting to understand the concept of peek-a-boo. She loves to play it and just laughs so loud when we do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Swim class is going so well! As long as we keep her on a good nap and feeding schedule throughout the day, she is a happy camper at swim class. She knows to hold her breath when she is dunked underwater and is worlds braver when we do back floats. I'm pretty sure her favorite part of class is doing the back float while we sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">* Favorite thing ever: her swing. There have been a handful of times when she would be so fussy and can't just figure out that she is, in fact, sleepy and that she shouldn't fight it, so she gets cranky, so we put her in her swing with her lovey over her eyes and BOOM! within 30 seconds {no joke} she's out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">How is it possible that this sweet little baby is now 4 months old? As the days go by, I realize more and more the truth to everyone saying "It goes by so fast". It does. So many times, I want to freeze time and just be with her like this, cuddled up in our bed on a cold and rainy day. The truth of the matter is that being a mom has been the sweetest, most rewarding thing I have ever done, and this little blessing that is currently so cuddled up next to me that I am almost out of room in our Cal-king sized bed, is the best thing that's ever happened to J and me. </span></div>
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-79457921653798528002012-10-19T01:50:00.001-07:002012-10-19T01:50:31.199-07:00Catching Up<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I have told myself practically every other day since Camden was born that I need to write a blog post. Every week, I have made a promise to myself to do so, and every week, I have failed. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Obviously, it isn't because I don't want to write about her, or share my experiences as a first time mom, but in my precious few moments of alone time, I either sleep or {yes, I admit it} scour the Internet for ideas for her: Christmas presents, questions that I have about parenting, and yes, ideas for her 1st birthday party that I have been planning since I was 7 months pregnant with her. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Such is the life of a first time mom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">And then I came across an article today that reminded me of something. Despite filling my iPhone to beyond capacity with pictures of her and even my 365 Days of Camden series on both Facebook and Instagram (<i>#365daysofcamden</i>), I have been doing her a bit of disservice because I haven't actually been <i>writing</i> about the little stories everyday, the little nuances and quirks about her that we've discovered, and the funny little anecdotes that shaped our days in the past 14 weeks of her life. I realized, too, that I found it hard to post more because unlike the writing during my <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/search/label/Pregnancy%20Week%20by%20Week">baby belly picture project</a> or the daily requirement of my <i>#365DaysOfCamden</i> picture project, regular posts here and there don't require the same commitment or accountability. People knew that every Monday during my pregnancy, I had a post. People know that everyday, there is a new photo on Instagram and Facebook. I have to hold myself responsible, if not for myself, for Cam. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hence the birth of my new monthly series {yet to be named}. I want to document Cam's growth and progress and her personality development and what better way than the blog?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Being that I am already three months behind, here are some highlights from the past 3 months:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><u>MONTH 1 RECAP</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Welcome Cam! We got home 2 days after she was born. She spent her second day at home celebrating Daddy's birthday. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdrqr3fYbPOUkJAJGtB9ZLkKwprFSfRFW2Oq1wjVF3UpLLN9iIzhuQlILitkjs0FWk3a99YnEYwkn_yQtCr94xjXgh3XVI-pXvFg9jAJKdTBLd3Yu7ferje9AUU55w3IObU_sR22vmms/s1600/dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdrqr3fYbPOUkJAJGtB9ZLkKwprFSfRFW2Oq1wjVF3UpLLN9iIzhuQlILitkjs0FWk3a99YnEYwkn_yQtCr94xjXgh3XVI-pXvFg9jAJKdTBLd3Yu7ferje9AUU55w3IObU_sR22vmms/s320/dad.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We also spent a lot of time watching the Olympics and having visitors. We were able to take her out for some visits to Mommy's old office and to see family friends.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8D0VEQjxAb_ZQhEDo5Pq7wHpzCOVc6keLIsqzJ0Q8SEiXnwPHQLSzQX5OQ4pDIkR4bp0-g-ZeoE0cyZsXStqpfRRmenHHwoLzMfBVA5uJQ_Wg4ZVWqti0_cJhp5ANhL4Z21oebKbLyw/s1600/olivia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8D0VEQjxAb_ZQhEDo5Pq7wHpzCOVc6keLIsqzJ0Q8SEiXnwPHQLSzQX5OQ4pDIkR4bp0-g-ZeoE0cyZsXStqpfRRmenHHwoLzMfBVA5uJQ_Wg4ZVWqti0_cJhp5ANhL4Z21oebKbLyw/s400/olivia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXAbs0DkO8OD2FxitlUraT0BaksgvHeAqiF7uGhVE8agRJHACaCQPI-b8NHFthhHX_0W7eArjtMVrwgGI-1i0yHU4IvyRjvYfCXF3Ry1mhvzRqbbp8N_nEwZMmYnXwj_nohS9ZOe8dkE/s1600/visits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXAbs0DkO8OD2FxitlUraT0BaksgvHeAqiF7uGhVE8agRJHACaCQPI-b8NHFthhHX_0W7eArjtMVrwgGI-1i0yHU4IvyRjvYfCXF3Ry1mhvzRqbbp8N_nEwZMmYnXwj_nohS9ZOe8dkE/s400/visits.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">At 10 days old, she had her first photo shoot. She had her <a href="http://www.stephanienelsonphotography.blogspot.com/2012/07/camden-hope-newborn-shots.html">newborn photos</a> taken by Mommy's friend, Stephanie of <a href="http://www.stephanienelsonphotography.com/">Stephanie Nelson Photography</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoW8BJcTq75t_DhiV-6FOvPM4EJ8-vpy-jS04QCGHyVZnJcpqFvYBX0baBCuBpVLjcfonfyEnmgbszduiae358U0O9TdRbEcFsY7jzoE1pMgdS4VRhMLiJUInavzI1es8dBRdlZ7xypgM/s1600/photo+shoot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoW8BJcTq75t_DhiV-6FOvPM4EJ8-vpy-jS04QCGHyVZnJcpqFvYBX0baBCuBpVLjcfonfyEnmgbszduiae358U0O9TdRbEcFsY7jzoE1pMgdS4VRhMLiJUInavzI1es8dBRdlZ7xypgM/s400/photo+shoot.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Camden was able to go on her first long{er} drive, up to Lancaster to see Daddy's side of the family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Cam also started to smile on request. Mommy started a routine of talking to her every morning and it never failed to make her smile.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb-CTUkRB1Bn934v2JvSzeTRZyZmdtS4-O6gz9NIwO17JwJAv8Q5f9qxEuisx73mHQ4VQodULrwi-sfSnXweJI5GAMT3hu-7qp6YjUz94vHf5nxxkIAvlkvISROieJzZ7IWHErFH_hkg/s1600/smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtb-CTUkRB1Bn934v2JvSzeTRZyZmdtS4-O6gz9NIwO17JwJAv8Q5f9qxEuisx73mHQ4VQodULrwi-sfSnXweJI5GAMT3hu-7qp6YjUz94vHf5nxxkIAvlkvISROieJzZ7IWHErFH_hkg/s400/smile.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Before we knew it, her first month was done!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSUafJk0A3RsVFTc4DivKEhfxAjWqwbBM-dL54DDCBPIU4BTkdQbdVtkz2vkh-aeur4uJ4TMtTrkzhvBwy68w9a9YdeEBR7JgAZAqDrofhlJL2D6OmMe_gdj8d6519TfrIrRaoNxgzz4/s1600/1+month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSUafJk0A3RsVFTc4DivKEhfxAjWqwbBM-dL54DDCBPIU4BTkdQbdVtkz2vkh-aeur4uJ4TMtTrkzhvBwy68w9a9YdeEBR7JgAZAqDrofhlJL2D6OmMe_gdj8d6519TfrIrRaoNxgzz4/s640/1+month.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We started to hit a little bit of colic at 6 weeks. It really only lasted about a week, and in retrospect, it wasn't that bad; however, in the midst of it, I was a delirious and exhausted mamma. I lost sleep trying to figure out how to make our child happy again and there were many times I cried right along with her because I felt bad for her. Still, being the ever pragmatic people J and I are, we fought colic head on. Although I was breastfeeding, we bought several different kinds of formula in one day, all of which were the ones that targeted fussiness, gas, and colic, on top of making sure they were the gentle or soy formulas. We didn't stick with it. Actually, we never even began. We stuck with breastfeeding, and instead, I went on a no dairy diet. I wanted to make sure that she didn't have a lactose intolerance. No dairy didn't make a difference {thank goodness}. We tried long drives, gripe water {greatest stuff EV.ER.}, Hyland's colic tabs, chamomile tea, gas drops, swaddling, long walks in the Baby Bjorn, rocking, shushing, white noise {we downloaded a running water noise that worked like magic}, showers, a warm compress on her belly, and pretty much any and all home remedies that were recommended to us. Sure enough, within about a week or so, we drove the colic out {knock on wood. She's only almost 4 months old now. Not out of the woods yet}.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">At 7 weeks, Cam was baptized. It was very important to both J and me that she get baptized right away. Being Filipino, it was a tradition to not even allow the baby to leave the house before she is baptized. Of course, I broke that rule several times, but pre-baptism, we were definitely much more limited in our outings with her. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3oSW0rGocZWr3gCh8RMA0eU9bT2J2P3TizhBm-pEEAJVsp3tJZpjp3fZVEjB39_A1gG3HQfnf4hi1VH98LTC4a_HOQ3roJNuxuYYmxqRgbFEy12Nx3pq6CcQXJqbwULAwMhBP-1cGUM/s1600/DSC_0865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3oSW0rGocZWr3gCh8RMA0eU9bT2J2P3TizhBm-pEEAJVsp3tJZpjp3fZVEjB39_A1gG3HQfnf4hi1VH98LTC4a_HOQ3roJNuxuYYmxqRgbFEy12Nx3pq6CcQXJqbwULAwMhBP-1cGUM/s640/DSC_0865.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Cam was baptized at the Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano, the same church where J and I got married.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It was also during her second month that she went to her first baby shower {my friend Erin's baby shower for Max}, met Olympic gold medalist {and if you ask my brother, his future wife} Kyla Ross, battled with constipation for the first time, had her first immunization shots {she cried, I cried . . . it was very sad}, and had her first long road trip to Las Vegas!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When Cam was 10 weeks old, we started her on swimming lessons. This little girl is quite a mermaid. She LOVES the water and did so well! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLNhGor_JcIGn_RQeBhVOKcWy4dPyWT24MlJkGPGWb1ITEAUvTqadngk6tty666J7UofnUJS6iz50kBPdKLNpgwn7-1zykCUee0mOmJqahm_sNeHsax4w4NBvNfZ_SIUXwkAP8nHQ1Oc/s1600/DSC_0940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiLNhGor_JcIGn_RQeBhVOKcWy4dPyWT24MlJkGPGWb1ITEAUvTqadngk6tty666J7UofnUJS6iz50kBPdKLNpgwn7-1zykCUee0mOmJqahm_sNeHsax4w4NBvNfZ_SIUXwkAP8nHQ1Oc/s640/DSC_0940.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">She also had her first visits to the Pumpkin Patch. We took her for her first visit on a Wednesday late afternoon. This has been a warm October so we wanted to wait until the cooler part of the afternoon to take her. The poor child melted down so badly. I think she didn't quite understand the puffy costume and why she was being laid down in a pile of big, hard, orange pumpkins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Needless to say, we quickly changed her out of her costume and took advantage of the precious few tearless moments to take our family picture.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8e0RR9sFfdiieYxJ_gg2e7dLGKzgtw6WAVXbhlVTHR6wnO9dOph-c-3tif1z6jG1vkABZxDvExUNVxLgLDlWlnDD5yU4qSJSGfNvrggfhOFIkXd8cDWcOHMSpD43ikOGFHcKAvN-5VQ/s1600/pumpkin+patch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8e0RR9sFfdiieYxJ_gg2e7dLGKzgtw6WAVXbhlVTHR6wnO9dOph-c-3tif1z6jG1vkABZxDvExUNVxLgLDlWlnDD5yU4qSJSGfNvrggfhOFIkXd8cDWcOHMSpD43ikOGFHcKAvN-5VQ/s400/pumpkin+patch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A few days later, we bravely visited the pumpkin patch again, this time with our dear friends. This visit turned out to be more successful {and I think we were more prepared}. We worked quickly, taking pictures of her while she was calm, and immediately after, we changed her into regular clothes -- and avoided a huge meltdown! Hooray for us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'll take indignant over crying any day!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It was also during her second month that she had her first laugh. It wasn't long, but we definitely worked our way up to it and boy, was it the sweetest sound! This month, she has also really worked at holding her head up more and swatting at toys. She has taken a special attachment to her Sophie la Giraffe. We never leave home without Sophie anymore!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMnwvBwx4v6FJq4snEUa8oPwq8UyeaMrb7W-L5z3o4WuP5gJ9aOubkAVsnomLXOI652Wq-omElE_44_udMh1XBftknMOomLItQO7-dGBsq1qz1EQdx6pds2moWj2Ntf8HIMVmUtUtczs/s1600/DSC_1071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMnwvBwx4v6FJq4snEUa8oPwq8UyeaMrb7W-L5z3o4WuP5gJ9aOubkAVsnomLXOI652Wq-omElE_44_udMh1XBftknMOomLItQO7-dGBsq1qz1EQdx6pds2moWj2Ntf8HIMVmUtUtczs/s640/DSC_1071.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">We are now caught up! The next post will be on her 4 month birthday!</span></div>
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-25847613797331894732012-08-27T19:03:00.000-07:002012-08-27T19:03:15.512-07:00In Between Fussy Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyuNRtlt4866QhUxYO_3b3IwTJRjbM6lB6kcFIfOFjFLW-a-42p2JYUx1E4YOYExWSD0-lwsBixklivm7W7YeOYj_1MFciqLHy3WdMbayXnM78OQ5s9VHJzrjD6GKH-FZQL69lqrtVLA/s1600/DSC_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyuNRtlt4866QhUxYO_3b3IwTJRjbM6lB6kcFIfOFjFLW-a-42p2JYUx1E4YOYExWSD0-lwsBixklivm7W7YeOYj_1MFciqLHy3WdMbayXnM78OQ5s9VHJzrjD6GKH-FZQL69lqrtVLA/s640/DSC_0815.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I promise I didn't get lost at Hobby Lobby. {although I easily could}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And I didn't fall asleep from such sheer exhaustion and woke up forgetting that I had a blog. {although I could see this happening}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The explanation for this absence is simple: I have been so enamored by this little girl that I have decidedly taken another hiatus from blogging. You moms understand, right?</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A lot has happened since the last time I posted. Aside from the slew of almost daily visitors who have taken their turns to see Camden, we had her baptism, fought head-on with colic {our solution: an aggressive combination of gripe water + organic chamomile tea + colic tabs, if needed}, and are now getting ready celebrate two months of our sweet little pea.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It's fairly simple and idyllic. Our family of three has made it this far on an erratic schedule dictated by our now almost 12 pound girl, and so far, it works. Despite my need to systemize everything, I have learned more and more as the days go by that life, especially that with an infant, isn't always black and white, and there aren't enough Excel spreadsheets or cutely framed Pinterest chore lists to dictate my day. I am at the sheer whim and mercy of a seven-and-a-half week old. And yet, I'm okay with all this. </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If I hadn't said it before, I say it again now: If there is anything I've learned from this, from my pregnancy with Aubrey & Finley to losing them, to getting through our darkest days waiting to get pregnant again, my second pregnancy, and now having an infant, it is that we cannot control everything. And for the first time in my life, I'm actually okay with that.</span><br />
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</span>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-19424769289165303302012-07-23T07:37:00.000-07:002012-07-23T07:37:56.613-07:00Two Weeks of Camden Hope<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Annnnnnd, I'm back.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This was all done according to plan, I assure you. Outside of the actual date I went into labor, I had this all mapped out in my head. I knew that as soon as Camden was born, I would allot myself a full two weeks from putting up a longer blog post.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So here I am.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Needless to say, these past two weeks have been nothing short of a whirlwind. One minute, I was sitting on a yoga ball, trying to induce labor, and the next, J and I were alternating getting up in the middle of the night to feed and change this perfect little infant. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">These past two weeks have been spent mostly inside the house, the daytime downstairs in the family room, which has now been taken over by baby stuff, and at night, we exhaustedly make our way back upstairs to prepare for the long overnight haul of feedings and changings. We have had a few outings, mostly to run an errand or two, just to try running around with a baby in tow, but generally, we have kept to ourselves and kept ourselves on house arrest.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We have also spent much of this time doing what any new parents do: taking naps when we can and taking an exorbitant number of pictures of this little girl we are so lucky to call ours. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx00Pm-nJ5P-r4eJb0OxpdtFtbA1aYIogppZNDrrNW4hzIbzH4iS2p0TnnL0LobItCpTiynPjkbYBcUVLAhPNJ-jDxcHkm2gcxPSbS2iAwbtSjp8402ErvhpA-i8wKv10VKIbgg4dRS4/s1600/Camden+-+July+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSx00Pm-nJ5P-r4eJb0OxpdtFtbA1aYIogppZNDrrNW4hzIbzH4iS2p0TnnL0LobItCpTiynPjkbYBcUVLAhPNJ-jDxcHkm2gcxPSbS2iAwbtSjp8402ErvhpA-i8wKv10VKIbgg4dRS4/s640/Camden+-+July+2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I admit that there have been times when I have felt lonely and a little lost. I'm sure that every new mother has felt this at one point or another. Suddenly, J and I went from this easygoing life of taking off whenever and wherever we wanted to being almost prisoners in our home. Our schedule and calendars, which were so precisely synched {thanks to our Google calendars}, were suddenly hijacked and turned into this erratic and unpredictable series of events. For someone who relies so heavily on a perfect schedule, this transition has been difficult and at times, felt isolating. My world and my home were turned upside down.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Anything and everything I have been told about parenthood is true, and then some. The difficulty, the challenges, the rules made and broken, and most of all, the rewards. I still look at my little girl several times a day in wonder and awe.<i> </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Of all the things I have learned thus far, however, it is this: being a mother is the most wonderful and rewarding thing I have ever signed up for. In Camden's face, I see all the happiness, all the hope, and all the promise of our future. She is the perfect storm -- everything we have been through, both bad and good, has come to fruition in this perfect little creature. I wouldn't trade my sleepless nights {or days} for anything in the world.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-57177158093388963872012-07-14T18:13:00.000-07:002012-07-14T18:13:16.063-07:00She's Here!! Welcome Sweet Camden Hope<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAzI991LRdG6M3WmZ91oLSRbQ8l92QMhtmb7mO-6FOWyzYh_A_yFTWsIAIvIdqNlqOfhjYa0Bo22FigoyquU8xv7XAA00d5HCpRZYPWDz3uzPKrKufcxtI_BcwCdgbzdnDdnMwUJL4xU/s1600/DSC_0732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAzI991LRdG6M3WmZ91oLSRbQ8l92QMhtmb7mO-6FOWyzYh_A_yFTWsIAIvIdqNlqOfhjYa0Bo22FigoyquU8xv7XAA00d5HCpRZYPWDz3uzPKrKufcxtI_BcwCdgbzdnDdnMwUJL4xU/s640/DSC_0732.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">There she is.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My little vision of heaven.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">J and I are so pleased to introduce you to our sweet girl, Camden Hope, born on Saturday, July 7, 2012 at 2:08 a.m. She was 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and 21 inches of perfection at birth. We are so enchanted by our little girl.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">More to come soon...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERRAb5y5jmIhHRdBaeHkQKhQTTgzN4cXCIgNOTkFA4Ggs4ffJNw2Dyq0_UM3VeHllh8kNxsnQr0hshardam9qCsYeNjgwydUngqPjVm5hgT_mhZodBxG3p5o6gbkBdmKGh10quRWHoWg/s1600/Jul+14%252C+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhERRAb5y5jmIhHRdBaeHkQKhQTTgzN4cXCIgNOTkFA4Ggs4ffJNw2Dyq0_UM3VeHllh8kNxsnQr0hshardam9qCsYeNjgwydUngqPjVm5hgT_mhZodBxG3p5o6gbkBdmKGh10quRWHoWg/s640/Jul+14%252C+2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qgOhZhBUqFo/UAIZAS3zeFI/AAAAAAAAEkg/vW8KCcsU3LM/s1600/baby+%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qgOhZhBUqFo/UAIZAS3zeFI/AAAAAAAAEkg/vW8KCcsU3LM/s640/baby+%25233.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-3580197180730464822012-07-03T16:16:00.001-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.349-07:0038 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yshd7msB9Cc/T_NvKge6m7I/AAAAAAAAEhc/mwT2Ovy55Ls/s1600/38.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yshd7msB9Cc/T_NvKge6m7I/AAAAAAAAEhc/mwT2Ovy55Ls/s640/38.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Yes, for goodness sake, I am hoping that this will be the last belly picture of this pregnancy we will have to take! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm 38 weeks pregnant </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">and I would say that I've been pretty good during this pregnancy </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">as far as not whining about the aches and pains . . . </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But at this point, I'm ready to contact the Pregnancy Complaint Department {who do we call about these things?}. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'm achy everywhere. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My hips hurt, my pelvis is sore, "down there" feels like it's going to explode so bad that putting on pajama pants {or any bottoms for that matter} feels like I'm going to tear a muscle {ahem, THE muscle} each time. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Yesterday, during my now-weekly appointment, Dr. Moore told us that my cervix is now 100% effaced and paper thin, and I'm 3 centimeters dilated {Last week, I was about 90% effaced and 2-3 centimeters dilated}. Yes, it was progress, but not enough progress for my pregnant, waddling ass. I mentioned to him that I've been feeling TONS of pressure and sharp pains "down there" and he said that's a good sign that things are progressing well. My belly is measuring at 37 centimeters from top to bottom, indicating that this little one is going to be between 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 pounds at birth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My next appointment is not until next Thursday, a whopping 10 days after yesterday's appointment, and to me, they may as well have scheduled it for next January. Dr. Moore said that between yesterday and next week, I have a 25-30% chance of going into labor. {I mean, really, where do they get these numbers?} He did give me the option yesterday of stripping the membranes, a process that is said to {more} naturally induce labor. Stripping the membranes involves manually separating the amniotic sac from the uterus so the body would produce oxytocin, the hormone that causes the uterus to contract. I've read mixed reviews online about it -- some say it worked for them immediately, and some said that they experienced cramping for 2 days until labor started. Granted, most, if not all, of those women were not effaced as much or dilated as much as I am now, but at any rate, Dr. Moore, though he was willing to do so yesterday, did recommend that we wait until I am at least 39 weeks to do so.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We left the appointment yesterday with mixed emotions. Although J and I were both excited to hear that there was at least <i>some</i> progress, I, for one, Ms. Go-Go-Go herself, was not satisfied at the amount of the progress that had occurred. With my waddle and the pain getting worse everyday, I was really hoping Dr. Moore would tell me to hop back into the car and drive to Labor and Delivery ASAP. I was so messed up that I found J trying to look up YouTube videos under the search "grouchy pregnant women".</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Of course, because God hears everything that I have been complaining about in my head, I am constantly reminded of where I am and how far we've come.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbjzkDsA4Tlah2rQxP8HWlilb1b2pWpcQdfmUnPPguHwqaCGk1OhGCAqAhBQABy1Rc1AzTXbIC6Ml7MHB-RcsVP3azeLXkWIkHscu1KfRjOUUNavcMeQ5bzlCZ0nFMZb5eiC69SEwjmk/s1600/patience.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbjzkDsA4Tlah2rQxP8HWlilb1b2pWpcQdfmUnPPguHwqaCGk1OhGCAqAhBQABy1Rc1AzTXbIC6Ml7MHB-RcsVP3azeLXkWIkHscu1KfRjOUUNavcMeQ5bzlCZ0nFMZb5eiC69SEwjmk/s640/patience.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{<a href="http://media-cache-ec1.pinterest.com/upload/121737996147629733_iy67yqdo.jpg">source</a>}</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I know that Camden's arrival is a mere <u>days</u> away. DAYS. It's easy to forget that a year ago at this time, J and I were running amok trying to keep ourselves busy, trying to distract ourselves from the <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2011/05/in-memoriam-aubrey-faith-bench-finley.html">loss</a> we had just experienced, the biggest loss of our lives. And now, here we are, a mere days, if not hours away from the biggest blessing we could imagine.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It's easy to complain; it's easy to be impatient; and it's the easiest to be angry, but in the end, what I <u>know</u> has yielded the best results is <u style="font-weight: bold;">trust and faith</u> in God and His timing. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">While I dream and hope and wish of going into labor tonight or tomorrow and being able to whisper into Camden's ear that the fireworks we see out the window tomorrow are all for her, I am also putting my hands together and lifting my eyes to heaven in prayers of thanks and gratitude. I know that whatever these next few hours or days hold will be nothing compared to finally getting to hold our little girl in our arms.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{{ In the meantime, help keep me entertained and share your guesses on her arrival! Visit <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/06/baby-due-date-pool.html">THIS POST</a> to cast your vote! }}</span></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-59920885433918464042012-06-29T16:39:00.000-07:002012-06-29T16:39:44.033-07:00A Baby Due Date Pool<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">With our waiting game still going on trying to figure out Camden's arrival, I thought it may be fun to get everyone's take on it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I found a site where anyone can put in a guess on her arrival day, time, and vitals and thought that it would be fun for our friends, family, and B&B readers to partake in the fun!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So here's what you do:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1. Go to <a href="http://www.expectnet.com/">ExpectNet</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2. Under the game name, enter CamdenCountdown {no spaces} and click the "Go" button.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigL-tWbaLgA5_VyCXKv2ugdlOhV-wMOO8K90zJ1lBlhSPHfA9WV6m-r2FxjwYlmY6rZit5u_qfGNmKyEIkuMYxCfiBldjXCAF7m2pDQEVdYDM4-s2HhSHKVSwH5g9zURL6B1ZsGbfXAk/s1600/pool+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigL-tWbaLgA5_VyCXKv2ugdlOhV-wMOO8K90zJ1lBlhSPHfA9WV6m-r2FxjwYlmY6rZit5u_qfGNmKyEIkuMYxCfiBldjXCAF7m2pDQEVdYDM4-s2HhSHKVSwH5g9zURL6B1ZsGbfXAk/s640/pool+page.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3. On the next page, click on the "Enter a Guess" button</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6LjW0hlZ8_q5ATmvb25A2fU526c6Qv_-OUBRqJLV7iv8HL7oETgoEXyAqCkHpfqG7l9hB1MskWV5fAbiAIYl6ouGNnbkxVIjCr2PuCWo9oizAUWCr9JjtQoD7LzotF8gJR5Gc2FYBGE/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6LjW0hlZ8_q5ATmvb25A2fU526c6Qv_-OUBRqJLV7iv8HL7oETgoEXyAqCkHpfqG7l9hB1MskWV5fAbiAIYl6ouGNnbkxVIjCr2PuCWo9oizAUWCr9JjtQoD7LzotF8gJR5Gc2FYBGE/s640/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">4. Complete the form following form by entering your guesses and hitting the "Submit" button.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89vTWwE3p2a4PAxnTS6jzN5nb-rtWXpdJYMFDgaJf7JCW6H9h_slfHlXh30e1rbfzWThhaNdtIzyH-miwx-JpjyqtZkwtktYtyD7lHQh40-_wazCuRid4TGr-2B76RrnrI9V-VTmgwqY/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89vTWwE3p2a4PAxnTS6jzN5nb-rtWXpdJYMFDgaJf7JCW6H9h_slfHlXh30e1rbfzWThhaNdtIzyH-miwx-JpjyqtZkwtktYtyD7lHQh40-_wazCuRid4TGr-2B76RrnrI9V-VTmgwqY/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Let's see how many {correct} guesses we can get before Camden arrives! Have fun!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-77321297279052395792012-06-26T10:50:00.000-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.371-07:0037 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ygviiTxSoTA/T-nsCXjqlmI/AAAAAAAAEgA/cLYfI73lG2g/s1600/37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ygviiTxSoTA/T-nsCXjqlmI/AAAAAAAAEgA/cLYfI73lG2g/s640/37.JPG" width="584" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>37 Weeks -- this is it!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: +13 lbs. from pre-preggo weight. Looks like I've lost 2 lbs. since my last appointment!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: I've wanted a lot of sweets lately. I remember during my last pregnancy, I had a mug of rocky road ice cream with chocolate shell every night. Now, I've had a mug of cookie dough ice cream on most nights. Lately, too, I think as part of my nesting and efforts to keep busy, I've been baking a lot again. Yesterday, I made a goat cheese cheesecake, much to J's excitement. This weekend, I plan on making a s'more pie. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: I forgot to mention last week that although we already have a diaper bag, I convinced J to let me get another one. After much thought {and many magazine advice articles read}, I knew I needed a diaper bag that didn't just look like a diaper bag, but one that could double as a purse. Lucky enough, I was able to get one last week . . . on sale too! So, thank you, J for Camden's first Marc Jacobs tote. All I can say is be prepared, because I'm sure this will be the first of many. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYS2CQbNdGZkvIIq5zqtJheZ-w4RvuwCSY7YoPVH9-iFeKOAmXmAdn3zBM4XFlM4m7a1HMB5iaFnrE_B3o8MBTNKrj3_rZiiZ6nH74uJdEuz2SdjB8vZGwdHJlJPXkU7AYnAGNsh-Yee0/s1600/mj+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYS2CQbNdGZkvIIq5zqtJheZ-w4RvuwCSY7YoPVH9-iFeKOAmXmAdn3zBM4XFlM4m7a1HMB5iaFnrE_B3o8MBTNKrj3_rZiiZ6nH74uJdEuz2SdjB8vZGwdHJlJPXkU7AYnAGNsh-Yee0/s640/mj+bag.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Moment of the Week:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Our moment of the week actually came today {Tuesday}, which should really be considered for next week, as my preggo weeks start on Mondays; however, we do what we can. Today, we went to my doctor's appointment to check on our progress. Starting this week, my doctor's appointments are weekly. J and I were casually talking and joking around with Dr. Moore and his nurse, Kim, when Dr. Moore started doing the pelvic exam. I started to talk, but he said, "Hang on a sec, hang on a sec..." Immediately, J and I knew something was up. Sure enough, Dr. Moore told us that although my hopes of being induced today are squashed {The only reason we wanted to get induced today is because we are too excited. That, coupled with my constant discomfort, got us to joke with Dr. Moore that I'd be coming back for some Pitocin soon.} he did say that I am now 90-100% effaced and 2-3 cm. dilated!! Yessssss!!! Funny enough, I told J last night that I had a feeling we would go in and Dr. Moore would give us that news -- and I actually predicted that he would say 100% effaced and 4 cm. dilated -- but close enough! Pretty much, we are now at the "any moment now" stage. I've been doing everything to help move labor along, including sitting on my yoga ball constantly.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: J and I came home late from an event in LA last Friday. I should consider that a cheat in itself -- I convinced him {okay, I pouted for an hour to convince him} to let me come along to a Nike event at LA Live / Nokia Center for my brother. J is so leery about me going anywhere, especially long distances, as we are, in fact, so close to labor already. However, to add more cheat to the cheat, we got back to Orange County at about 9:00 p.m. and were starving . . . so we had sushi. I only ate limited amounts of it, but still it was soooo delicious and so worth it.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>I've made it a point to drink a lot more water lately {to curb constipation, mostly}, which, of course, equates to more frequent urination. My potty trips at night have increased to about 6-7 times, about once every hour. I honestly don't mind getting up so much, as I have been able to fall back asleep fairly quickly after each trip, but the hardest part has been the actual process of getting up and out of bed. It feels like I don't realize until the last minute that I need to go, so by the time I'm dragging my heavy body off the bed, I am in near {or sometimes mid}-contraction from holding it in for so long. On top of that, maneuvering a pregnant and now lopsided body over my enormous pregnancy pillow and off our very high bed is a feat in itself. </span></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: For most of this pregnancy, I've been lucky to have been able to wear much of my regular size clothes. I told J it helps to be kind of a smaller person because I could get away with non-maternity clothes for the most part. I've noticed, however, that the past few weeks, that rule has not applied. The tank tops and shirts that I used to be able to wear comfortably are now near-midriffs, lifting at the bottom, exposing my huge belly, and since I am so close to due date, I can neither justify any more maternity clothing purchases nor am in the mood to purchase any regular clothes, in my size or larger. So I guess it helps out that J and I have pretty much agreed {although more reluctantly on my part} that I just need to stay home or local these last few weeks of the pregnancy. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: There really is only one thing to look forward to now . . . and from what Dr. Moore has assessed, she's only a few more days away!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span></div></div></span>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-54264720976469761042012-06-20T15:38:00.000-07:002012-06-20T15:41:49.326-07:00Lambs and Ivy -- A Great Experience!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It isn't everyday that any of us can say that we experience good customer service. We all know: these days, it's a rarity, and I'm sure we {I, myself, included} have all written our fair share of scathing Yelp! reviews for less than satisfactory service from establishments. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This week, however, J and I have had the absolute <u>pleasure</u> of dealing with a <a href="http://lambsivy.com/index.html">Lambs and Ivy</a>. Lambs and Ivy is a baby and toddler bedding, gift, and accessory company based in Southern California. For over 30 years, they have been one of the top brands in baby and nursery products.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We received this gorgeous crib mobile in the mail from a friend of ours for my <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/06/bird-nest-theme-baby-shower.html">baby shower</a>. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t2qhjhYi0eg/T-I_RDDyVXI/AAAAAAAAEe4/x-uxyVNyrlg/s1600/DSC_0724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t2qhjhYi0eg/T-I_RDDyVXI/AAAAAAAAEe4/x-uxyVNyrlg/s640/DSC_0724.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DChF1XSzUYg/T-I_QEyEOcI/AAAAAAAAEeU/hj5BE3NMf5Q/s1600/41cvGGZgQvL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DChF1XSzUYg/T-I_QEyEOcI/AAAAAAAAEeU/hj5BE3NMf5Q/s640/41cvGGZgQvL.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I registered for this particular mobile because it was perfect to match Cam's nursery, and let's face it, I was biased towards the Lambs and Ivy brand. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Unfortunately, the mobile was not compatible with Camden's crib. Despite having an included extension kit with the mobile, its attachment arm could not accommodate the width of the side of the crib, which is wider than that of most cribs. J, the ever patient man who fights to never disappoint his wife {and in effect, his daughter}, called Lambs and Ivy's corporate office to inquire if this was an issue they had come across before, and if there was a solution that they could recommend to "jerry-rig" the mobile onto the crib. We were surprised to find out that this was the first time the company had been informed of this issue, and J was told that the person he spoke to would ask the designers to see if they had suggestions, and that J would get a call back in a day or two.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We all know the drill. In most stories like this, the conversation ends there -- the customer never gets the call back, leaving them frustrated and having to sell the item on Craigslist, and then having to purchase a whole other mobile.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Not so, for Lambs and Ivy. Sure enough, a day later, J received a phone call from the company. Although we were told that there is no current solution to our problem, evidently, after J had spoken to Ginger, the Credit Manager at Lambs and Ivy, the designers held a meeting to discuss our particular concern and ways in which they can correct this issue for anyone else who may have a similar issue in the future. Already, I was impressed by this. It is a <i>rarity</i> to hear of companies entertaining questions like ours, let alone having its designers call and hold a meeting in regards to our concern. They requested J to send them pictures of the issue so that they can find a way to tackle this problem for the future. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">As impressive as their quick and proactive response already was, they went a step further, and told J that since there is no current solution to our concern, we could not only keep the mobile, but they would also be happy to send us any item from their entire catalog instead for our trouble. J and I looked through their website and, not needing anything else in particular after the baby shower, decided on the Pink Monkey Nap Mat -- it's like a sleeping bag {without the zipper} that has a soft padded bottom, a plush and fuzzy blanket, and a pillow all attached. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKL7UXmtwGKkRUSuTkk6yH44xEicXpjmowgDT7cbMWuT49ZlayuuqoNYm0jX2mmT9MGk6xXyGNgsFaTWsJs25mBIjm7iKT1WO42INE_DqNhimvsuS9zO5DoULPdmtH00U5NuzZYPHx0k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-06-20+at+3.27.15+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKL7UXmtwGKkRUSuTkk6yH44xEicXpjmowgDT7cbMWuT49ZlayuuqoNYm0jX2mmT9MGk6xXyGNgsFaTWsJs25mBIjm7iKT1WO42INE_DqNhimvsuS9zO5DoULPdmtH00U5NuzZYPHx0k/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-06-20+at+3.27.15+PM.png" width="558" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Going a step even further, Ginger sent the following reply to J after he sent them the pictures of the mobile:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWZdvWaTJ0LukvgrPzA627ukrF3TDCh-QrvCvzRUqg-WG1MjdGnJtMJRDgoC_gMhQzSw_yIsTFlahVlwYmkJZTGvJNCRfZCDdUOEhWyoMmAV0y_YJ895jVoLRYgu3Z10t3tc9zto828k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-06-20+at+3.29.11+PM.png.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWZdvWaTJ0LukvgrPzA627ukrF3TDCh-QrvCvzRUqg-WG1MjdGnJtMJRDgoC_gMhQzSw_yIsTFlahVlwYmkJZTGvJNCRfZCDdUOEhWyoMmAV0y_YJ895jVoLRYgu3Z10t3tc9zto828k/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-06-20+at+3.29.11+PM.png.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This e-mail was sent yesterday and this morning, the package from Lambs and Ivy already arrived via FedEx. The products are as adorable in person as they are on the website!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwdxq6GNvfQ/T-I_Q9TFb6I/AAAAAAAAEe0/HhLFb0Df7vE/s1600/DSC_0723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iwdxq6GNvfQ/T-I_Q9TFb6I/AAAAAAAAEe0/HhLFb0Df7vE/s640/DSC_0723.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Py-5BZVoqLw/T-I_QRSotdI/AAAAAAAAEfI/cwu_tx74fq8/s1600/DSC_0722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Py-5BZVoqLw/T-I_QRSotdI/AAAAAAAAEfI/cwu_tx74fq8/s640/DSC_0722.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">What a refreshing experience to deal with a company whose products are of wonderful quality and whose service and dedication to its customers go <i>above and beyond</i> expectation. Kudos, Lambs and Ivy! You guys are doing a fantastic job!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-84561346530948180642012-06-19T11:20:00.000-07:002012-06-20T15:41:49.327-07:00A Bird Nest Theme Baby Shower<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">WARNING: This post is picture-heavy. It may take a few moments for your browser to load all the pictures.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'll be the first to admit it: I'm not an easy person to work with. I am the girl who, two weeks before my wedding, {then one week before my wedding, then three days before my wedding} sent not one, not two, but THREE separate spreadsheets to all involved with the occasion -- contact sheets, itineraries, job assignments. Wanting to reassure that I did not leave a stone unturned, not one item uncovered, I swallowed any pride I had and sent them to our {not surprisingly} shocked wedding party and vendors. My husband's groomsmen, in particular, upon receipt of said spreadsheets I'm sure had looks on their faces that all resembled three letters: W. T. F. -- all with the same pausing, dramatic shock. In the end, however, I did get my way -- everyone was aware of their duties on the big day, and {I'm guessing, probably in fear of a Bridezilla blowup} ensured that their duties were met. In short, our day went without a hitch. Best party ever, we were told several times. Trust, people. Trust.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Suffice it to say, it was difficult for me to be uninvolved with my baby shower. Headed by my dear friend Amy, I tried my best to stay away from the general planning and decision making, although I did my part in crafting various items used in the party itself. I did, however, help my mom with the menu {Mom was in charge of the food}, but stayed away from any games planned by my friends, Molly & Kristen. On the day itself, I was not allowed to come to the venue until the actual time stated on the invitation. When you see these <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>-worthy pictures, you will see the moral of this story: as much as it is rewarding to be a control freak, there is a much bigger reward in also letting people do things for you. Although I knew much of how things were being put together, the little elements of surprise and the details of how it was all put together took my breath away. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Before anything else, I should admit it: Okay, okay, I did do a lot of crafting for the shower. In fact, our living room looked like a baby shower warehouse before the party, as the items I made accumulated in one corner. In my defense, I have to say that I did it all because {a} Amy works full time and has a 5 year old daughter and I am home all day with a lot of time on my hands and {b} we all know how obsessed with crafting I am. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DCMGePbxT6k/T-DAI3lu2YI/AAAAAAAAEdk/1Yvf8rBG9Qw/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DCMGePbxT6k/T-DAI3lu2YI/AAAAAAAAEdk/1Yvf8rBG9Qw/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I told you it was jam packed! I'm sure, though, that although the hostesses did not want me to help out, they knew that allowing me to craft my little heart away would get me out of the way enough for the real planning to be left to them. Tip #1: Find ways to distract Mom-zilla. -- It worked.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fZUsaDRNlg0/T-C2ikXIy-I/AAAAAAAAEcQ/OvuOjPz7RmU/s1600/baby+shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fZUsaDRNlg0/T-C2ikXIy-I/AAAAAAAAEcQ/OvuOjPz7RmU/s640/baby+shower.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Amy ran the invitations by me before she ordered them. She did so because the nest on the front had 3 eggs in it -- she wanted to incorporate our Aubrey & Finley in a subtle way with their sister's baby shower. Throughout the bird nest themed shower, she incorporated three eggs in the nests to bring in Camden's two sisters whose shower never came. It was a sweet and touching tribute to them. I loved the subtlety of it all -- like a wink in the eye -- a secret we all knew and smiled silently about. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The details:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F7IF1GrIbKw/T9tqeIyvZLI/AAAAAAAAEIg/kSq6FEiiRSY/s1600/IMG_7095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F7IF1GrIbKw/T9tqeIyvZLI/AAAAAAAAEIg/kSq6FEiiRSY/s640/IMG_7095.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The favors: Pink vanilla-infused sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8dGgJSRQpNc/T9tqelc8jgI/AAAAAAAAEIo/aMOSGihacjg/s1600/IMG_7100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8dGgJSRQpNc/T9tqelc8jgI/AAAAAAAAEIo/aMOSGihacjg/s640/IMG_7100.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqIyuI0VAqd1W1FO5-9ltrtxgmRBnaQv3QO8Ni3UQCTtjJqhvhRhltkcTJ1xH96eSWqFcOQYqaqpRYiiLPJT8ThXCGKaJrah2nwDFDdGWdKULHdGCOcnnjddsGcgbGny418mklpK1XWY/s1600/IMG_7104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqIyuI0VAqd1W1FO5-9ltrtxgmRBnaQv3QO8Ni3UQCTtjJqhvhRhltkcTJ1xH96eSWqFcOQYqaqpRYiiLPJT8ThXCGKaJrah2nwDFDdGWdKULHdGCOcnnjddsGcgbGny418mklpK1XWY/s640/IMG_7104.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">To welcome the guests to our bird nest theme baby shower, Amy surprised me with an oil painting of a bird nest with the three eggs {ordered from Etsy} to display at the entrance to the clubhouse. This painting is HUGE and we are planning on putting it outside our house on the day that we go to the hospital, as a way to announce that our little egg is about to hatch.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4zPS7Qbi64/T9tqg8AVJXI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/UDOFj3rFn7M/s1600/IMG_7111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4zPS7Qbi64/T9tqg8AVJXI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/UDOFj3rFn7M/s640/IMG_7111.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Shortbread cookies with chocolate-coconut nests and chocolate eggs on top. I made these mini pedestals / cupcake stands last year for what would have been Aubrey & Finley's shower and J painted them white to use for Camden's.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GDubbFMkjEA/T9tqhl_cbBI/AAAAAAAAEJY/K8A9qrK4s-U/s1600/IMG_7112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GDubbFMkjEA/T9tqhl_cbBI/AAAAAAAAEJY/K8A9qrK4s-U/s640/IMG_7112.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TGKi0SPQco8/T9tqi3PmmFI/AAAAAAAAEJw/qBxePiwbIas/s1600/IMG_7124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TGKi0SPQco8/T9tqi3PmmFI/AAAAAAAAEJw/qBxePiwbIas/s640/IMG_7124.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The setup: Six tables of seven to eight seats each to accommodate approximately 45 guests. Each table was draped with a white tablecloth with burlap table runners that I made. They also hung white paper lanterns from the existing chandeliers in the clubhouse.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWgTjh7megs/T9tqiiFkuwI/AAAAAAAAEJo/RGjQVhJsJoU/s1600/IMG_7121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWgTjh7megs/T9tqiiFkuwI/AAAAAAAAEJo/RGjQVhJsJoU/s640/IMG_7121.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Another surprise from Amy: She had each guest fill out these wish cards for Cam. It was wonderful, sweet, and funny to be able to read them with J at the end of the day. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9htkuHYYn0Q/T9tqmQ6swuI/AAAAAAAAEKo/akOCh8Nj8ok/s1600/IMG_7139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9htkuHYYn0Q/T9tqmQ6swuI/AAAAAAAAEKo/akOCh8Nj8ok/s640/IMG_7139.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a2EZ5yhWB-Y/T9tqtSPb4UI/AAAAAAAAEMQ/NupeX9yXLIY/s1600/IMG_7171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a2EZ5yhWB-Y/T9tqtSPb4UI/AAAAAAAAEMQ/NupeX9yXLIY/s640/IMG_7171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We chose pink and gray for our birdhouses and bird nests to reflect Camden's pink and gray <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/04/our-sweet-peas-nursery.html">nursery</a>. They also used a vintage window given to me by a friend and I used my Silhouette Cameo machine to make the doily banners, which were used in various areas throughout the space. The rest of the backdrops are foam core boards covered in muslin linen to create a neutral backdrop. Amy also bought and sprayed vintage picture frames to add more touches of pink and gray to the spread.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Su30ASKfN8/T-DAsP1hxHI/AAAAAAAAEeA/eh6Vd1UKiT8/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Su30ASKfN8/T-DAsP1hxHI/AAAAAAAAEeA/eh6Vd1UKiT8/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower-005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The coffee station was Olivia's {Amy's daughter's} bookshelf from her bedroom. I ordered the coffee cups and sleeves online and used baker's twine to put on the bird nest stamped labels onto the sleeves. I also made the flags for the coffee stirrers that said Camden's Cafe.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3HUZ876HEU/T9tqwCTbHCI/AAAAAAAAEM0/NmFT1LZ6Pik/s1600/IMG_7186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3HUZ876HEU/T9tqwCTbHCI/AAAAAAAAEM0/NmFT1LZ6Pik/s640/IMG_7186.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The beverage station: Four beverages were lemon water, peach iced tea, strawberry basil lemonade, and "Hope Floats" -- a play on Camden's middle name -- which was a raspberry sorbet float. I was later told that the strawberry lemonade was the biggest seller. Ice cubes for the beverages were made in muffin tins days before the shower so that they were bigger and we were able to put either slices of lemon {for the water} or slices of strawberry and basil leaves {for the lemonade} and the ice lasted longer. The drinking glasses were not-exactly-mason jars that J ordered from a glass bottle company in LA. We affixed a cotton lace sleeve on each with a bird tag cut from my Silhouette. Gray and white paper straws were ordered and added for extra effect.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KuxKgVWDctM/T-C_TfiaFqI/AAAAAAAAEdM/mvao5VSHP1k/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KuxKgVWDctM/T-C_TfiaFqI/AAAAAAAAEdM/mvao5VSHP1k/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The centerpieces were simply 5 mason jars filled with white flowers that my mom purchased. It was simple, rustic, and sweet, while still making a beautiful statement at each table.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The food:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-14HyJ39mLu8/T-C_HvvBQaI/AAAAAAAAEdI/tvUjdbv9BVY/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-14HyJ39mLu8/T-C_HvvBQaI/AAAAAAAAEdI/tvUjdbv9BVY/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Everything was mini and adorable! Each food item was renamed with a bird theme. Mini muffins were called Puffin Muffins, Caprese sandwiches were Nestled Sandwiches, mini cinnamon rolls were Honey Nests, mini croissants were Perch Treats, mini apple and cherry pies were called Songbird Pies, mini macarons were A Bird in the Hand, and chicken salad sandwiches were called Chicken Little Sandwiches. The only thing that was different was the berry cups, in which we played on Camden's middle name again and called them Berry "Hope"fuls.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wa805neug0Y/T9-8rGJTFKI/AAAAAAAAEa0/HOEuWw4XKSc/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wa805neug0Y/T9-8rGJTFKI/AAAAAAAAEa0/HOEuWw4XKSc/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cSNoD1vfRcE/T9-8pYfwCqI/AAAAAAAAEag/27D_Q-NqpYk/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cSNoD1vfRcE/T9-8pYfwCqI/AAAAAAAAEag/27D_Q-NqpYk/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a9-yiInz53A/T9-8oXQtj2I/AAAAAAAAEaQ/tKwLgDnbDpw/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a9-yiInz53A/T9-8oXQtj2I/AAAAAAAAEaQ/tKwLgDnbDpw/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5LxRJ7jtUDn3oQCG1Aymy91xqn5GCUju0itEYuxDe14G5plKghaDLrBrSG3sv06u7SZ1tthezyMGTbioGDwREn-3i88VBqmAJgGvx1I_-cRBubLUMKP6frIGuYuEOHNMPKGNyJo_9uQ/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5LxRJ7jtUDn3oQCG1Aymy91xqn5GCUju0itEYuxDe14G5plKghaDLrBrSG3sv06u7SZ1tthezyMGTbioGDwREn-3i88VBqmAJgGvx1I_-cRBubLUMKP6frIGuYuEOHNMPKGNyJo_9uQ/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLSh92Xqpalm5MW6-zpyfiHtETTRLTdUD9VGsXOeATloMspYzJvUxGDQI9alxHDChDqiG39_bJ2O_-Xy2gZsBQp5ZB8PGPtRmAaUspvVnzVL4jGrgB_xEs4mhxbbzuWKrV-7-sJ2Kw7U/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLSh92Xqpalm5MW6-zpyfiHtETTRLTdUD9VGsXOeATloMspYzJvUxGDQI9alxHDChDqiG39_bJ2O_-Xy2gZsBQp5ZB8PGPtRmAaUspvVnzVL4jGrgB_xEs4mhxbbzuWKrV-7-sJ2Kw7U/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqrhOwJM9RE/T9-8m7mfPeI/AAAAAAAAEaE/Vn6ESoW52j8/s1600/cam%2527s+baby+shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqrhOwJM9RE/T9-8m7mfPeI/AAAAAAAAEaE/Vn6ESoW52j8/s640/cam%2527s+baby+shower.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRlbN4AW1hXVY0hyphenhyphenRZmZetXGzh8Jy-JEL6n8ysYYT-t_t-KKQQA20uc33EDiLZUSG4r7dQ9NzjM4kutUIBRMIDc5p8n9kLL3A2ot1bzZKl-8QWw-Mrbp58PAuq25uImUNj_HyJJ4xF8Q/s1600/IMG_7315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRlbN4AW1hXVY0hyphenhyphenRZmZetXGzh8Jy-JEL6n8ysYYT-t_t-KKQQA20uc33EDiLZUSG4r7dQ9NzjM4kutUIBRMIDc5p8n9kLL3A2ot1bzZKl-8QWw-Mrbp58PAuq25uImUNj_HyJJ4xF8Q/s640/IMG_7315.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Everyone had such a wonderful time and needless to say, Cam is a very, <i>very </i>spoiled girl. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Again, please let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked so hard in making this baby shower a success and for those who made their way to attend and share in celebrating our little girl. We can't wait for her to get here and share her with everyone!</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-45039607144753822212012-06-18T17:21:00.000-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.352-07:0036 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kVlQnyXXMig/T9--Z4RgkgI/AAAAAAAAEcE/HbwylZ5oaT0/s1600/36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kVlQnyXXMig/T9--Z4RgkgI/AAAAAAAAEcE/HbwylZ5oaT0/s640/36.JPG" width="628" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>36 Weeks</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: According to Dr. Moore's office, I'm now +15 lbs. from pre-preggo weight. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: Nothing, really. I've been having the same thing for breakfast everyday {a toasted whole grain English muffin with butter and raspberry jam} but I think the lack of variety is just largely due to laziness. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: After the baby shower and assessing everything we've received, we only had a few necessities left: a travel wipes case, mittens, some socks, newborn hats, and a clip-on high chair. We were so blessed to have been showered with so many gifts that we barely needed anything else!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Moment of the Week:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Last Thursday, I had my big appointment with Dr. Moore to have the cerclage stitch <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/06/stitch-in-time.html">removed</a>. It was a relief to have gotten this far and it brought so much excitement to us as he filled us in on baby's growth {we are slowly headed towards a 7 1/2 lb. baby} and he did say that I was slightly effaced already. He said that my body is behaving as if I was already full term, and Camden can arrive at any moment.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: It's actually been weeks since I've cheated. Funny enough, now that I'm this far along and actually have more leeway to cheat, I'm not doing so at all.</span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>My sleep has gotten much worse. Last night, for example, I woke up every hour from 10:30 p.m. until 9:30 a.m. to use the potty. During my 3:30 a.m. wake up, I actually ended up staying up for 2 hours because I couldn't go back to sleep. I have read that more frequent urination, coupled with my now-intense pelvic pain and pressure "down there" may mean that Baby is beginning to descend. I hope this is true.</span></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: At this particular moment, I am missing sleep. I know that signing up to be a new mom pretty much signs me off and away from sleep, but I just miss the sleep where my body isn't aching and I am not having to pee every hour. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: After hearing Dr. Moore's news last week, I am looking forward to just having Camden here already. Obvi, we'd been looking forward to it for a while, but now that we are that much closer and there is nothing else {outside of doctor's appointments} as far as classes to attend and parties to do, I just really want her here already!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Next week: we will be FULL TERM! It is worth mentioning that I know literally 7-10 women who are also currently pregnant and due within two weeks of me. The first of them already had her little girl last night. I'm crossing my fingers that I'm next in line!</span></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-43810036196646343402012-06-14T15:59:00.001-07:002012-06-20T15:41:49.328-07:00A Stitch In Time<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Today was a very important milestone for us: Cerclage stitch removal. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">For those of you who are newer to this blog, let me explain: I was pregnant with Aubrey & Finley last year when my cervix effaced and dilated at 20 weeks. The doctors diagnosed my case as cervical incompetency. Although it could not have been detected when it first happened, measures could be taken for the <i>next time</i> to prevent it from doing so. Hence, the cerclage. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A cerclage is a stitch that is placed on the cervix at around 12-14 weeks of gestation to prevent effacement and in effect, preterm labor. It is important to place the stitch in that window of time because it is past the first major milestone in the pregnancy when miscarriage is most likely, and any later could be too late as the baby's growth could put pressure on the cervix. Think of it as like a drawstring / purse string stitch to keep the cervix shut. At about 35-36 weeks, it is removed so that natural effacement, dilation, and labor can occur. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kx1RfzJ9x3F9rk7QNMD73jwmW5aQTwuO4Ns0LoUtbXohGHn2VURvcWDhEfNjI9FMSQ0G6DzhUZ7gZkjM7ZEV7sAFxwi8TMQPO_2tC3A9oRed20kg81dQxVHCT7TBuC17PnZ1uyZBqIw/s1600/d_cervical_incompetence_01.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8kx1RfzJ9x3F9rk7QNMD73jwmW5aQTwuO4Ns0LoUtbXohGHn2VURvcWDhEfNjI9FMSQ0G6DzhUZ7gZkjM7ZEV7sAFxwi8TMQPO_2tC3A9oRed20kg81dQxVHCT7TBuC17PnZ1uyZBqIw/s640/d_cervical_incompetence_01.gif" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{ <a href="http://www.thenewjerseymiscarriagecenter.com/d_cervical_incompetence_01.php">source</a> }</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/01/stitched-up.html">My cerclage stitch</a> was placed at 14 weeks, last January.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Today, we went to our 2:20 p.m. appointment with Dr. Moore to remove the stitch. Seriously, the removal procedure took all of a minute and a half. He showed us the mersilene band that he used {to me, it looked like a garbage bag tie. You know, the wire ones with the paper around it.}. Though short, the procedure, I must admit, was uncomfortable, but I did my best to just relax and breathe my way through it. Before I knew it, he was done! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Dr. Moore also measured my belly, which he says is right on target for 35-36 weeks. We saw Camden via ultrasound and he noted a strong and regular heartbeat and good, sound movements, which he said is always a great indicator of vitality. He did mention that we are headed towards a roughly 7 1/2 pound baby, and with me being only 5 ft., 4 in., he does not want me to carry a bigger baby than about 8 pounds. What does this mean? Exactly what I was dreading: He says I now have to watch what I eat. I whine, but I'm only joking. I actually I have been watching what I eat for the most part during this pregnancy, largely because of my fear of gestational diabetes. I have been lucky to have gained only about 10-15 lbs. thus far. Still, I am dreading having to give up {or at least lessen} my Oreo Dream shakes from Ruby's Diner and my Boston cream cake from Nordstrom Cafe. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After removing the stitch, Dr. Moore also did a physical assessment of my cervix and asked me if I had been getting contractions lately. While he was measuring the cervix, he even said, "I'm touching the baby's head right now." -- Not gonna lie, it took J and me back a little bit. {We both reacted the same way: "Whoa."}</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Meeting back with him in his office, Dr. Moore told us that although I am only at about 35 1/2 weeks, my body is behaving as if it is full term -- and that's okay. He told me that I could literally go into labor at any moment, and with Camden's measurements and his general assessment of the situation, we would have little to nothing to worry about if she does decide to make an early appearance. My cervix, apparently, had already effaced a little bit due to the contractions that I have already been having lately. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This is it! I have been waiting 9 months thus far to say this: We are at the home stretch! I don't even know if I can relay my excitement for Camden's arrival. Funny enough, being so scared and leery of overconfidence, I have watched quite a few birth videos online, just to knock some reality back in my head of what I will be going through, but really, it hasn't scared my usually very squeamish self. This little girl is all we have wanted, all we are waiting for, and nothing is going to stop me from wishing and waiting for her to be here.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Like NOW.</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-91963307153290929052012-06-12T19:34:00.000-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.375-07:0035 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwOfVQeZZ_g/T9fEpHZcFdI/AAAAAAAAEGQ/W-ryG5v5wKA/s1600/35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="626" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwOfVQeZZ_g/T9fEpHZcFdI/AAAAAAAAEGQ/W-ryG5v5wKA/s640/35.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>35 Weeks</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: I am still going by my own personal calculations and now I have gained 17.5 lbs. from my pre-preggo weight</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: With the doughnut craving past and the cran-grape juice dependency a thing of yesteday, I am kind of at a loss of cravings. The appetite is there, but instead of gorging on meals, I have found myself eating small meals or snacks several times throughout the day. This must be what it's like towards the end of pregnancy, as Baby gets bigger, and leaving less room in my belly for food. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: You would think that after a baby shower as big as mine, we wouldn't need anything else! We are so thankful for a successful and BEAUTIFUL shower. {Post to come!} Camden's wardrobe is fairly set for the next two years, and we have an insurmountable amount of baby gear ready for our girl. The only thing we had left that we purchased was a high chair, and we opted for one that hooks onto the dining room table, as both J and I are not fans of the standalone chairs. {I think it's largely because we are so overwhelmed with the amount of baby gear and furniture that we were showered with that the addition of even just one more item is going to cause our house to implode!} Now that the shower is over and we were able to use the gift cards and cash we received for last minute purchases, I can honestly and positively say that we are DONE. All we need now is our baby to come along and make use of all her loot!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Moment of the Week:</b> This entire past week in and of itself has been an accomplishment. We had a class to go to each night on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and in between each, we were doing last minute preparations for the baby shower. I would say that the entire shower itself was a great moment. What a feeling to be surrounded by friends and family and for me, it wasn't about being showered with gifts {although I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a perk!} but being showered with so much love and support. We have been through hell and back these past 14 months, and are so thankful to be where we are now. We are so close, I can taste it! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: Aside from a sip of iced tea, I haven't really cheated at all this past week. It's a rare occasion, but hey, I pulled it off!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>Despite the pregnancy insomnia that stemmed from last week as well as the frequent potty trips, I've been doing my best to just sleep normal hours. Of course, it doesn't help that there is this obnoxious bird that chirps an alarm clock-esque tune every morning to wake me up, but other than that, I've been trying to wind my body down and save energy for our big event. I know I'll need and miss my rest then.</span></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: I have been dreaming of milk tea boba this past week. For those who don't know, milk tea boba is made of sweetened black tea with cream and boba are tapioca balls that are placed at the bottom of the cup. The beverage is drunk with a thick straw so as to allow the boba pearls to go up. Since the liquid is made of black tea, I think that it would be too much caffeine for me so I have to wait until after the pregnancy to have it. It is so delicious and I miss it so much right now. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: This Thursday is a big day. It is the day that Dr. Moore is removing the cerclage stitch during my appointment. From what J and I were told, after the stitch is removed, they will keep me in the office for an hour or so to monitor me, in the event that I go into labor {which, though the chances are slim, could definitely happen}. At that point, I will only be 35 1/2 weeks along but I was told that even if Cam decides to make her grand entrance on that day, she would be just fine. Of course, the closer to 40 weeks she stays in utero, the better, but either way, we are prepared for her arrival any time after that!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">It's a little hard to believe that in two weeks, I will be full term. With what we have been through the past 2 years, this experience and being this far along seems surreal, and we know that it is through support from family and friends coupled with our faith in God that we have not only survived, but also come out on top. We can't wait to pass these lessons along to our little girl.</span></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-15089046957472018542012-06-04T17:33:00.000-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.343-07:0034 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sJOkh4os1QU/T81MYbouUtI/AAAAAAAAEFk/K-zwAkWgYu8/s1600/34-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="596" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sJOkh4os1QU/T81MYbouUtI/AAAAAAAAEFk/K-zwAkWgYu8/s640/34-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>34 weeks -- 6 weeks to go!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: Initially, my calculations had been +16 lbs. from pre-pregnancy weight, but after this week's appointment, I was told differently. Apparently since week 4, according to my doctor's records, I have only gained 10 lbs.! This concerned me a little bit, but he told us that the baby is measuring just fine and that I should just consider myself lucky. {My calculations were +16 lbs. because prior to pregnancy, I never looked at the scale whenever they weighed me -- as in, I looked AWAY! So what I had been doing was make a guesstimate of my starting weight and went from there.}</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: Baby and I are still powered by at least one chocolate glazed doughnut per day. I know that J would normally not be happy about this, but with the pregnancy so far along and with me making sure that I wash it down with tons of water per day and eating tons of veggies with my other meals, I think he's letting it slide. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: We are so close to the shower that J and I are afraid to get anything else until it passes. We did, however, start unpacking the giant box of newborn diapers we bought a couple of months ago and put it in Cam's changing table drawers already. We went through her closet to see what we can unpack now and we feel so, so ready!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Moment of the Week:</b> One night this week, I was laying on my back for a little bit and then I saw the right side of my belly rise up and stay there! I felt it and it was so incredibly hard on that side and the left side of the belly was soft -- and we figured out that it was Camden sticking out her little butt at us. Sassy little thing . . .</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">On top of that, I think finishing all the paperwork we need, getting pre-registered at the hospital, and wrapping up all the other necessities for our hospital bags made us both sigh with relief and anticipation. It's quite a sight to see J's daddy backpack, my bag, and Cam's diaper bag all set in the corner of our bedroom, ready to be grabbed to go! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">During our appointment with Dr. Moore on Thursday, he also gave us the schedule of the next few weeks for us. He said that on my next appointment which is on June 14th, we will have the cerclage stitch removed. On that day, they will keep me under observation as there is a teensy chance that I could go into labor -- it's a small chance, but they don't want to risk sending me home, only to have me go into labor. After Dr. Moore explained it to us, I asked him what would happen after. I was a little concerned that I could go into labor before 37-40 weeks, but he said that because Camden measures on the "fuller" side, he is not worried at all. He then smiled at both of us and threw his hands in the air and said, "After that, be prepared to be parents!" I think that for both J and I, it was a big jolt of excitement! </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: J and I went to grab some Thai food the other day and I decided to have a Thai iced tea. When I had Thai iced tea during the last pregnancy, I remember being up until 3-4 a.m. because the girls were so hyped up and tumbled all night. That in mind, I drank so much water to dilute it that I stayed up anyway -- this time going to the potty about 10-12 times that night!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>I've been getting a very mild case of pregnancy insomnia, going to bed at about 1:00 - 2:00 a.m. each night. This, of course, results in my waking up at 10:00 a.m. the past few days, which I have not been so happy about, but am not fighting anyway :-)</span></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: J asked me a similar question the other night. He asked what I was looking forward to the most after pregnancy, as far as my body. I told him that I wanted to feel comfortable enough to be able to sit down for a long time without backaches and side cramps or without my sweet little girl getting irritated and kicking my ribs for it. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: I am absolutely thrilled that this weekend is my baby shower. My dearest friends, Amy, Molly, Kristen and my mom have been planning this for a few months, in total party mode. I am so, so, so excited to see everyone.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">-----------------------------</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Our countdown this week is at 1, 2, 3:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1 week {less, actually} until the baby shower</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 weeks until the cerclage removal</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3 weeks until we are FULL TERM!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">These past 9-10 months have flown by so fast and in a few short weeks, we will get the biggest reward of it all.</span></div></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-50737585927242602732012-05-29T01:14:00.000-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.358-07:0033 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-guf-SFDuWA8/T8R6_r8ZAuI/AAAAAAAAEDo/T-JGhSAEDEw/s1600/33+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-guf-SFDuWA8/T8R6_r8ZAuI/AAAAAAAAEDo/T-JGhSAEDEw/s640/33+copy.jpg" width="612" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>33 weeks -- it's all becoming so REAL now!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: +15 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: In the short duration of my previous pregnancy, I noticed that I wanted everything savory and salty. I wanted nothing but salt and vinegar chips, steak, chicken strips, and cocktail onions. During this latter part of this pregnancy, I have wanted sweets. Granted, I am still so careful so as to maintain my surprisingly minimal weight gain as well as to not be a poster child for type II diabetes, but I have wanted {and gotten} my fair share of sweets. We have continued to keep a supply of cran-grape juice in the fridge along with the now staple package of Oreos on the kitchen counter. I have also wanted and eaten doughnuts often. In this case, often means actually eating them at all. I normally don't like doughnuts, let alone to eat them by themselves as breakfast, but for some reason only known to the pregnancy gods, I have LOVED them as of late. I even shamelessly eat them as an afternoon snack and on Saturday afternoon, <strike>made</strike> requested J go out and grab me a chocolate glazed doughnut before our nearby doughnut store closed. As I type this, I am salivating at the thought; clearly, we know what I will be having tomorrow for breakfast.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: With the baby shower coming up in less than two weeks, J and I have tried our best to really steer clear of baby purchases. It hasn't exactly been easy, especially with my always-anticipated Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale having just passed last week, but we've managed to be good and he certainly has been especially pleased with my efforts.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Moment of the Week:</b> The other night, during storytime, I laughed so hard when I realized what book J picked to read aloud to his daughter:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsy2mHqXVKYGYMtDnvPaPDVHYP10Tv-hLyH94rENco4ttuQjbrCqMKCr0dkOqJEq0C7Zlf_7j1PD1RRSBDz5cnaBswbgP2D8IaCDLqea7JrzoIgiucwNVcZiD9nqqk8hBUfplOjiAzud4/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsy2mHqXVKYGYMtDnvPaPDVHYP10Tv-hLyH94rENco4ttuQjbrCqMKCr0dkOqJEq0C7Zlf_7j1PD1RRSBDz5cnaBswbgP2D8IaCDLqea7JrzoIgiucwNVcZiD9nqqk8hBUfplOjiAzud4/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Evidently, <i>someone</i>'s fear of a zombie apocalypse is more real than we originally thought. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Aside from that, I think J and I were both excited to finally start preparing our hospital bags this past weekend. He brought out the Daddy Diaper Bag that I got him for Christmas, started going through checklists online and one that we made together and filling his bag with essentials.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'century gothic'; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9shH4Ww0u3726G_EgbcX_nm7-kLLby9WxUyg0ZP5iZSPVIiLPHoCJCuGj81sjvnjXU48te4iVc5H-cN61RhFZhFhuJGHY2IrWWqkTJTeI9ZDo-4RuXwY7A814m3EUL49TSOBwrFouM8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-05-29+at+1.03.52+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9shH4Ww0u3726G_EgbcX_nm7-kLLby9WxUyg0ZP5iZSPVIiLPHoCJCuGj81sjvnjXU48te4iVc5H-cN61RhFZhFhuJGHY2IrWWqkTJTeI9ZDo-4RuXwY7A814m3EUL49TSOBwrFouM8/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-05-29+at+1.03.52+AM.png" width="416" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">{I think he really loves his Daddy Daypack. I know it definitely makes him less weary of carrying around baby gear, knowing especially that he doesn't have to be seen with the flowery design of <u>my</u> Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag}</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: We had a neighborhood Memorial Day block party this weekend and our neighbor and friend Lisa brought over some of her watermelon slushee {with vodka} and gave me a sip. I swear, I took the tiniest sip, and although it was delicious, I couldn't help but freak out and rinse out with water. What a spaz I turned out to be.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>It's still the same -- sleep is generally good, despite being interrupted several times a night by frequent bathroom trips.</span></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: Right now, I'm just really missing not getting backaches and side cramps. With a baby who is not only growing physically but also seemingly growing more antsy and more demanding about what positions she likes me to be in, it has become increasingly hard to get comfortable in any position. Still not complaining, but definitely just missing having some semblance of painlessness in my body.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: This week, not only do we have class 4 {of the series of 5} of Lamaze, we also have the first of two pre-baptismal classes too. We want to ensure that Cam gets baptized very soon after birth, and these classes are mandatory at our church for any parents looking to baptize their children. Both J and I feel that it is extremely important to raise children with a knowledge and faith in God, and the earlier we can do it for Cam, the better.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">-------------------------------</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">All in all, we are counting down the very short weeks until Cam's arrival. We are excited that the shower will be here in a week and a half. After that, the cerclage removal will occur the week immediately following... and after <i>that</i>, we will be at 37 weeks = FULL TERM! She could arrive any minute after that!! What an exciting and glorious and blessed time for our family!</span></span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-39865640997475932532012-05-22T23:17:00.000-07:002012-06-20T15:41:49.330-07:00What is Love? A Lesson for Our Baby Girl<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Dear Camden,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We are so close to the day we get to finally meet you in person. Throughout this pregnancy, I realized how true it is that every parent worries about their baby. Right now, our worry is getting you into our arms safely, healthily, and happily. I know that when you are born, we will constantly be worrying for your safety -- are you breathing? Are you eating well enough? Is your poop supposed to be this color? Daddy and I have met with your pediatrician last week, and we've warned her that the question "Should I be worried?" will be coming out of our mouths quite often.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Outside of that, we worry about how you will grow up. Parents want their children to fit in, to find themselves comfortable in their own skin, and whether as a child or an adult, we want you to find love. We want to teach and instill love in your heart so you know what to look for, what to expect, and what you deserve.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">As your Daddy and I celebrate our anniversary today, I look forward to your life and I wish for you</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The kind of love that opens your door and pulls out your chair even after 5 years of being together</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The kind of love that wakes up at 2 a.m. just to help you take some Benadryl during an unexpected allergy attack</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The kind of love that checks your car gas level and fills up your tank at 10 p.m. because you are going for a drive in the morning</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The kind of love that argues with you because you are not napping enough</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The kind that gives you a leg and foot rub without expecting one in return</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A love that turns off his video game even during an intense battle because he sees you are in bed and decides to cuddle with you instead.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A love that goes out of his way to pick up treats for you {and your future baby} on his way home from work -- just because.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A love that lets you get angry as you think he has nothing planned for your birthday, just so he can keep up the surprise that ends up being an item being crossed off your bucket list</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A love that listens to you vent and spin out and then just holds you when you're ready to cry</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Most of all, I wish you the kind of love that cherishes the person you are, encourages you to be the best version of yourself, and one that you know will return yours forever.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaP9V8Gr4kPvqmO-p9ZAVgNF2NvTbWjx1wjgOmf7sAsFrz5_izs59Mv3wQnT5kfEp0Jsi82mDZ4LqOz-baYX1bmVpQZeP7d8ziYzkDehRhcR-JAiCw6ZKP9HspH1TiXVaQM4i9IgDYB-E/s1600/AngelaJohn0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaP9V8Gr4kPvqmO-p9ZAVgNF2NvTbWjx1wjgOmf7sAsFrz5_izs59Mv3wQnT5kfEp0Jsi82mDZ4LqOz-baYX1bmVpQZeP7d8ziYzkDehRhcR-JAiCw6ZKP9HspH1TiXVaQM4i9IgDYB-E/s640/AngelaJohn0518.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Always yours,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Mommy</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
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</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-50580027483600805832012-05-21T23:04:00.000-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.356-07:0032 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgB6P-dI2po/T7rWKf5Qs5I/AAAAAAAAECQ/N1JrwsY0n5E/s1600/DSC_0693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="502" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgB6P-dI2po/T7rWKf5Qs5I/AAAAAAAAECQ/N1JrwsY0n5E/s640/DSC_0693.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>32 weeks! This is the start of month #8!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: +14 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: No cravings this week. I did want and devour pepperoni pizza on Monday, a sushi roll on Tuesday night, and have been eating a slow but steady stream of Oreos, but it's been quiet on the gastronomic front.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: Having very few regular summer clothes that fit my very pregnant body, I've just been stocking up on comfortable bras, tank tops, and dresses to get me through these last 8 weeks. We've been lucky to have weather in the 70s and 80s in the daytime and about 50 to almost 70 degrees at night. Needless to say, my pregnancy shorts and trusty yoga pants have been put to good use these past couple of weeks.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Moment of the Week: </b>J and I were laying in bed and watching TV one night and he had his arm around the belly. Out of nowhere, he felt a strong set of the new breed of movements Camden's been making -- a strong, slow motion motion across the entire belly, like a switch of positions or an elbow or knee going across. From what I read, because the amount of amniotic fluid has peaked, there is much less cushion now between her appendages and me, and now even her slow and smaller movements are more noticeable. Sure enough, she makes sure her presence and movements are known. We have also started saying that she is "Shawshanking" -- her constant ticking movements remind us of the character Andy Dufresne from <i>Shawshank Redemption</i>, chiseling his way out of prison. It feels like she is trying to chisel her way to escape the womb!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: On Tuesday, I had an unforgiving craving: sushi. Poor J had to go and pick up some for me after dinner that night. </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: We are looking forward to our two year wedding anniversary on Tuesday, the 22nd. No, it's not necessarily baby related, but we are proud to be where we are, two years after getting married. We have been through a lot; we have been through as close to hell as it gets and are back to a place of happiness and excitement. We have a great dinner planned at our favorite restaurant and are looking forward to celebrating this wonderful time together. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>Having consciously increased my water intake the past week, my bathroom breaks seem to have doubled. My sleep has been pelted with about five to eight bathroom trips each night, but surprisingly I have been able to still keep my 8-9 hours of sleep. If I go to bed at midnight, I still wake up at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. despite my unforgiving trips to the potty. </span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: The amount of discomfort is now unmistakable. You know that feeling when you eat too much and your belly skin is so stretched that it hurts? That's how I constantly feel now. I have noticed a significant change in my breaths -- shorter and shallower -- and my walk is now an unmistakable waddle. {J did point out that I may just now have noticed, but I evidently I have been waddling for several weeks now.} It is also now at the point where I can't stand too long because my legs start to hurt and my upper body starts to ache, and I also can't sit too long anymore, as I get side and back cramps from having to hold up my body weight. I am actually pretty comfortable for a long time laying on my back, but I'm actually not supposed to be doing so, as laying on your back decreases circulation for the baby -- lying on my side is definitely the best position. Suffice it to say, I miss being comfortable, but I am still thankful for where I am. I am thankful for this baby, that she is happy and healthy and obviously growing.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">As we enter this 8th month, I have so many more things to be thankful for. I've said it time and time again: each day is a milestone. Each sunrise brings another day of growth and development for our baby to be thankful for and each sunset is another day done and closer to bringing our baby girl into our arms.</span></span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-76540866615382157812012-05-14T12:48:00.000-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.370-07:0031 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tmTTHqrNlDs/T7FMa-p-WHI/AAAAAAAAEBQ/-bnZHHEbxp4/s1600/DSC_0688-005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="542" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tmTTHqrNlDs/T7FMa-p-WHI/AAAAAAAAEBQ/-bnZHHEbxp4/s640/DSC_0688-005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>31 weeks . . . we are on the single digit week countdown -- 9 more weeks to go!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: +13 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: My husband and I are foodies. I think that much is a safe statement. So I have to be honest that at this point, it's really tough to discern between what is really a pregnancy craving and what is a craving driven by something I see on TV. For example, the other night, I saw someone making a thin crust pizza on Food Network. Man, it looked amazing. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the evening craving it and Sunday actually fulfilling it. {And to tell you the truth, I thought about it again as I was typing this and just called J to have him bring me home a slice of Costco pepperoni pizza} The point is, YES, the pizza on TV looked so delicious, but was my craving due to seeing it on TV, or was it part of what seems to have been a pregnancy constant of pizza cravings? Hard to tell, right?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: Believe it or not, I actually sat here and had to think about the answer to this question this time and we actually didn't purchase anything for Cam this week {I know! Are you still alive?}. We did, however, receive a few gifts from friends -- one was an adorable pink step stool from our neighbors, Bill & Susie, that their daughter, Samantha, used. {It looks completely brand new and works great to fill a small blank corner in Camden's nursery -- at least in the meantime until Cam is old enough to use it} Another surprise was from another neighbor, Lisa, who came over the other day and dropped off a new Boppy pillow and a new pajama overall for Cam. What awesome surprises from our great friends! As for maternity stuff, I have to say that up until right around this point, I'd been able to get away with wearing most of my regular clothes. Key words: UP UNTIL. These days, the vintage t-shirts that used to fit just fine have now risen up to revel the bottom of my ballooning belly and even what used to be loose fitting shirts are, well, not so loose anymore. This morning, I put on my favorite purple and turquoise flannel shirt and the buttons were not only stretching at the top by my chest {long standing problem, even pre-pregnancy} but now at the bottom by my bellybutton as well. I was prepared before, having so many long-sleeved maternity shirts and cardigans from the previous pregnancy, since it only lasted until the late winter / early spring. Now that the weather is warming up, it's become much more of a challenge to find clothes that not only fit, but also fit the season. Gone are the navy blues and blacks and I've started to replace them with long ribbed tank tops {see <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/03/24-weeks-rounding-third-and-headed-home.html">24</a>, <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/04/29-weeks.html">29</a>, and <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/05/30-weeks.html">30</a> week post pictures}. Last week, I was so excited to find coral skinny crop maternity jeans at H&M to add on to my dwindling options. At least I don't have to go through the rest of the season in drab winter colors.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEfILwe1-eWKcVRnaExPCHV372QYMd8MiIpkfr3PUSnyg9OF1isaZE8gbKieKWapIT1ZscFIruQbQzC6et-4qF70twuxM2oMjBp0bSMq4nGvEazWqcAG-vXp0s1kxCEtzLoHq96Qr-80/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-05-14+at+12.29.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEfILwe1-eWKcVRnaExPCHV372QYMd8MiIpkfr3PUSnyg9OF1isaZE8gbKieKWapIT1ZscFIruQbQzC6et-4qF70twuxM2oMjBp0bSMq4nGvEazWqcAG-vXp0s1kxCEtzLoHq96Qr-80/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-05-14+at+12.29.28+PM.png" width="285" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Moment of the Week: </b>We had so much fun with Cam on Wednesday night during story time. J took his usual post of laying down with his head next to my belly and read to Cam. We must have gotten her at a good {party} time because as soon as she heard his voice, she went nuts. We kept track of her movements and everytime he stopped talking, she would stop moving. He then put his face close to the belly and was talking to her and FLICK! She kicked him right in the nose! Even more, he put on our favorite Van Morrison songs on his iPhone and put the headphones on my belly to have Cam listen too -- and we caught some of her twitches on video!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mTZ334o1W9A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">{You can see the twitches the most at around 0:15 to 0:20 seconds into the video}</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: None! What a good momma!</span></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: We went to our first Childbirth Preparation / Lamaze class last week and it was interesting, to say the least. We covered the tip of the iceberg on most things, which we will learn about more in-depth through the next four weeks. The most interesting part of the class was the people who were there with us. I swear, the range of people went from good and normal to the presidents of Douchebagistan. This week, not only do we have Class #2 on Wednesday, we also had a doctor's appointment today, a Baby Care Basics class on Tuesday night, and then our pediatrician interview on Thursday afternoon. We are booked solid! We don't mind, though, as we know these will just prepare us more for Cam's arrival!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>I can feel this pregnancy heading to a close, for sure! I've been exhausted lately, and despite my bathroom breaks in the middle of the night, I've been able to just hop right back into bed and pass out. In the daytime, my body has felt heavy and tired. Both J and I have been sleeping so soundly that we almost missed our 9:00 a.m. doctor's appointment today! I woke up at 8:24 and bolted out of bed in a rush to get ready!</span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: With late pregnancy comes discomfort, and I think that's all I really miss -- the feeling of being lighter and being able to move around better. Sudden movements cause round ligament pain, swift movements cause me shortness of breath, and eating a little faster than normal has caused indigestion. For someone with a go-go-go personality, pacing myself has been a challenge, but one that I welcome, no matter what.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">--------------------------------</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 25px;">We had our 31 week appointment today and it went smoothly. Dr. Moore didn't even have to check cervical length this time. We're at the point now when he is just checking the size of the belly {approximately 31 cm. = 12 inches}... and according to my research, Camden is about 16-18 inches long from head to toe now. We heard a strong and solid heartbeat today, and Dr. Moore estimates that she is just about 3 lbs. now. He assured us that everything looks great, and that Cam's {and my} growth is right at the average. {Funny enough, with J and I being such Type A personalities, we laughed at our acceptance of the word "average", but we know that in this case, average is GOOD.} In about 5 weeks, Dr. Moore will be removing the cerclage stitch, which will get us even more ready for delivery!</span></span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-54008001049790004272012-05-07T23:52:00.002-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.363-07:0030 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xTHjM2CO8vU/T6df8M2iJ2I/AAAAAAAAEAU/O-H_qD2utcM/s1600/DSC_0692-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xTHjM2CO8vU/T6df8M2iJ2I/AAAAAAAAEAU/O-H_qD2utcM/s640/DSC_0692-002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>30 weeks . . . 10 more short weeks to go!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: +11.5 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: I had to ask J this question because surprisingly enough, I didn't crave anything out of the ordinary this week. Of course, I'm still chugging down a pretty steady flow of cran-grape juice, but he and I agree: perhaps cravings dwindle towards the end of pregnancy? Who knows. All I know is that he is pretty thankful that there haven't been any 1:30 a.m. emergency Oreo trips to CVS as of late.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: I don't know if I can even relay how excited we are that this week that our friends, Craig and Michelle {who are also expecting their twin boys in late July / early August}, sent us the Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat that we had on our baby registry! {J has known Craig for many years, and I met him for the first time in February when we went to Las Vegas for J's work convention. Michelle and I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet, but this needs to happen soon! *hint, hint, J and Craig!*} It was an absolute surprise and it was so thoughtful of them to send the car seat. Another item we did buy this week for Cam is <a href="http://www.sophiegiraffeusa.com/index.html">Sophie Giraffe</a> and a leash to keep her secure. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SO8Qt_ipieE/T6dWHPm9wfI/AAAAAAAAD_I/LGgNYv2iasM/s1600/DSC_0690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SO8Qt_ipieE/T6dWHPm9wfI/AAAAAAAAD_I/LGgNYv2iasM/s640/DSC_0690.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I figure this much -- Pretty much, Baby B has no choice but to love this toy. According to so many moms I have spoken to, <a href="http://www.sophiegiraffeusa.com/index.html">Sophie</a> is a baby staple. {Find out <a href="http://www.sophiegiraffeusa.com/story.html">HERE</a> exactly why} </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I think I am more excited than anyone to have gotten</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="http://www.sophiegiraffeusa.com/index.html">Sophie</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"> {FYI, Craig and Michelle, do NOT go out and buy Sophie. You have a double order coming your way!}</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Moment of the Week: </b>This is going to sound silly and perhaps downright nerdy, so before sharing the moment of the week, I should let readers who don't know that I thrive on a full schedule. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">I have had a day planner since I was 11 years old. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">To me, there is nothing more exhilarating than filling a calendar and / or checklist and slowly crossing off items and events as they get completed. My personal moment of this past week was finally sitting down and registering for the rest of the classes we need before the baby is born and synching J's and my calendars to include all the activities. Additionally, I placed reminders on both our home and phone calendars regarding things that I have to do and prepare before the baby shower and Cam's arrival. Being able to look at our full calendars and knowing we are prepared has added a little bit more ease to our hearts and minds that we are ready for our little lady to arrive. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: On Tuesday, on my way to a maternity focus group in which I participated, I stopped at Bruegger's Bagels and had a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel. It had been a long time since I had smoked salmon, and its flavor along with the cream cheese and the bite of the capers and fresh onions were sooooo delicious. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: This week we are starting the first of the set of five Childbirth Preparation / Lamaze classes we signed up for. I look forward to this particularly more because it's something to keep us busy for the next five weeks and by the time the series is over, I'll be 35 weeks pregnant already! Like I said in <a href="http://www.benchmarksandbabies.com/2012/04/29-weeks.html">my last post</a>, it's easier to look forward to small events and before you know it, the bigger event we are looking forward to is here!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>My sweet little party animal has made the past few nights very interesting, to say the least. Especially because of my nightly kick counts, J and I have been able to peg down a general schedule of when she is awake at night. We've noticed that she's awake {and makes it quite known that she's awake} at around 8:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m., and 1:00 a.m. Her sleep and waking patterns are quite rigid, and it's been good training for me in preparation of when she is born and I will have to be partying with her during those times. Her movements, especially during her 1:00 a.m. parties, are strong and seem very deliberate, and they take their inevitable toll on her Mamma's sleep.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: Both J and I have noted that the belly seems to have grown exponentially during these past three weeks, especially, and with that comes extra weight and extra strain on my body. While I absolutely enjoy every moment of pregnancy {I <i>seriously</i> do!}, the aches and pains that come along with it are positively unavoidable now. I look forward to being able to move more freely and being able to lay on my stomach once Cam gets here.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">--------------------------------</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I realize I probably say this every week, but I can't believe we are at this point already! 30 weeks! With our history in mind, I never thought I'd make it this far. Each week, I closely read and follow articles online and the apps on my phone about fetal development and get more and more relieved as each passing week gives Camden more and more of a fighting chance, should she {God forbid} have to come out early. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">At this point, we are trying our best not to think of worst case scenarios and just focusing on enjoying our little girl, even if she hasn't been born yet. Everyday, J and I talk about her, what personality she has now and what she will have when she's here, and we dream together of what our life will be like when she is born. We often sit in her nursery and daydream of her, and late at night or even when J gets home from work, we lay in bed with our hands on the belly, waiting for her to give us a little swish or flick. I'm sure most couples will agree that pregnancy makes marriage that much sweeter. I may try to fight it <strike>most of the time</strike> sometimes, but I do love how protective of me and the baby J gets. He's always making sure that I take several breaks during the day to lay on my side and relax, gives me the bigger side of the couch to lay on when we're watching TV, encourages me to nap {and sometimes actually tries to plan our day around my naptime!}, and argues {yes, argues!} with me about letting HIM do the dishes!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Needless to say, I feel extremely blessed. There is a song from <i>The Sound of Music </i>with a part that goes:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Perhaps I had a wicked childhood</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Perhaps I had a miserable youth</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But somewhere in my wicked, miserable past</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">There must have been a moment of truth.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">For here you are, standing there, loving me</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Whether or not you should</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">So somewhere in my youth or childhood,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I must have done something good.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">That song always seems to come to mind these days. I am aware and grateful of how I have been blessed with an absolutely amazing and supportive husband, and despite the rough journey we have been on in the past year, we are, this week, so thankful to be that much closer to our "something good."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><i>Therefore, I will give thanks to You, O Lord . . . and sing praises to Your name. </i>{2 Samuel 22:50}</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5540915692640461252.post-63230561393485391882012-04-30T16:05:00.002-07:002012-10-19T00:14:11.366-07:0029 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h61HRBBYkfw/T53vKpvrQkI/AAAAAAAAD-E/pvSdFD374O0/s1600/DSC_0691-004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h61HRBBYkfw/T53vKpvrQkI/AAAAAAAAD-E/pvSdFD374O0/s640/DSC_0691-004.JPG" width="630" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>Weeks: </b>29 weeks! Each week has brought another sigh of relief and thankfulness to God for bringing us closer to our girl, and for keeping her safe in utero.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Weight Gain</b>: +11 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>This Week's Cravings</b>: This must have been the week of the quesadilla. I've made a quesadilla using sharp cheddar cheese and a stove-toasted tortilla on most days and washed it down with, of course, cran-grape juice. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>New Maternity / Baby Purchases</b>: I was so excited to get another set of ruffle butt diaper covers this week. I bought them for Cam to use for her newborn photos from a store on Etsy. For J, his highlight of the week was purchasing the baby monitor. We reviewed many and had a really hard time picking which one to get. With all the options out in the market right now, how do we know what the best will be? Up for debate were the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Angelcare-Movement-Sound-Monitor-Deluxe/dp/B002ZB82CU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1335824602&sr=8-2">Angelcare Baby Movement monitor</a> (which includes a mat that goes under the crib mattress that monitors the baby's movement and breathing), the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Touch-Digital-Monitor/dp/B004B762AK/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1335824697&sr=1-1">Summer Infant Video Monitor</a>, and the Samsung Video Monitor. We asked for opinions of many friends and fellow parents, but in the end, we bought the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SecureView-Wireless-Monitoring-System/dp/B004U5BTJC/ref=sr_1_2?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1335824726&sr=1-2">Samsung Video Monitor</a>. J was so excited the day we bought it, and he set it up in Cam's nursery right away. We absolutely love being able to hook up the parent unit onto our TV and being able to monitor her in the nursery while we watch TV in the other room. Another purchase of the week was a car seat cover for her, as I absolutely hate the covers that come with infant car seats. I bought her a pink minky dot seat and canopy cover. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Moment of the Week: </b>Any and all of Camden's movements are great moments for us. There was one night in particular when I was laying flat on my back and I pulled my shirt up to show my belly and J and I watched as the belly flickered and twitched with each of Camden's kicks and swishes. Moments like that have really made our now required daily kick counts even more fun. Another particularly joyous moment came today after our doctor's appointment. Dr. Moore measured my cervical length today at our routine appointment and according to his ultrasound machine, my cervix went from being 3.17 cm at my last appointment to 2.29 at today's. Although not a trigger for panic on his part, it was definitely a point of concern, so he sent us to radiology to have it examined further {the ultrasound machine at the doctor's office is not as good as the top-of-the-line fancy schmancy one in the radiology department}. On top of his ultrasound analysis, he did do a physical examination and noted that everything did, in fact, look normal, but needless to say, we headed off to the Kaiser hospital in Irvine with quite a bit of anxiety. J tried to keep me calm, but I could not help but be worried. During my last pregnancy, it was during our survey ultrasound that they had found the effaced cervix {initially told to us as just "thinned out"} and I was sent to the same hospital, but in the Labor and Delivery unit. I tell you what, even if Dr. Moore reassured us prior to heading off to radiology that it wasn't anything to be worried about and that the measurements in radiology would more than likely be much different from the one in his office, there is still nothing worse than hearing the words "stat ultrasound" in a situation like ours. An hour into waiting {and an incredibly and painfully full bladder that I was not allowed to empty to go with it}, I was called into the radiology department while my poor husband paced nervously in the waiting room. The radiologist took a few pictures of my little party animal {who, of course, only allowed us to take <i><b>her</b></i> choice of positions and angles} and then examined the cervix. Thank goodness he found that the cervical length was actually 2.9 to 3.2 cm instead. What a scare, but on the same token, what an absolute RELIEF!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r6kHu9lgK_o/T58aOoWeGEI/AAAAAAAAD-Q/b_RjvBJrohE/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r6kHu9lgK_o/T58aOoWeGEI/AAAAAAAAD-Q/b_RjvBJrohE/s640/IMG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Do you see how her eye is open in this picture above??</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwX1SGgMOtunWOETZegZDpE75D7bzQ3M16vltlkpHuWPzxMJHgdENfkRbhGyuiUAzI7H3YmB_buD0jiAQ_hL-h0z8hju2SD7QdmPCrQn0jP8DhkCjLDRfa2v7t-FJSUgnQd8rAhqBSeo/s1600/IMG_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwX1SGgMOtunWOETZegZDpE75D7bzQ3M16vltlkpHuWPzxMJHgdENfkRbhGyuiUAzI7H3YmB_buD0jiAQ_hL-h0z8hju2SD7QdmPCrQn0jP8DhkCjLDRfa2v7t-FJSUgnQd8rAhqBSeo/s640/IMG_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">It was all about the closeups today with our little one!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--yxAyGbYHZU/T58aPmT3GeI/AAAAAAAAD-g/jEgOCAg51_s/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--yxAyGbYHZU/T58aPmT3GeI/AAAAAAAAD-g/jEgOCAg51_s/s640/IMG_0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><b>This Week's Pregnancy Cheat</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">: By my husband's own request, we went out to sushi on Friday. He had a pretty stressful week at work and it was he who was craving sushi this time. Suffice it to say, I didn't do <strike>much</strike> any resisting to his request.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Things to Look Forward To</b>: We are excited to be starting our Childbirth Preparation classes next week. It is a series of five weekly 2 1/2 hour classes every Wednesday evening starting May 9th. The Childbirth Preparation classes are basically the Lamaze classes. An in-depth look at labor and birth, c-section birth, medications, how to be an effective labor partner, relaxation, breathing, pushing techniques, and postpartum care will be covered. J also noted that these next 10-11 weeks will be completely jam-packed with events and classes for us -- and he's right! He will soon be registering for the Daddy Boot Camp class and I will also soon be registering for the Baby Care Basics and Lactation Counseling classes as well. In between those, we will also be having the baby shower, J's birthday, the primary elections {J has volunteered to be a poll worker for the primaries, which means a training / certification class on top of working during the election day itself}, and some pre-baptismal classes we have to take through our church so that we can get Camden baptized very soon after she is born. I know it's going to be a whirlwind, but this is how I thrive -- I absolutely love a full and hectic calendar. I live for this stuff.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Sleep Pattern: </b>Believe it or not, despite the constant sleep interruptions due to my child headbanging on my bladder, I have actually grown accustomed to it, and don't particularly mind it anymore. Like I mentioned before, this is a sign that there is actually a growing baby in there and I am more and more thankful everyday.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #414141; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #414141; font-family: 'century gothic'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'century gothic';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Things I'm Really Missing</b>: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; line-height: normal;">There is a large part of me that misses going to work everyday. Having always had a job since I was 17, there is pride and comfort in making your own money and being able to bring something to the table. Of course, as my husband has reminded me so many times, my job now is to take care of myself and our baby and to make sure she gets here alive and safe and healthy. Don't get me wrong -- being able to stay home and dictate my own schedule is fantastic, but sometimes I can't help but feel insecure that I should be bringing some income home too. Still, I am beyond thankful that J and I are able to have me stay at home and not work right now. I have said this before and I say it again: Not everybody has the leeway to be able to do this, and J and I know that we are right where we need to be -- having me rest at home and prepare our life for the little one who's going to be joining us in more or less 75 days!!!</span></div>Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18179003441416091118noreply@blogger.com1