Happy 2 months Tweedle! (And yes, I am late again:)

My little lady is over 2 months old!  Your second month of life was definitely an adventure!  It started out normal.

You continued to get lots of cuddles from Grandpa Bonnell. 

And Auntie Kory spent her spring break spoiling you!

To add some spice to life, you enjoyed your first perogy lunch!

And met Grandpa Durgin!

You finally fit into the cutest outfit ever that Auntie Kory bought you in Norway!

You love sitting in front of the heater listening to reggae...maybe you are an island baby at heart!

You had your first sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa Bonnell's.

And celebrated your first St. Paddy's day in style!

Then things got crazy.  Since mom lost her job March 10th, and Grandpa Bonnell accepted a job in Utah, we decided to make the journey out with him while he started his new job and we considered a move out west.

It was hard leaving your daddy but it was a big learning experience.  Mommy took care of you almost 24/7 and we really got some good bonding time!

On our travels, you saw Mount Rushmore.  Don't worry...I'll consider taking you back with you can actually remember being there...but honestly, one time was enough for me.  Twice was entirely too much;)

You saw your second cousins in Colorado, along with meeting your great grandma and grandpa, great aunt and uncle.

You enjoyed some Colorado sun.

And then headed to Utah for your first ever hotel stay.

While in Utah, we scoped out the area, and mom had a few interviews.  On a whim, we decided to fly to Reno before heading back to the MN.

We made a stop in Vegas so you could experience the slots.

And then it was time to be reunited with your grandma Durgin and meet her fur baby Fu!

You were pretty smitten with Fu!  I'm guessing your an animal lover like your dad and I.

You met the last of your great grandparents so now you have met them all!

And you are now loving baths and being naked:)  Seriously though, look at those eyes and that cute as hell face!

 You visited your dad's favorite place in Reno.

And then headed home...after such a long and full trip, both of us were ready to get home and see your dad!

Reunited and it felt amazing!

We were home in just enough time to celebrate a special day in your life, your Baptism.  It was such a beautiful and special day.

And you celebrated your first Easter.

Which wouldn't be complete without a creepy bunny.

You are such a joy.  You have started smiling and melting our hearts even more then we could have imagined!  The future is a bit in flux right now, especially as mommy looks for a job, and we plan to embark on a big move.  But the one thing that is constant and wonderful is we are a happy family of three and as long as we have each other, we are blessed!  And we are so lucky to have an outstanding support system.  Makes all the craziness a little bit less crazy and provides calm amidst the storm. 

We are already enjoying your third month of life and I look forward to filling you in!

Loads of love and kisses,

Mommy

Month One (very late!)

To my lovely little lady!

You are already well over a month old, but I'll recap your first month as best I can!

We were so lucky to have Grandma Durgin here for over a month.  She helped love you, cuddle you, and she helped keep mom and dad fed!

You had visitors all the time.  Grandma and Grandpa Bonnell pop in almost daily to give you lots of love!

Your proud daddy has introduced you to some of his favorite things...Patagonia, beer, and all things recreational.  You made your first trip to REI within your first few weeks. 

You did have to deal with a case of thrush, but outside of that, you have been a healthy, happy girl.  Your weight, height, and head growth have been awesome!

You're dad took the first three weeks of your life off to be at home with us and we wouldn't trade that time.  We got to really get to know you and adjust to being a family of three.

We also got to have a lot of fun.  Over the past month, there have been a few tears, mostly due to hormones, lack of sleep, and nerves...but those have been few and far between!  We have had a blast with you little lady! 

Happy (very late) One Month Birthday to our little love!  We can't wait to see you grow over the next few months. 

Love, 

Mommy

Little Lady Charleston

Born February 7th, 2015 @ 4:35 am

Dad and mom are so in love!

Rounding the final bend!

Oh I figured I would fail at updating weekly.  Life has just been busy but I also tried really hard to relax.  And now....we are here!  Baby is taking her sweet sweet time but we should have a baby by end of day today, or early tomorrow!  Crazy!

And as I sit here, in the hospital room, nearing the end, my ridiculous hormones have taken over and I mourn the fact that I will no longer have my little bump.  Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of miserable times, plenty of times where I ached, hurt, felt ill from top to bottom.  But I also tried to stay positive and funny, and make sure to bond with my bump.  And I did!  Which is so outrageously cool!  

I read enough in the beginning to know that not all people do bond with their bump.  There is the end goal, and they focus on that the entire time.  I figured that would be me.  That I would just always focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.  But once I figured out a sleeping schedule, what foods did and did not agree with me, and how I could get comfortable, I was able to truly bond.  And I thank God for the blessing.  

And going into the labor process is a whole mix of crazy and scary again, and I have armed myself with enough knowledge to know that yet again, bonding can take some time.  You are meeting this stranger that has been inhabiting your body.  I am armed with the knowledge of that, but also the knowledge that with time, things come around, and I will be so blessed to have this little girl in my life!  But I know too I will miss having her all to myself and I just would have never imagined myself saying that.  It is crazy how me evolve...and thank God we do.  

And I know there are people who do it alone, and do just fine, but without a doubt in my mind, I could not have done it.  When I was miserable, my husband was there with the biggest smile, the biggest joke to crack, the biggest hug, whatever I needed.  And it was constantly about me.  We generally both strive to make life easier for the other but this was definitely a time where I relied on him more heavily then he could rely on me.  

I honestly could not imagine going through this with another person.  It's truly ridiculous what this man has done for myself and our unborn child.  He will no doubt be an amazing father.  I can not wait to see him in that role.  

So there we are!  A quick little wrap up.  We'll see you on the flip side:)

Under the Wire...36 weeks

I figured I better get this out there as I hit 37 weeks tomorrow!  But let's be real, it's all a guessing game anyways.

Check out those sleep deprived eyes...uffda!

Weeks along: 36.6

Sleep:  Bleh!  I truly dread night time.  I had a Dr.'s appt yesterday and I laid it all out on the table.  I have only been taking 1/4 of a Unisom because I don't want to become dependent and if I take more it makes me drowsy but she said to up the dose so last night I took a half, and slept pretty well.  Well, except for the 1:30 am wake up call of the cat chasing a mouse!  I however successfully caught mouse, relocated to the storage room, went back to pet a bewildered Faith as she had no clue where the mouse ended up, and fell right back to bed.

Miss anything: Alcoholic drinks and eating a full meal...there is just no room at the inn and everything leads to heartburn.

Cravings:  Sweets, peanut butter, apple juice, pickles

Best moment of the week: I would have said the Packer game Sunday had it just ended up better!  But we had a lot of fun with the fam at a local Packer bar so I'll keep it on the list.  And Chaz took some bump pics on Sunday so we will have nice pictures and not just my mirror work that you have all been enjoying:)

A little hike in the woods to get some fun shots!

Movement: Lots of movement and I would have totally guessed baby was breech but she is perfectly settled head down!  Huge win!  I seriously can't describe how good it felt to hear that.  And for some reason, the thought of a c-section never really bothered me.  In fact, I looked at it as keeping some things intact, (and I know it could still happen) but it was a total relief to hear head down.  So I guess the thought of a c-section must somewhere in the back of my mind make me nervous.

Up Next:  Pack Hospital bag and just relax...hopefully we can keep the house mildly clean because I just want to enjoy these last few weeks, catch some movies, maybe have a dinner or two out, and hang out with the hubs, family, and friends.

35 weeks and some change

Hello from somewhere within the 35th week.  I am ready for a healthy happy baby!  And I am 100% ready to be done with pregnancy.  Last night my legs were twitching, my hips were on fire, and I cried for about 45 minutes somewhere between the hours of midnight and 2 am.  And the crying, no clue why!  But I just tried to relax, and let it come.

But it's weird...while I am ready to be done with pregnancy, and I am so ready to meet our baby, my anxiety the last few weeks has definitely intensified.  There have been moments where I find myself worrying about the shock of when she gets here, the potential for postpartum depression, how we'll handle those first days home.  And then I have to tell myself, why the hell waste time worrying.  If it happens, if I'm an emotional wreck, if I go through a period of shock like I did when I found out I was pregnant, I can deal with it then.  No need to give it any of my time in advance.

So for these last couple of weeks, I am trying to focus on relaxing.  On really spending a lot of quality time with my husband, friends, and family.  Baby clothes have been washed and put away, bags are getting packed, and the nursery is coming together.  It is fun playing with clothes and thinking of the little girl that will be wearing them before we know it!

And now, without further ado, bump pics at 35 weeks!

Weeks along: 35

I'm feeling:  I dove into this above but again, it's a mixed bag. I'm sore, emotional, and nervous, but I am also super excited and ready to meet our lady!  It's a really crazy thing to go through, to be so happy and excited but also so scared and nervous.  I will say, for the most part, I just try and go with the flow and it seems to work!

3 Pros of the week: Back on antibiotics to try and clear this sinus infection up, a few nights out with friends and an awesome Sunday at my parents house watching the Packer game!

3 Cons of the week:  My midnight meltdown, the freezing cold, and my hips!

Best moment of the week: Sunday at my parents house-such great time!

Movement: My belly is always moving.  We have moved away from little kicks and flutters to some hardcore fist pumping or something!  I think she is trying to escape.  And the pressure on my bladder is crazy!

Up Next:  We have a few classes coming up over the next two weeks and this Tuesday, as in two days, we have our 36 week appointment where they will do an ultrasound!  Looking forward to seeing our baby and maybe starting to discuss the labor process!

34 Weeks!

We are one week closer to meeting our little lady!  The holidays are always crazy but there has also been some relaxation.  Mostly due to both Chaz and I having colds but either way, we've been trying to get some good rest.

The bump for sure continues to grow!  I have no clue where the space comes from but if my heart burn is any indication, I am guessing my stomach is being given very little room;)  It's only temporary though so who cares!

Weeks along: 34 (baby seems to be more on track now)

Total weight gain: still hovering somewhere between 16 & 20 (I didn't weigh myself before this party started but I have a general idea.)

I'm feeling: The last couple of days there have been a few moments where I feel scared all of a sudden.  I don't know if it is scared to give birth or scared for the craziness of life after birth but before this week, I had just been very go with the flow.  Looking to play some mind games and get back to the go with the flow mood.  Mikey, my super smart brother said, you know you have a challenge to face.  Face it with positivity and it will go much better then if you face it scared or with a negative attitude.  Sounds like a plan to me!

3 Pros of the week: Having New Years Day off and sleeping in, getting together with some great girlfriends, making lefse all by myself! (I wanted to make sure I could carry on the tradition)

3 Cons of the week:  Heart-burn, swollen feet, cold winter weather.

Best moment of the week: News Years Eve with the husband and family!

To Do list: Look up hospital classes, take some maternity pics, finish closet in nursery