Well, friends, here goes nothing!

There's a craze hitting the blog world right now...to create an accent vlog.  I don't really think people from Arizona have an accent, but I do say some of the words differently from those I've seen, so maybe that means I do have an accent of sorts.  The instructions are posted below so you know what I'm talking about.

The instructions are to say these words: 
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught 

And answer these questions: 
What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house? 
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball? 
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called? 
What do you call gym shoes? 
What do you say to address a group of people? 
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs? 
What do you call your grandparents? 
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket? 
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining? 
What is the thing you use to change the TV channel?


There you have it!  Hope you all join in, too!


xoxo

Welcome to Motherhood

If you had asked me, I would’ve bet that I was going to have a small-ish baby (6 lbs or so), born a few weeks early (in April) and that I was going to have an easy delivery (after all, my mom had natural births with my brother and me). 


I was wrong on all counts. 


Viviana June came into the world on May 11, 2011 after a scheduled induction weighing 7 lbs 12 oz. My delivery was not easy, but thank God it was fast. 


Now I know what you’re thinking…7 lbs 12 oz isn’t huge and this is a true statement. But at barely 5’3” with a small torso, I just didn’t think I could grow an almost 8 lb baby. I was clearly in denial, look how big my belly was just days before delivery. What did I think was in there?!








I’d like to promise that I’ll be back with all the details of what we’ve been up to the past 4 months since last I stopped by this ol’ blog here, but I think I know better than that. So I’ll only promise that I’ll do my best. The past months have been the biggest whirlwind of love, tears, stress, family, happiness, and joy that I’ve ever experienced. 


Welcome to motherhood.

Vivi
5/11/11
9:02am
7lbs 12 oz 20 in 

 - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Final Countdown

Well, friends, we're in the final countdown.  My due date is May 12th...exactly one month from today!  I can't believe we'll meet our little girl in the next month!

We're as ready as first-time parents can be.  We have the car seat, crib, stroller, a closet full of clothes and two hearts full of love for this little person who is going to complete our family. 

Hubs and I had an awesomely laid-back weekend, just soaking up our time together.  We went to dinner at a Spanish restaurant, we saw a movie, we went for a walk.  You know what, though?  As great as it was, it feels like we're waiting, like we're missing something.  I know it's her...we're just waiting on her.  We're already a family of three and we're just waiting on this baby girl to make her arrival. 

Speaking of her, I should formally introduce you her. We've had the name decided on pretty much from the time we found out the gender. 

We wanted a name that was unique yet classic, strong and feminine, something that could be said in both English and Spanish...and Viviana was the perfect fit in our minds.  June is my grandma's name, who embodies those unique, classic, strong and feminine qualities and who all-around is one of my most favorite people on this planet.  To be able to work in a family name - and her name, no less - was the perfect bridge to her name. 

We call her Vivi ("Viv-ee") or Viv for short and I'm sure we'll come up with other fun nicknames once she gets here and we see her personality.

So there you have it, friends!  One month and counting!

Weeks 31-33

Well hello again!

Apparently I can't seem to blog consistently to save my life.  I am a little distracted with this growing belly, so please forgive me.  Let's start with a quick recap, shall we?




Week 32



Week 33



Week 31 was my baby shower which I will recap in another post, so stay tuned for those pictures.

How Far Along: 34 weeks last Fri, but I'm recapping 31-33

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 16 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Most of my maternity clothes are pants/long sleeves and I'm really resisting purchasing more clothes.  So in other words: if it decently covers the bump, I'll wear it!

Gender: Girl!

Movement: All the time!  I imagine she's getting pretty cramped by now.

Sleep: It's difficult to turn from one side to the other, so I wake up more frequently.  But I have no troubles falling or staying asleep otherwise.

What I miss: SUSHI. I want it like whoa!

Cravings: Still loving Hubs' PB&J sandwiches.  Also, hot dogs.  So random, I know.

Symptoms: A little heartburn, a few leg cramps.
 
Best Moment This Week: On March 19th we had the most beautiful baby shower hosted my by mom, Sara Cate and two of my oldest and bestest friends.  It was such a special day to have all our closest friends and family around to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our sweet girl.  I can't wait to share the details with you!

Weeks 27-30



Week 27

Week 28



Week 29

 Week 30

How Far Along: 31 weeks last Fri, but I'm recapping 27-30 

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 15 lbs

Maternity Clothes: Mostly maternity, but now that I have my closet unpacked, I found some regular shirts that still cover the bump. 

Gender: Girl!

Movement: She is active pretty much all the time, which is awesome because it means that friends and family have been able to feel her. 

Sleep: I'm so exhausted at the end of the day, sleep comes easily.

What I miss: I'm back to missing ham sandwiches.  It's my first request for when she's delivered!

Cravings: PB&J sandwich for breakfast, made by Hubs.  I don't know why but he makes the best PB&Js ever!

Symptoms: I've had some heartburn, but nothing that a few Tums can't cure. 

Best Moment This Week: We had an ultrasound on March 1st that showed Baby Girl was breech.  After doing some 'exercises' (which basically consisted of me laying on my head) we went back in on March 8th for another position check and she had turned.  So we're pretty much locked, loaded and ready to go!

 

This next weekend is our baby shower, which I couldn't be more excited for!  I can't wait to share pictures and details with you all, so stay tuned!

Hello and Giveaway Winner Announced

Hi all!

I'm sorry to have been gone for so long (I know, I know - excuses, excuses).  We've been tackling the house and I'm happy to say we are done with renovations/painting!  And we're mostly done unpacking!  We hosted our first garage sale this past Saturday, which was a major success.  We sold just about everything that we had out and got some extra cash to put towards furniture.  Win-win!  Looks like we will have everything in place before this baby makes her debut.  Hallelujah!

I have been remiss in anouncing a winner for the Apothica Giveaway.  So without further ado, the winner is....

Elena

Congratulations and thank you all for entering! 

Also, I have a new layout courtesy of the amzingly talented Jessica at Diamond Doll Design. 

She is so easy to work with and has such a creative flair.  She put together every item of my 'wish list' and I'm absolutely in love with what she designed.  Please stop by her blog and give her some love!

I'll be back later on with a pregnancy update.  We're getting close...if I'm lucky I have 9 weeks left, although I'm banking on more like 7 (my mom was exactly 2 weeks early with my brother and me).  Eek!

State of the House: Part 1

So as you know, we moved.  We started this move on January 22nd and are still not yet done.  For a visual, the house currently looks something like this:

 



Family room



Living room



Living room



Except worse.  We now have every piece of clothing we own laying across all of the above surfaces. 

You see, we are in the process of rebuilding closets in order to create more useful space for storage.  So instead of one hanging rod, we have built-in shelving units and double rods in all 3 closets.  The end result will be glorious.  We can see it more and more everyday as progress is made.

We are also painting.  Every wall, door, cabinet and all the trim.  The house was built in 1985 and although it has been painted/updated by previous owners, it still has a very heavy feel (notice the cabernet-colored wall in the family room pic above?).  We are painting the trim and doors white, walls will be shades of taupe-y gray (minus the baby's room which will be pink!), and cabinets will be a steely brown.  Here's an idea of what we're choosing:

And for a reference, I drew out the rough floorplan in Excel (what else would you expect from this analytics geek?):

I have some before/after shots that I'll work on posting this week. Fingers crossed we can start to unpack some things this next weekend! My nesting instincts are in full effect...12 weeks until our sweet girl is due and I have a feeling she's not going to wait the full time. So I'm banking on more like 9-10 weeks as the deadline to get everything situated/organized. Which sounds like a good amount of time, but to this mama? I just feel the days melting away. So here's hoping I don't drive myself, my mom (only the best interior designer out there!), or our poor contractor crazy.

Week 26

***Don't forget to enter the Apothica Giveaway here by Tuesday, Februrary 22nd!***

How Far Along: 27 weeks last Friday, but I'm recapping week 26.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 14 lbs

Maternity Clothes: I finally bought some long-sleeved maternity tops at the Gap sale a week or so ago.  They are perfect for work and give me room to breathe.  Hallelujah!

Gender: Girl!

Movement: I almost always have a foot (at least I think it's a foot) under my ribs on the right side.  My next ultrasound is on March 1st so I'm curious to know her position.

Sleep: I'm so exhausted at the end of the day, sleep comes easily.

What I miss: Nothing.

Cravings: Regular Coke, which I've never liked let alone craved.  And, no worries to the Mommy Police, I don't drink that much/often.  Just enough to enjoy the fizzy sweetness.

Symptoms: None.

Best Moment this week: Attending our first birthing class last Thursday.  It's crazy to think this little girl will be here in 12 weeks!

What A Weekend!

***Don't forget to enter the Apothica Giveaway here by Tuesday, Februrary 22nd!***

Friday morning I woke up with the chills and knew I was either suffering from something drywall-smell-related (due to the recent drywalling of our master closet) or I had caught the bug that my dad had earlier in the week.  By 5am it was confirmed: stomach flu.

Hubs took me to my parents house (our house is still being worked on so there was no rest to be had there) on his way to work and I camped out on their couch.  I was worried about dehydration affecting the baby again, so I called my OB and she phoned in a prescription for Zofran.  Thankfully, that is a miracle drug.  I was able to keep down Pedialyte and chicken noodle soup.

Saturday was more of the same - hanging out on the couch, watching TV and sleeping. 

Sunday we slept in, started laundry and planned to meet my parents and Gram for lunch only to find out that someone had broken into our car on our driveway and stolen Hubs' briefcase.  Yes, at our new house.  In an otherwise-safe neighborhood.

So Sunday afternoon went from laid back to frantic in 0.2 seconds.  We called the police, insurance company, banks and alerted the credit bureaus (he had checks, an old ID and work things in the briefcase). 

Thankfully the window was replaced by Monday afternoon.  Just in enough time for a celebration in honor of my mom's birthday.  We met up with my parents and Gram to see Just Go With It.  It's funny, sweet and predictable - exactly what we needed to finish out a crazy weekend!

How was your weekend/Valentine's Day, lovelies?

Apothica Giveaway!

I'm a huge makeup fan.  Like I would own every product out there if I had unlimited funds.  My absolute favorite makeup line?  Bobbi Brown, hands down.  Here are some of my favorite products:

I use the Skin Foundation for a smooth, even base (with bonus SPF 15 protection!).  Depending on where I'm going, I'll mix it with my moisturizer for more sheer coverage or apply it with a foundation brush for a more polished look.  The best part is that it never looks caked on or unnatural.

I also love Bobbi Brown's eye shadows.  The Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow gives the perfect glow without looking too metallic or glittery.  And the best part?  You can create your own shadow palettes for easy use and storage.

I'm excited to announce that Apothica has teamed up to provide a lucky reader with a $25 gift certificate to their site, which offers the Bobbi Brown products I have listed above as well as many others!

To enter the giveaway, you must do at least one of the following:

• Write on Apothica's Facebook page (Bonus entry if you opt in to Apothica's Newsletter)
• Tweet about Apothica (Bonus entry if you tweet about this giveaway)
• Write a post on your own blog about Apothica (Bonus entry if you write about Bobbi Brown)

Yes, you can be entered up to 6 times to increase your chances!  Just leave me a comment letting me know what you did to enter as well as your email address so I can contact you if you win.  Contest closes Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011.

Good luck, lovelies!

*Images from Apothica's website.

Week 25

How Far Along: 26 weeks last Friday, but I'm recapping week 25.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I have an appointment next week, so we'll see what the number has risen to (yikes!)

Maternity Clothes: Really, about now we're going for whatever I can find that actually will fit me.  Our house is still a mess of boxes, which makes finding clothes next to impossible.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: There's a full-on dance party every night.

Sleep: I've been so sleepy this week!

What I miss: Nothing.

Cravings: Desserts, which is strange since I'm much more of a salty over sweet kind of girl.

Symptoms: I had a flair of pregnancy acne, which drives me batty.  The 15 year-old in me just can't deal with skin problems (I had my fair share when I was younger, trust me).


Best Moment this week: Definitely having Hubs feel her dance around my belly.  This little girl has him wrapped around her finger already!

Week 24

How Far Along: 25 weeks today, but I'm recapping week 24.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 10lbs at my last appointment.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity pants, regular shirts.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: I feel her all day long, except she's pretty quiet in the mornings.  I'm hoping this is a foreshadowing of her sleep patterns when she's born.  I love to sleep in, so I'm hoping she does, too!

Sleep: I sometimes wake up with sore hips from sleeping on my sides, but no major complaints.

What I miss: Nothing really comes to mind for this week.

Cravings: Coffee (all decaf!), eggs and bananas.

Symptoms: I've had to take it easier than I'd like in regard to the whole moving process, but thankfully we had amazing help to do the heavy lifting and lots of people to remind me to rest/relax.

Best Moment this week: Having strangers ask me if I'm pregnant.  It's fun to 'look pregnant' - people are so nice to you! - and I love that they are sure enough of the pregnancy to ask about it (meaning: hopfully I no longer look like I just went hog wild with Christmas sweets)!

Big Moves

Hubs and I have been looking for a home to purchase off and on since last Spring. We looked casually - but often - so we were able to get a good idea of what we were looking for in terms of size, layout, price and location. With Baby Girl's arrival set for Spring, our hunting efforts were kicked into high gear. Luckily (or I should say divinely), the perfect house came up in the perfect location at the perfect time. After a few negotiations, it was under contract to be ours. Here is the part of the story in which I gloss over the 6 weeks' worth of back and forth between the sellers/realtors/bank/us that ensued.  I'd rather it go down in the books as an "all's well that ends well" type of situation. But if you have questions or care to know more about the process in general, our process specifically, or anything real estate/mortgage process related, just email me!

The long and short of it is that we closed last week and moved 98% of our belongings last weekend (thanks to our amazing family and friends who did more than we could have imagined!). We are going to paint all the walls, trim and cabinets - so basically every surface of the house - and we have bids out for a few minor renovations to the kitchen and master bath/closet. So until we figure out the game plan for those items, everything will be staying in boxes for the time being.  And trust me, folks, it is a sea of boxes.

I'll post some pictures later on so we can document this journey from beginning to end. Oh, wait, did I just hear one of you out there say that you don't care? Well then I'll document it for myself. Just so I remember not to move while 6 months pregnant ever again in my life. But for reals, this should be fun. And I'm hoping you think so too!

Weeks 19-23

 Hello, friends!  Happy New Year! 

It feels weird saying that considering it is the 21st of January, but a full month has passed since last we caught up.  After finding out baby's gender, we had a whirlwind of the holidays, a trip to San Diego/Disneyland, a hellish few weeks at work and an illness thrown in the mix.  I am happy to report that everyone has returned to full health and things have slowed down at work for now.  We have some exciting things in store around these parts in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!  But, for now, a recap of what we've been up to... 



  



19 Weeks



20 Weeks



21 Weeks

23 Weeks

     

 ***I must have missed a 22 week picture when I was sick.  Please forgive me, but no one wanted to see me that week.  Trust me.

 

How Far Along: 24 weeks today, but I'm recapping weeks 19-23.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 10lbs at my appointment last week.

Maternity Clothes: Maternity pants, for the most part (after my Bella Band incident).  I found some great Liz Lange for Target Maternity work pants that I loooove.

Gender: Girl!

Movement: We have a very active little girl!  Hubs has been able to feel her move for a few weeks and the look on his face when he does just never gets old.  It does seem that she is getting close to my rib cage and causing me to be a little short of breath at times.  Yikes for the next 16 weeks!

Sleep: No complaints.

What I miss: We went to Disneyland over New Years and I missed riding the fast rides (but only for a bit) - it was so fun to be there and I was still able to get on some of the slower rides. 

 

Cravings: Multigrain Cheerios, Chana Masala (we love us some Indian food!), and frozen yogurt.

Symptoms: I did make a trip to the hospital, which was a little scary.  I had gotten sick two weeks ago and spent a full weekend in bed.  I didn't get enough fluids and ended up with some contractions that had me up all night worried.  So Hubs and I went in early the next morning to get checked.  They gave me 2L of fluid, a Motrin and monitored us for a bit.  Everything turned out fine, thank goodness.  I learned my lesson about staying hydrated!  I am really good about it when healthy, but obviously missed the mark when sick.

Best Moment this week: Baby girl has been getting lots of new clothes.  My mom spoiled her rotten this past week and we've gotten some really cute outfits from my grandpa and mother-in-law as well.  And Hubs and I couldn't pass up the cutest little party dresses we found on sale at H&M either. 



We're having a...

GIRL!

Most importantly, she is healthy and doing well...everything measured on track.  

We couldn't be happier!

Week 18

Thank you for your comments on the furniture in my last post.  I'm leaning towards the modern set today, but who knows what I'll think tomorrow.  Ahh hormones!  Please vote on the baby's gender in the poll on the right sidebar if you haven't already.



How Far Along: 19 weeks today, but I'm recapping week 18

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 3lbs at my last appointment.  I'm sure Tuesday's appointment will show a healthy gain...and by healthy I mean huge.

Maternity Clothes: I love my Old Navy maternity jeans.  If you have suggestions for other maternity clothes, please let me know.  The work pants I ordered from Gap last week were a huge no-go.

Gender: Tuesday can't come fast enough...

Movement: More and more!  Baby seems to have a dance party at night when I'm laying in bed and after I eat.

Sleep: No complaints.

What I miss: Maybe having clothes (pants, specifically) fit me.  I'm not complaining at all as it is obviously for a very great cause but I'm in between regular/maternity pants.  I have a Bella Band that is helping me through the transition.  But I did walk down an entire hallway at work earlier this week with the Bella Band (unbeknownst to me) up at my waist and my pants undone.  You're welcome for the show, hallway-goers.  At least I learned my lesson to readjust my clothing prior to moving away from the privacy of my desk.

Cravings: Peppermint Ice Cream.  Tis the season!

Symptoms: None, still feeling great.

Best Moment this week: Scarfing down an entire Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit breakfast in 2 minutes flat.  Well, maybe that wasn't my finest moment, come to think of it.  But it was pretty impressive.

Girl or Boy?

***Please make sure to cast your vote for gender on the sidebar to the right!  The poll is open through Tuesday 12/21.***

With our gender appointment exactly 6 days, 22 hours, 4 minutes one week from today all I can seem to think of is girl or boy?  We've said from the beginning that ideally we'd like one of each - so it doesn't matter which comes first.  And, of course, we pray for a healthy baby.  But finding out the gender will set a few things in motion.  First, it will help to shape the identity of this little one, so we don't have to call it 'it' all the time.  Second, we'll be able to pick a name (which if you know us, you'll know that we have a 50% chance of this being an easy task).  And thirdly, we'll be able to start on the nursery!

I was perusing Overstock.com the other day and found some great nursery furniture.  I've always gone to Overstock to look for great deals on things like home lighting or furniture like armoires or buffets , so I figured they had to have some good deals on cribs and changing tables.  I hit the jackpot!  Here are some of my favorites.  I know they are a different style/look/feel from each other but I like them both for different reasons.  What do you think?



Modern 3-drawer Changer





Of course I can't find the actual link to
this crib now, but it is from Overstock.com. 
I hope it's not sold out!





Stasia Espresso 4-in-1 Crib





Sleigh Style Espresso Changing Table
with Hamper and Baskets





And for the exciting part!  Overstock has provided me a discount code good for 10% off all Overstock.com products.  Just enter 121728 at checkout.  Also, for free shipping on electronics, enter 202234.

All the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.

Week 17

So Hubs has been on my case for promising weekly updates and miserably failing after the very first one.  I know, I know... In my defense, I was busily working this past Friday to be able to head out of town to ride The Polar Express with my best friend and her family.  Which was awesome, I should add!  So anyway, better late than never, no?

How Far Along: 18 weeks now, but I'm recapping week 17

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 3lbs at my last appointment (although I'm sure it will be much higher at next week's appointment - eek)

Maternity Clothes: I love my Old Navy maternity jeans and I ordered a few more maternity pants for work.

Gender: TBD on December 21st!  I opened a poll to the right of my page - please cast your votes!  I can't wait to hear what you all think.

Movement: I'm pretty sure I've been feeling the baby move!  It's hard to tell as a first-time mama, but everyone (my mom, Twitter friends, my What To Expect iPhone app...) is assuring me it must be the baby.

Sleep: Excellent, except for waking up 1-2 times to use the bathroom now.

What I miss: Hmmm, not too much this week.  Maybe still missing beer :)

Cravings: I've been on a Salt & Vinegar chip craze.

Symptoms: None

Best Moment this week: Feeling the baby move around!

Christmas music FAIL

I love Christmas music.  So much so that I've been listening to it since the beginning of November on Pandora.  Now that they play it on 2 local radio stations?  I'm in hog heaven.

One of my favorites is Baby, It's Cold Outside.  Doesn't matter which version...I just love the catchiness of the music and lyrics.  Problem is that I've been singing it wrong for like ever.  Instead of "...at least there will be plenty implied", I've been singing "...at least there will be plenty of pie".

Umm, FAIL.

I've got it down now, thank goodness.  Too bad it took me until now to figure that one out!

xoxo

Week 16

Thank you all for the sweet comments you left on my last post and on Twitter.  I feel so blessed to have such a great community of blog friends to share our good news with! 

The cards you saw in the picture of my last post were what we used to let my family know about the baby.  They each say something different: green eyed or brown eyed, fair skin or olive skin, football player or cheerleader, April 2011 or May 2011.  I put them in plain envelopes and we passed them out to my mom, dad, brother and SIL.  They were a little confused when they opened and read their own cards, but got it quickly after putting them together. 

I'm going to do a weekly recap - please feel free to skip them if you don't want to read them.  I just really want to document this journey.  I am borrowing fellow soon-to-be-mama Megan's format of recapping the prior week.  So, without further ado...

How Far Along: 17 weeks today, but I'm recapping week 16

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 3lbs at my appointment last week

Maternity Clothes:  I bought a few maternity pants that I'm mixing into my wardrobe; otherwise, wearing my normal clothes with a Bella Band.

Gender:  TBD on December 21st!

Movement:  I haven't felt anything yet, but my trusty iPhone app tells me it will happen soon.

Sleep:  Excellent, except for waking up 1-2 times to use the bathroom now.

What I miss:  Beer (no joke!) and Wildflower Bread Company's Honey-Cured Ham & Swiss sandwich.

Cravings:  The spiciest of foods, above and beyond my usual penchant for spice.  Thanksgiving weekend I was dipping everything in straight habanero sauce.
 
Symptoms:  None (knock on wood)...I feel really great.

Best Moment this week:  Not much has happened this week, so I'll borrow from last week: we heard baby's strong heartbeat - 155 bpm.

One last thing: while I am so grateful that this is happening to us, I am very aware of others who are struggling.  I guess I just wanted to acknowledge that - and to say that my thoughts and prayers have been and continue to be with you.

xoxo