Baby Shower

Yesterday was my baby shower. It was given by my mother in law who put so much time and effort into it that I feel like I owe her big time. It was a very fun, relaxed day that I got to spend with my family and close friends. It was so nice to be able to sit down and chat with so many ladies who are so dear to me at such a special time in my life. I'm so grateful for them and for the time we had.

Now I'm going to brag about the party because, like I said, my mother in law did an outstanding job and I absolutely loved all of the "owl themed" decorations, games, and yummy treats.

For party favors, there was a pink candy buffet complete with baby spoons for serving that the guests could fill little homemade owl bags with.

There were two trees (one on the candy table and one in the kitchen) that housed adorable little felt owls (also handmade).

Side note: Paul and his brother took Liam and his cousin to Chuck E. Cheese and to feed the ducks at the park for some boy time. While away, Paul learned that Liam interacts totally different with him when I'm not around. There are some more "boy" days being planned for the future and I'm really excited about the two of them bonding more.

But while that was going on, I was opening little pink dresses, blankets and diapers. My mother in law acquired this vintage crib from an estate sale a few days ago and she used it as a "drop off" for the gifts. Is that cute and clever or is that cute and clever?

As you can tell, I had an amazing time and I have now resumed nesting and getting my home ready for Brygit's arrival. This post wouldn't be complete without a belly picture. 4 weeks, 4 days until I'm due. Yay!

The big three- oh

I haven't blogged in forever! Life has been keeping me very busy with very fun things. Last weekend I threw a surprise party for Paul's 30th birthday, this weekend is my baby shower and next weekend is our anniversary followed by the month of February where I hope I have enough time to file our taxes, take maternity pictures and finish all baby prep before Brygit arrives. All while extremely pregnant.

My goal is to blog about it all so let's start with Paul's birthday. My poor husband has been mildly sulking in the weeks leading up to his 30th birthday. I teased him a lot but the truth is it must be really hard to say goodbye to your 20s. Life seems to speed up the older you get so you start to dread the celebration of each passing year. So I wanted to do something fun and out of the ordinary to commemorate this milestone while showing him how many people love him and how great his life is. I said that it was me that threw the party but the truth is that I planned it then I got him to the location on time. His family did the rest. Decorations, food, parking their cars down the street, hiding in the dark. It was all very fun and very generous of them all. One of his brothers was scheduled to work that night and he was able to get off work while another drove his family about 5 hours to make it to the party. Seriously the most heartwarming gestures ever.

The party was a blast and we celebrated throughout the week with little things like sushi for lunch,  presents and a date night in the works. Paul has accomplished so much and made so many wonderful memories throughout his 20s. I can't wait to see what his 30s have in store!

The Pause

I was thinking the other day about what it's going to be like to have a newborn baby in my home again. I am a bit more prepared this time around because I know what to expect. I've done it before. I remember that life sort of paused for about a year. And by pause, I mean flipped completely upside down then put back together in a new way that accommodates a baby. During this "pause" everything I ever thought or worried about took a back seat to the needs of my baby. My world revolved around feedings, naps and diaper changes. I slept and ate and showered whenever I got the opportunity which was sparse. I know my baby was a bit more demanding than your average newborn so my pause may have been a bit longer than your normal first time mom but it completely changed me. I never thought or acted the same way again. Liam always came first. I still don't go places at nap time and I still make sure he is fed and bathed before I am.

Of course, things start to get back to a new normal. I eventually found a rhythm and life just got easier. I was so grateful for restful nights, long showers, a clean home, cooked meals. The simple things. But I realized the other day that I've also become a bit entitled. I get frustrated when Liam wants me to play with him while I'm cooking dinner, I'm grumpy in the morning when he wakes up in the middle of the night and needs my help falling back asleep, I'm irritated by dishes in the sink and crumbs on the carpet. I'm remembering how none of that mattered a measly two years ago. I had a job to do and I wanted to give it my all. Nothing has changed. Liam is still my job and I still want to be the best mother I can. Just because he is less demanding doesn't mean that I get to slack on what's really important.

I'm not writing this to be a downer. I'm writing it to be honest about my experiences. No, I don't think I'm a horrible person deserving of the electric chair but I do think that I needed this realization. I need to remember what is really important in life and I need to remember that time flies way too fast to not have your priorities straight. As I stand on the verge of a new "pause" I want to keep in mind that although life gets easier (and better) as my children grow, I want to continue to give it my all.

Autograph Book

All of the pictures on this post were taken with Paul's iPhone so forgive the poor (but impressive for a phone) quality.

We went to Disneyland again yesterday. I know, we go way too often but it's always a good time and our passes expire next month so we are trying to get in all the visits we possibly can. Paul keeps talking about delaying our renewal as long as possible but I'm pretty sure he will want to take Brygit as soon as she arrives. I know I will. Anyway, we have been trying to think of a fun souvenir for Liam to have. We looked into pin trading but it's a bit expensive and we weren't sure he would go for it. So, after some shopping around, we decided to go the less expensive route with an autograph book. He really likes visiting the characters so we thought he might like to have them write their names in his special little book. It turned out to be a big hit. He loved it. Our day went a little like this.

First, we saw Geppetto from Pinocchio and Paul refused to let him be the first autograph so we headed to Toon Town to find Mickey at his house.

We explained to Liam how the whole thing worked and he was prepared with pen in hand as we stood in line.

He then marched right up to Mickey and said, "Here's a pen!"

(I know my child's hair is out of control. He had a little Donald Duck thing going on.)

Now he was really into it and he wanted to find more characters so we waited in line at Minnie's house.

We saw Pluto running around but he managed to evade us which left Liam a little upset until we found Goofy.

Dinner was calling to us right about that time, and so were some more rides so we put the book away until Liam grabbed it out of his bag on the way home and flipped through it a few more times. Paul dated the autographs and inserted pictures opposite of the signatures. We all had a great time with the book and we agreed that it made for one of the best trips to Disneyland ever!

The Darndest Things

This post is all about Liam. What else is new, right? Well, he has been talking up a storm for a very long time now but lately he has been making us laugh a whole lot with the crazy stuff he comes up with. I swear I have no idea where he gets some of these things.

First on the list: "That horse pooped then he stepped in it. That is so gross!" He said this at Knott's Berry Farm a couple weeks ago as we were waiting in line for the stage coach.

And this was the look on his face as he watched it happen.

#2: "Here mommy, hold this. I need to hang on." Spoken just after Paul nearly killed us on the freeway. He handed me the iPhone he was playing with then gripped the sides of his car seat.

#3: "This is rediculous!" This was said while walking away, throwing his hands in the air, after he was told he had to take turns with the TV.

#4: "Mommy, your pajama hurts?" This may be a little TMI but it's my favorite so I'm sharing anyway. Do you remember when I mentioned all the pelvic pressure I've been experiencing this pregnancy? Well, one morning I had a sharp pain and I gasped. Paul asked me what happened and I said, "My vagina hurts." I'm so glad he thought I said pajama.

#5: "People will kill you." This was his answer to the question, "Liam, what did I tell you about going where I can't see you in the store?" By the way, I never told him that.

#6: "Are you serious?!" He says this all the time. Even to himself when he does something he's not supposed to. I guess he's just beating me to the punch. The other day he spilled some candy all over and he said, "Liam Alam Kwaskwi! Are you serious?!"

And though this isn't exactly something he said once or twice I have to mention that my new favorite thing he says is, "It's so beeeeeautiful!" Christmas lights, baby items, new clothes. They are all so beeeeautiful!

Is it too early to be done?

I'm 31 weeks in this photo but I'm pushing 33 weeks at the moment and I feel like I've doubled in size since this picture was taken. However, it's the most recent so that's what you get. I have really enjoyed this pregnancy thus far and my symptoms have been pretty mild or short-lived for the most part. But now that I am 7 weeks away from D Day I feel free to announce that I AM DONE BEING PREGNANT!! I keep telling myself that it's a good thing to feel that way. If I were happy right where I am then I would never last through labor and delivery. It's nice to feel like "bring on the contractions, baby! And not these little Braxton Hicks. The REAL ones!" In all seriousness, I hope she stays in until she's good and ready which isn't now. But I am counting down and trying to give myself little milestones to look forward to so that I don't go completely insane.

At the moment I have heartburn pretty much all the time. Citrus and spicy foods are the worst. They rarely sound good to me anymore. My pelvic pressure has moved down into my legs which cramp up at times. My lower back on my left side near my tailbone has some pain which makes me limp or waddle a lot. Most recently, I slept wrong and woke up with pain that feels like a pulled muscle beneath my ribs on my right side. It hurts when I move wrong or cough (which is awesome since I have a cold at the moment). Brygit is super good at martial arts and she knows just where to kick me to make me double over. I haven't slept through the night due to pain, discomfort, bathroom trips, heartburn and Liam in I don't know how long. You get the picture. I'm ready to get this baby out of me! Not to mention, I am so super excited that I can barely stand it. I can't wait to meet my little girl, hold her in my arms and introduce her to Liam. Becoming a mother the first time was so incredible that I can't even imagine what it's like to be able to experience it a second time. I'm feeling extremely lucky and extremely antsy. Let the countdown begin!

2012

Happy New Year! This year I resolve to be the best mother possible to my TWO children, to learn as I go and be patient with that process, to soak up every moment, to take life one day at a time, to enjoy Paul's family leave and take full advantage of it, to ask for help when I need it, to take "me" time when I need it without feeling guilty, to be more available for my friends, to leave the dishes in the sink or the carpet unvacuumed if it means more bonding time with my babies, to nurture my marriage as it goes through the transition of adding another child, to be more positive, to smile a lot and, as usual, to pray like crazy for God to direct my path so that I'm right where I need to be this time next year.