all i want for christmas is my little leta-bug

Unbelievably, Christmas is in exactly a week, and my daughter will be 10 mo's old Christmas Eve. I don't really even understand how it can be, but it really does just keep getting better and better when it comes to Leta. The amount of love that I feel for that little girl makes my breath stop, makes my chest clench up, and makes me feel like I could burst, it's so intense. I guess I'm starting to understand what people mean when they say "you never knew you could love something like this...". Uh, yeah - check.



As a family, we're still faring the same. TJ and I are working a bunch, trying to get some house projects accomplished (we're actually finally starting to wrangle in our yard!), make money out of thin air for christmas presents, birthdays and vacations, and somehow, find time for each other. Despite all of that, I think our relationship is smoother and stronger than it's ever been. I feel like we've come through the growing pains of our relationship changing, with the addition of a very demanding little housemate, and we've hit our rhythm both as a couple and as parents.



As far as Leta goes, she's simply amazing. The biggest "new" of this past month, has been Leta taking her first steps by herself. It seems crazy to even say, as she's still so tiny, but there it is. She had been standing by herself for the past month and about two weeks ago, she took her first step. It's quickly progressed to several steps at once usually ending in a stumble one way or another. Tonight she stood up at the coffee table, turned, let go and confidently walked to the adjacent armchair. No stumbles, no lunges, just walking. She went nuts giggling and bouncing - so proud of herself. I don't know how long this process usually takes, but it seems like she's progressing very quickly. I think we'll have a full-fledged walker in the next couple of weeks. Seeing that she's never really crawled, TJ and I are just in awe of what's happening. Other than that, she's got 6 teeth, her hair is getting longer ever so slowly and she says "hi dada", "mama" and "what's that". She's amazing.



More after Christmas - maybe after New Year's too ;)

and she's off!

It's just after 9 at night. The baby's been in bed for an hour, the ice cream's already been scooped and eaten, and I should be sitting down to some computer work. However, I thought I'd check in here and honor my promise to try to update on a more regular basis. The week's been a little nutty. I'm working more and more as Leta gets older, which is great, but it also means less time for me and TJ, less time for errands and housework, and pretty much no personal time. Ahhh, the sweet rhythm of my new life... ;)



As far as things go that are wonderful and easy and impossible to truly complain about - it's all about the Leta-bug. Somehow, she's 9 mo old tomorrow. I'm finding it hard to explain where the time has gone and to wrap my mind around the fact that in 3 months, I'll have a one-year-old. In the meantime, Leta's busy being a rambunctious 9 mo old. She's still doing her "army crawl" and trying her hardest to walk. Lately she's been walking circles and circles around the coffee table, adventurously lunging from one piece of furniture to the next and cruising around in her walker. She's got a mouthful of new teeth and her hair's finally long enough for me to put little rubber bands in the top. She laughs easily, eats everything and just seems to genuinely enjoy all the newness and excitement of life. As you can tell, I'm still completely smitten.



I'm really excited for the Holidays this year, with Leta in the picture. Not because I can't wait to buy her gifts and dress her up, etc. More along the lines of I'm kind of excited to see what the Holidays are like as a proper little family. I've done the corny things that now just feel cozy and bring a smile to my face - like order personalized Christmas stockings.... I just can't wait to start little traditions that will become part of what Christmas is to Leta as she grows up.



I'm sure any checking in I'll be able to do will be light with the aforementioned Holidays looming, but I will be back! :)

Why, hello again :)

Yes, yes, yes, I KNOW. I haven't posted in forEVER. I'm a bad "blogger". I blame it all on work and husbands, and that little red-head in the living room with the two new bottom teeth!

I've thought about posting again, even really wanted to, but just the simple act of trying to figure out where to start felt...overwhelming. Lots of things can easily feel overwhelming these days. Things like cleaning my house, getting some exercise, getting my work done on time. Not terrible on their own; they just quietly add up and add up, then - BAM - overwhelmed! Anyway, I'm not feeling overwhelmed right now, and I miss having a little record of what's going on, so I'm going to make a go at keeping up with this on at least a somewhat regular basis. no promises





So, to bring everyone up to speed, Leta will be 8 mo old at the end of this week - insert gasp here! - and she's really amazing. I KNOW!, what a cornball thing to say, but that's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my experience with her right now. I say right now, because, in honesty, it's been a journey to get to this point, with some lows that I hadn't anticipated. Those first few months are tough, man! Even with a good baby - - just tough. I think I can understand why #2 might feel like a breeze. I want to say that the hardest part of it all was the early on adjustment to life as 3, as parents, as caretakers of a totally helpless being FOREVER. I think that by #2, you've already got that portion of it all figured out. For me (I want to say for us, but I better stick to just speaking from my perspective alone) it was a very difficult transition time from who we (TJ and I) were then and are now, as well as a massive transition time for myself. Lots of introspective musings on my new role and who I was a woman, etc. Anyway, I think all 3 of us have hit our stride now, and for the most part, are moving along smoothly and happily these days. Let's talk more about the mini!



Leta, leta, leta is just amazing! She's so smiley and fun and just has her own little unique way of doing everything. She isn't crawling yet and seems determined to move right into walking instead. She wants to stand and play, has started walking along the couch and coffee table and is constantly trying to wiggle her hand out of yours when you hold hers while she's walking about. She's got this crazy feather fluff of strawberry blonde hair on top of her head and electric blue eyes and these two silly little teeth on the bottom! She waves at everything that moves - and a lot that doesn't, loves to see her reflection, and babbles to all of her toys. She's an amazing sleeper and a short-term napper, and full of energy and excitement when she's awake. She loves her swing on the front porch, walks in the evening and pretty much every kind of food we've given her. Oh, and her cheeks are made out of marshmallows (maybe her thighs are too). We're so smitten.



There's so much more to say, but I guess that at least gets the ball rolling on this thing. Let's chat again soon, k?

12 weeks

Thought for the day.....
After several t-shirt changes and a couple of outfit changes for her - all before noon - one begins to questions the mere physics and biology of that much coming out of someone so little ;)

11 Weeks

It's been forever and ever since my last post, but frankly, time's a scarce commodity these days! My little Leta bug is nearly 3 months old, and I can say with all truthfulness that it just keeps getting better and better.



Leta started sleeping through the night (11pm-8am - give or take a 1/2 hr) this week, and I am slowly regaining my sanity - - although, I still speak all jumbled up half the time. I swear this might be permanent brain damage from the sleep deprivation of the first month.....you think I'm kidding.... I can now speak about that first month without the urge to crawl into a little ball and rock back and forth. It was flippin' hard - and we have a good baby! I don't know how mother's of multiples, parents with colicky babies, or single moms do it. Seriously. All hail those people. It was flippin' HARD. I "know" that we want to have another baby at some point, but when I think of having to live through the 3 weeks of every 2 hour feedings, I just want to die. It is SO SO much easier now that Leta can go through a day with a max of 5 feedings. I remember one specific day, early on and when Leta was going through a growth spurt, when I counted how many times I had breastfed in 24 hours and it was 15. No joke. I wanted to cry - still do when I think about it. Thank god I had a husband that was around for the first month (he took a full month off from work to be home with me and the baby) truly trying to do everything in his power to help out. I know that was a rare gift and it's one that I need to remind myself of everytime he leaves a half-finished project lingering around the house....



I can also say, truthfully, that I dealt with some "baby-blues" the first 2 or 3 weeks. I've never been one to deal with hormones gone wild during periods and whatnot, but my emotions were out of control those first few weeks at home and I fully blame it on the hormone levels that hadn't yet settled down. I'm talking about absolute, uncontrollable crying. U.N.C.O.N.T.R.O.L.L.A.B.L.E. Like, during dinner. For no reason. Unexpectedly. - - - Well, maybe there was the reason that my life was turned upside down, but usually I can manage that type of stuff without sobbing. Out of control hormones freak me out. All is well now, coincidentally - and if I'm caught crying these days, I darn well meant to. :)



I've gotten past the shock of the "foreverness" of the situation and now can't really imagine my life without Leta in it. The best part is that it's starting to feel like my life again. Some days are still totally overwhelming, but for the most part, it's just back to the grind. TJ and I are both working, laundry is getting done, bills are being paid, pictures are being taken and we're getting ready to go on our first big family trip! We'll be heading to S.Illinois for TJ's annual family reunion in just a week from now. Should be interesting, seeing Leta's dislike for car rides (this trip requires a 5 hour ride there and back from Chicago after a 2 1/2 hr plane ride), but we'll survive.



As for Leta's leaps and bounds, she's smiling and "talking" to us all the time. As mentioned, she sleeps through the night in her own room and wakes up being the happiest kid you've ever seen. She squeals, but we're still waiting for a laugh (god I can't wait for that day!). Leta had her first little road trip with mommy and daddy last week (to Ft. Myers) and first hotel stay. It all went great to be honest (except for the part where I was bfeeding her in the car and she pooped out of her diaper on me and the seat and then vomitted all over herself and me in one fell swoop, but that's a whole other story). That coincided with her first swim in a "big" pool, as opposed to the little one we bought for her at home. She holds her head up incredibly well and loves to stand up (with tons of support of course).



My kid's rad.

6 weeks

Number one - I'm so in love with this little blue-eyed, strawberry-blonde girl, that it's incomprehensible.


I find it hard to update this blog because I feel like so much happening that there is too much to document. Too much to even know where to begin. In so many ways, everyday goes quickly and she eats, sleeps, spits up, poops, cries, smiles, and the day is done before we know it. Within those mundane functions though are all of these amazing moments that I just don't know how to describe. She's lovely and I'm really a lucky woman to be able to witness her learning life each and every day.

In the more particulars of day to day life at the Poole household....
We're approaching 6 weeks! Little mini's a month and 1/2 old and is changing at such an amazing rate everyday, right before our eyes that it's breathtaking. She is becoming more and more alert - really looking at us and the world around her. She LOVES windows, lights, the fans and her plastic links toy (which is the most simplistic, cheap toy, btw). She's also taken to the baby bjorn and the sling but is still really hating the stroller and car rides unless she's so knocked out asleep that she doesn't know what's going on. She holds her head incredibly well and, despite the fact that "What to Expect..." says it's the worst thing ever, is sleeping very happily on her tummy. She's smiling a good amount, coos, and is starting to make these squealing noise. She also snores like a fat, old drunk man. She's sleeping well - usually 4 hours when we first put her down for the night, followed by 3 more and we're into the next morning - so not so bad. Oh, and she LOVES the tub. She just zones out with this funny little smile on her face. It's awesome.

I'm doing well, aside from the mega-bags I have under my eyes (which I'm scared will take years to fade away). I went for a run (jog) for the first time this past week - - trying to tighten up my flab-dominals. I have a doctor's appt on Tues - my final post-partum check-up. Hopefully me and my whoo-whoo can have a rest already - FINALLY. I start back with work this week too, and feel pretty up to the challenge of scheduling out our super hectic lives. It'll work because it has to.

All in all, I'm fully enamored with my new little family. Life is so sweet.

1 month

So, so say a lot has happened since I've last updated here is a bit of a gross understatement. My last entry was chronicling the final hours leading up to the big trip to the hospital. At this moment, I'm typing with my 1 month old daughter sleeping (snoring) in her sling hanging from my neck. I feel that there were too many experiences to try to recap them all now. I've just been too busy to fill in the blanks over the past few weeks. Too many emotions, too little sleep - - and when I do have the free time, I didn't want to be strapped to the keyboard. Most know my "delivery story", so I really don't feel the need to recap that once again, and I'm eager to start updating on our present-day life. We're learning on our feet and Leta seems to be thriving, so we can't be screwing up too badly. :)

Leta's pretty much amazing. Her little personality is coming out more and more each and every day. Her physical abilities change from day to day as well, which always leaves me wondering what she'll blow me away with next. I'll deal with a few hours of crying just to see one smile creep across her face (which, luckily, we don't have to deal with that often, incidentally). I'm heartbroken that a month has already gone by, because I can only imagine how quickly the rest of them will go as well. Never has my life seemed more meaningful to me. Let's start there. I'll try to start updating again regularly, as I'd like to start chronicling Leta's life with us for my own memory. In the meantime here are the vitals and some pictures of how she's grown over the past month:

Birthdate: Tues., Feb. 24th 5:49pm
Weight: 7 lbs. 11 oz.
Height: 19 inches

Weight when we left the hospital: 7 lbs. 0 oz.

1 Month Weight: 9 lbs. 13 oz.
1 Month Height: 22 inches

39 weeks

Ok, so much to cover in a small amount of time. As you can see from the pictures above, Leta and I have been doing a lot of walking this past week. The walking didn't through me into labor, but it did make Leta drop significantly, as you can easily see in the pics. This left me with a good amount of discomfort, as her head really settled down in my lower abdomen / pelvis. Fun! I worked over the weekend and felt pretty good the whole time.

So we're all set to go to the hospital today and then this morning, I had some bleeding, which has never happened before. It's carried on very lightly through this morning, so I guess I might be in early labor? I'm leaving for the hospital in an hour and 1/2, so I guess we'll get it all figured out!

Very exciting!!!!

little nothin'...

This is one of those surveys that floats around on myspace and facebook, but it was aimed at married couples and amused me, so I thought I'd go with it...

What are your middle names?
Mine is Danielle and his is James. Although, if you were to ask him what TJ stands for, he'd probably tell you Thomas Jefferson, just because he's amused by how many people actually believe him. It's these silly little things about him that strangely make me love him.

How long have you been together?
Married 2 years on Monday and together 6 1/2 years.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
I met him at the surf shop I was working at in December of '01, but we didn't go out for the first time till November of '02. Just a solid year of intense flirting.

Who asked whom out?
He asked me. I absolutely refused to be the one to make the first move, much to the dismay of several people. I felt pretty strongly that if he was interested in me enough it was the least he could do :)

How old are each of you?
For these short few months he's 29 and I'm 28. I revel in these few months ;)

Whose siblings do you see the most?
We're both one of two siblings and his brother unfortunately passed away a few years ago. My sister lives nearby, so we see her on a regular basis.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Ugh. Probably finances? I put a question mark because we don't really fight about them in the traditional sense. It's just a tough, uncomfortable time in life with lots of bills and never "enough" income. We stress about it together (me more than him).

Did you go to the same school?
No mam. I went to Liberty University in VA and graduated in '01. He got his aa at Santa Fe' CC in Gainesville and then went to Florida State Fire College. I think he finished all that up in '00.

Are you from the same home town?
Close. Although we're both from out of state, I essentially grew up in Boca Raton and he in Coconut Creek. I'm originally from CA and he's from IL.

Who is smarter?
We're smart in completely different ways. I tend to be more on the book-smart side while he's got me beat in the street smarts category. Frankly, though, I don't think I could do what he does for a living - for many reasons - but one definitely being the intelligence level it takes for all of the medical knowledge. It'll be interesting to see the mix Leta gets.

Who is the most sensitive?
Wow. Without even a hint of hesitation, me. That's all that needs to be said there.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
It's hard to say, as we don't have one favorite place. I'd probably say, when it comes down to it, it's Thai Sushi Express in Deerfield. Awesome, awesome sushi, hands down, every time.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
France. Amazing.

Who has the craziest exes?
I think I probaby win this one, although, he's has some winners in his past too. I think I'm the only one with a certifiable psychopath though. Lucky me.

Who has the worst temper?
Neither of us has a really hot temper, and the things that get under our skin are completely different. I'm probably more easily annoyed and I tend to stay irritated longer. He gets more upset, when he gets upset, but gets over it sooner.

Who does the cooking?
Mainly me. I enjoy it more than he does. He's kind of relegated to the grill. I also make him make all egg dishes as I always burn them. He makes a great shrimp primavera and he has a couple of other gems in his sleeve, as much as he might try to act like he doesn't.

Who is the neat-freak?
His empty cups and clothes EVERYWHERE drive me INSANE.

Who is more stubborn?
Oooo! I win, I win! (He comes in a close 2nd though)

Who hogs the bed?
TJ does what I like to call a tornado with the sheets in which he wraps them all around his legs and then proceeds to sleep in the middle of the bed. It's not appreciated.

Who wakes up earlier?
TJ for sure. Usually just because he has too, but I love me some sleeping in.

Where was your first date?
We went out for sushi, then to a dive bar with some of his friends. It was great.

Who is more jealous?
I guess me, although I wouldn't consider myself to be a jealous-type person in general.

How long did it take to get serious?
We were more or less serious from the beginning. We had a first date and then a full-blown relationship that started the next day and never ended. There was never talk of seeing other people or not spending most of our time together. I was sure that we were meant to be from the beginning honestly.

Who eats more?
TJ. But I enjoy eating much much more. TJ could live on bologna sandwiches alone. g.r.o.s.s.

Who does the laundry?
I do mine. He does his. Equal rights and responsibilities in this household.

Who's better with the computer?
Neither of us is good with the computer. We're functional. End of story.

Who drives when you are together?
Usually TJ, but not because he's better. I have spent the past 7 years of my life driving all around Florida for my job and I'm more than happy to pass the reigns over to someone else when I can.

39 weeks

No picture for this week up yet, frankly, because I was too lazy to get my stuff together and take one today. I'm anxious. Just very anxious. I want this ball to get rolling! Every moment of the day is spent wondering if that little feeling or that little poke or that new/strange sensation means that something is starting. Something that will end in my having my little girl in my arms. Ughhh. Nothing to report yet. One of my best friends and I took a 4.5 mile walk today, and this evening I was able to feel Leta moving her head around very low in my pelvis for the first time. Literally. I was able to feel her head with my hands. Clear as day. It was insane and made me instantly teary-eyed. Hopefully, this is due to all the movin' and groovin', and you know that I'll be out there tomorrow for round 2. I'd love to get this thing going naturally by the end of the weekend! Wish me luck. :)

38 weeks

So, I'm midway through week 38 and I'm looking at 9 days left. Finally hit that mark of feeling big and uncomfortable. I guess it was bound to happen at some point. I've been feeling crampy, like the first day of your period for a couple of days now. My mom says this is how it all starts, so we'll see. My doctor's been out of town on vacation in Tahoe for the past week and is getting back today, so the goal has been to make sure I don't go into labor until at least tonight (at the earliest). :) I've been beginning to wonder if I'll make it all the way till the 24th. Frankly, I'll be ok if I don't. I just have a few more things I need to take care of work-wise before I'm ready to be off, but I'm also so, absolutely ready to be done with this. I'm still a bit overwhelmed with the idea that I'll have a baby home with us in the next week, but I'm equally excited. I also feel like if I were to do as little as go for an aggressive walk that I might kickstart this whole thing. Let's hope. I might just be starting that regimen tomorrow morning.

37 weeks

Holy Cow, I am SO pregnant!

As of today, I'm looking at exactly 2 weeks from my induction date (which is the day before my original due date). 2 weeks till my little girl's birthday. Talk about holy cow! More about thoughts on being induced in a moment. We had an ultrasound yesterday (I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow) to help determine her size and weight. They told us that she's 6 lbs 6 oz (I'm told that could be off by 1/2 lb either direction) and I'm measuring at exactly 38 weeks. Her heartbeat is right on and we got some fun u/s pictures of her chubby little cheeks and full lips! We also got a full on crotch shot, confirming once again that she is 100% girl! My blood pressure's been just fine this whole pregnancy, and I feel really good, aside from achy hips and the continuing sciatic problem. I've gained 22 lbs so far and haven't dealt with any swelling or puffiness. I woke up with some strange, period-like cramping in the middle of the night and again when I got up this morning, but nothing else to report. I do feel like my stomach is so big that it's going to explode, so the idea of just 2 weeks left really works for me.

This brings me to the issue of being induced. It's funny the reactions I get when I've told people that this is what our plan is. Most of our friends that have recently had children seem to fully understand where our doctor is coming from, and having just gone through giving birth to their first children too, are as eager as we are to just embrace whatever is going to get our daughter to us safely. We've also had our fair share of cool reactions, from both mothers involved and from those who feel like we should let things happen "naturally". The short and sweet of why our generally non-interventionist doctor would suggest that we might induce (again, only 1 day before our due date), is that after 40 weeks a placenta does not function at 100% anymore. Also, if the weight estimates are off from the last ultrasound that we did, as they can be, the baby can start to get so large that I will end up with a c-section, an episiotomy or the baby can be put into distress. He mentioned that after 20 years of delivering babies, he's only had a few still births, but it always leaves him wondering that if they just had gone ahead and induced the week of the due date, if the still birth could have been avoided. I'm due on a Wed and the hospital only does inductions on Tuesdays, so that's how we ended up with an induction date the day before. My doctor is not pressuring me into this and said that we can wait another week if we want to. It's just not his recommendation. Another reason some people are against inductions is that so often due dates are not accurate. Usually the mother is mistaken about the date of her last period, which leads to the wrong assignment of due date. This can lead to inducing up to two weeks earlier than the 40 weeks you think you're at. For me, I'm 100% positive of the date of the last day of my last period, and I and the baby have measured dead on throughout the entire pregnancy. I feel really confident that our dating is correct, so I'm not worried that we're taking her at 38 weeks instead of 40. Last concern is that inductions lead to c-sections. I spoke to my doctor about this in earnest, as I really do not want a c-section if it can be at all avoided. He said that the farther away from the due date (earlier) that an induction is performed, the more likely the incidence of c-sections due to the labor not progressing. He said that a day before the due date, the chance of the labor not progressing naturally from that point out is really low.

So there it is. Maybe I should be surprised that so many people have had such strong reactions to what really was a pretty simple decision for us to make when we weighed the pros and the cons. In the end, like any good parent, we won't do anything that isn't best for our little girl - regardless of how much I would like to be done with being pregnant. As of right now, we think this decision is best for us. Simple as that.

With that, we're on to the 2 week count-down!

36 wks

Week 36, officially 9 mo pregnant! whoo woo! I can't explain how fast this past 9 mo has gone. At times the pregnancy seemed to linger on, but on the whole time has flown by. I'm again writing about the week in retrospect, so I'm actually looking at less than 3 weeks till the big day as of right now. Still no real change with Leta. She's still sitting high and although my cervix is thinning, I'm not dilated at all. I think I'm on my way to carrying to the very end, which is fine.

We started working on really finishing Leta's nursery this week and are pretty much finished. Having that weight off of my shoulders is huge and I feel much more prepared. I spend an entire day this weekend washing her clothes and getting them arranged by size. I got her closet organized and all we have left to do is hang a shelf or two and buy a floor rug. At this point, I just need to make appointments with pediatricians and pack our hospital bags. I can dot all of the i's and cross all of the t's, but I still can't really wrap my head around the fact that the end result of all of this preparation will be taking a very, tiny infant home with us permanently. Amazing.

Anyhow, here are a bunch of pics of her nursery....












:)

Date Set!

We had our weekly doctor's check-up today and got some exciting news. One, my cervix has thinned - not too much, but the doctor seemed happy about it. Two, we scheduled my induction for February 23rd (if she hasn't come by then on her own), which means she'll be born on the 24th! Our anniversary is the 23rd, so that's quite a present for both of us!

She's measuring dead on and we have an ultrasound scheduled for two weeks from now to more accurately determine her size and weight. It's all happening so quickly now!!

35 weeks

Back to basic, somewhat non-notable weeks :) Week 35 provided nothing really new - just a continuously growing, wiggling, kicking and punching little girl! I'm feeling more of the same - bit of an achy back, but otherwise pretty good. I do notice that I've had to slow down quite a bit when I'm out and about, but I'm certainly not unable to do the things I need to do. Work is finally starting to be a little more difficult - just all the up and down and bending, but it's not not doable.

We did our hospital walk-thru this weekend, which was informative, but after having visited some friends who had delivered there, probably not terribly necessary in retrospect. Just something to get us excited. I'm going a little crazy trying to keep straight all that we have left to do. We passed the "one month and counting" mark on Sunday, which felt pretty huge. I alternate between feeling like I've got a ton of time and realizing that I could have 2 weeks just as easily. That's nuts. I've got lists of what we still need for Leta and our hospital bags that I need to pack, and I don't think my mind stops running. I mainly just want her here in my arms - but at the same time am totally not ready. I'm almost ready, but not quite there yet.... Can you see the nuttiness in my brain??

Well, I'm officially stepping into my 9th month. Doctor's appointments are every week now and we're getting into the nitty gritty of actually having this baby. I can't believe it's here already. Time has really gone incredibly, incredibly fast. Our lives are about to change infinitely, and that can happen any day now.

34 weeks

Week 34, in retrospect...



Let's see, what exciting things happened this week? As mentioned, we had our maternity pictures taken by Sarah - check all of them out over at her Brighthouse Photography Blog. We love them, and I think they will be a wonderful keepsake to mark the last few weeks while we were waiting for this little one to arrive. I got all of the baby shower gifts put away in the little miss's room and bought a diaper bag (ie. great yellow, leather handbag from Aldo that should do the job!). The crib came in and we got it all set up with the bedding, although, I need to strip it all and wash it - along with everything else in her room. I ordered her stroller and that should be here within the next week or so. We set up the pack-n-play in our bedroom, which we'll be using as a bassinet. That was pretty crazy, really. Suddenly the reality of the two of us becoming three shot into focus. I actually feel like if she came right now, we'd be able to get through the first couple of weeks for sure. That's a pretty good feeling.

I'm going from doctor's appointments every two weeks (which had been a progression from once a month) to every week starting with my next appointment. This prospect is pretty exciting to me as I think the "once a week's" will make the end of this go really quickly. I've started making lists of what we need to pack in the hospital bag and what we have left over to do before she gets here. While some people feel the urge to clean (nest), I'm feeling the pull to organize! There is still so much left to do, but then again, I'm not sure you're ever fully prepared. You just acclimate and accommodate as the need arises, I suppose.

Leta's getting big these days, weighing in over 5 lbs now. They say she has very little room to move around and that I might notice a decrease in her movements and activities accordingly, but, really, they've stayed the same. Either she's not as big as they're saying she is or she's just really strong and determined! I'm still getting the waterbed belly effect and she's getting into pretty consistent patterns of activity and non-activity. As far as I go, I was told that my iron was on the low side, and am now taking iron supplements to thwart anemia. Hopefully this won't jack up my system, as iron is infamous for. I've been downing dried prunes in hopes of keeping everything at a nice level of normal :) I thought the low iron could be why I've been so ridiculously tired lately, but after taking the supplements for a week now, I think I'm just really tired. She's taking a lot out of me, with all that growing and getting cute. My back is still bothering me off and on - the whole sciatic issue, but it's not everyday. More than anything, I wish I could just sleep away everyday, all day.

Belly pictures!!

My sweet friend Sarah is an incredibly talented photographer and TJ and I asked her to take some pics of our little Leta when she's firstborn. Sarah also suggested that we should do some maternity pictures, and we thought, why not? We did our session yesterday at a pretty park in Deerfield Beach. The weather was perfect - bright and blue - and aside from nearly being assaulted by squirrels, we had a great time. This is a little teaser photo that Sarah posted on her blog (see my blog roll - brighthouse photography)....

Can't wait to see the rest of them!!!

33 weeks

This has been an insanely busy and really all-around great week. First and foremost, Leta's doing terrific. Last doctor's appt. 2 weeks ago she was measuring at 32 1/2 weeks and at today's visit (I'm 34 weeks tomorrow) she's measuring at 35 weeks. I haven't gained a pound in the interim, so it seems that the little girl is growing like crazy! I've gained 17 lbs so far and am feeling really big and round. My stomach is relatively comfortable, but I've been dealing with sciatic problems in my back (my upper butt really). My hips are just constantly achy and I have sharp pains on a pretty regular basis. Bending over is really uncomfortable and I look like an old woman walking at times. Leta moves around all the time and she is my entire stomach. It's absolutely insane looking. I call it my waterbed belly. Big waves of arms, legs, elbows, knees and god knows what else rolling around in there! It's pretty cool to see all in all and it makes me fall in love with this baby more and more everyday. I can feel so much, but I just can't wait to hold her in my arms and touch all of those feet and hands!!



I also had my baby shower this past weekend, put on by all of the lovely women in my and Leta's life. It was simple and nature themed, which was exactly what I was hoping for. The ladies were treated to decadent desserts, rich cheeses, coffee, teas, hot chocolate and champagne punch. I had requested that there be no cheesy baby shower games, which they respected. In the end, the one "game" that was played was pretty neat. A board was set up with my family's baby pictures and TJ's family's baby pictures and a sonogram of Leta. All of the guests had to try to figure out who was who and the winners won some pretty potted flowers. It was very sweet and we got a lot of wonderful and generous gifts to get started with Leta. We're really more than blessed. Here are some pics from the party!