What I'm going to miss & not miss about pregnancy!

On my way to work today I started thinking as anxious as I am about having my baby here, there are some things I'm going to miss about pregnancy - believe it or not. So I decided it would be fun to come up with the top 10 things I'm going to miss. So here it goes...

Top 10 things I'm going to miss about pregnancy:

• Sleep - I'm most definitely a sleeper and have been sleeping more than ever during this pregnancy. I always tell myself to not feel bad if I fall asleep at 8pm on the couch since I better enjoy it now! Ahh, I hope I adjust well because I have never been the type of person that can fully function without a good 8-hour night of sleep. :/
• Not having to suck it in - This is the only time in my life where I found it pretty easy to dress. I can wear the tightest shirts possible and not have to worry about sucking it in! Definitely something I'll be missing a lot when that baby fat is lingering...
• Having Lucy all to myself - I love that I am the only one that feels I really "know" her at this point. I know when she's most awake, her little habits, and I love how she never fails to move if I just simply put my hands on my belly. She only ever does that for me as if she knows my touch? We definitely have our own little bond now and soon enough I'll have to share her with the world!
• Eating whatever I want - I've always been fortunate that I don't really have to watch what I eat but I always do. I count calories and will only eat sweets on occasion (and when I can afford to), work out at least 3 x a week, etc. However, that all went out the door the minute I peed on that stick. When else in your life will you have an excuse to be fat? Better take advantage of it while you can!
• The anticipation - I am not one that likes surprises of any kind but I have found the last several months to be one of the best times of our lives. I've loved every minute of preparing for our baby and Mark and I constantly asking eachother what we think she's going to look like, who she's going to take after, what her personality will be life, etc. Soon enough we'll know but I'll miss the excitement that comes before opening that present.
• No periods - What girl wouldn't love not having to worry about this for 9 months?
• Using my pregnancy as an excuse - Ok, so I may occasionally try to use my pregnancy to its advantage if I want to get out of doing something - say, taking the dog for a walk? Hehe. Sorry honey, my feet usually do hurt though!
• Bigger ta-ta's - Another perk of pregnancy I thankfully gained, although I know I better enjoy it now since they won't be staying long.
• Foot rubs & massages - Mark has been amazing about giving foot rubs and massages pretty much whenever I ask. I know it won't last long so I'm definitely enjoying these too while I can!
• Feeling her move - There's nothing better than feeling those kicks and hiccups on a daily basis. I can't wait to see those monkey feet of hers in person that I've seen sticking out of my right side for the past few months!

And while I'm on that note. Here is what I won't be missing about being pregnant...

Top 10 things I'm NOT going to miss about pregnancy:

• The aches and pains - I don't know why but as soon as I started getting a good size belly on me, I started feeling more and more like an old lady. My joints, my lower back, my feet, my heartburn.. the list goes on. Can't say I'll miss this part in the least bit.
• All the attention - I've never been one to enjoy extra attention. I'm a pretty shy person and don't like getting the stares in public. Although, I can say strangers seem to be a lot nicer to you when you're pregnant!
• The fear of the unknown - I won't miss the anxiety that goes along with the following - what will my labor and delivery be like? What if I need a c-section? What if my baby is colicky? What if she won't latch on to breastfeed? What if breastfeeding hurts? Will we be good parents?... You get the point. :)
• Not being able to sleep on my belly - Ahh, I cannot wait that I only have approximately 4 weeks until I am able to sleep on my belly again! I literally think of this every day when I wake up in the morning.
• Food & drink restrictions - I know on Mark and I's first date out post baby, we will be going to our favorite sushi restaurant and I will order all of my favorite raw sushi! Oh, and with a big glass of Pinot Grigio too!
• Being fat - Although gaining weight and eating whatever I want can have it's pro's, it definitely can get old after awhile. Trying things to fit can get hard after awhile! I really do look forward to being able to fit into my old clothes and shop for new fall/winter clothes!
• The crazy hormones - I'd definitely prefer not being able to cry at anything at the drop of a hat.
• Having to pee in a cup so much - It used to be once, maybe twice, a year that I had to pee in a cup. Now it went from once a month, to every two weeks, to every week. Trying to aim with a big ole' belly in the way sure gets tough!
• My linea nigra - My stomach would look a whole lot cuter if I didn't have this ugly, dark line going done it. It's not very pretty! (Not to mention the ugly scar tissue on my belly button from where I had it pierced years ago)
• Having to pee so much! - I swear, I never not feel like I have to pee. There are even times where it'll hit me like a ton of bricks out of nowhere and I feel like if I don't go right then I will end up peeing myself. Definitely not fun. :/

I'll be back to do a 36-week update this weekend! P.S. - Hope you like the new background! I felt it was time for a change and since the weather is finally starting to break and it's starting to feel more like fall, why not an autumn theme? P.S.S. - Tomorrow is my birthday!!! :)

35 week update!

Holy cow.. in 1 more week I'll be 9 months pregnant. 9 months! Ugh, I am certainly feeling it lately. Everyone has always told me the last couple of weeks are the hardest and now I'm starting to understand why. I've been feeling soo uncomfortable lately! Not only does it take me awhile to get around these days but, boy, am I tired too! I'm still getting around pretty good though. I cleaned the whole house yesterday and only had to take a few breaks. Today Mark and I ran some errands in Annapolis (and not to mention he spoiled me for my birthday) and it was definitely a lot harder for me than in the past. Not only does everyone stare at me (like they've never seen a huge pregnant person before!) but I was just soooo hot (why doesn't it seem as if stores don't run their AC anymore?) and my feet were just killing me! I had to sit to go sit in the car and wait for Mark at times b/c I just couldn't stand being on my feet any longer. Ok, this has turned into quite the whiney post. I really am thankful for such an easy breezy pregnancy thus far and I really don't ever complain in person. Well, unless to my husband and here on the blog of course. :) If I don't complain here and there then I'm scared Mark won't think I deserve my nightly foot rubs anymore, hehe.

I had to do a bathroom shot this week since my neighbor was over and I don't think he'd really enjoy my big ole' bare belly in his face while visiting, haha.

So as I mentioned below about my to-do list, I think Mark and I did quite a good job getting almost everything checked off of it this weekend! It's been quite the productive weekend to say the least. Other than having to find white shelves to hang in the nursery and ordering the car seat head rest, we are ready, ready, ready! Her changing station is all ready, her crib is ready, her clothes are organized and hung/put away neatly, all of her bath stuff is organized and put away in the linen closet, her swing, car seat, stroller, pack 'n play, tummy mat, and bouncer seat are all set up and just waiting for a cute baby, her car mirror is installed in my truck, her coming home outfit is ordered and should be here next week, and even her diaper bag is stuffed and ready to go! I'm starting to feel so much better now that we have everything. I probably should have saved some stuff to do for the next couple of weeks b/c it will only make the next 5ish weeks even longer. :/

Here is a picture of her nursery looking in from the hallway. We hang two white shelves to the right of the window so we can put the camera to her video monitor on it as well as her Precious Moments figurines. We're also in the search for the perfect book shelf to go in that corner since she has quite the book collection now!

Here are two shots to the left of her room..

And one more of her crib where you can see we finally hung the Lucy letters.

We're so happy with how everything turned out! Now we can just sit and enjoy it and wait for our spoiled baby girl to arrive. :) Well I'm going to shut down and enjoy the last couple hours of my weekend doing absolutely nothing but sitting my big booty on the couch with my hubby and dog, painting my nails, and watching t.v. See ya next week!

Are you really ever ready?

I'm starting to learn that you can never be fully prepared or ready for anything. I know it's never possible to be 100% ready to start the journey of parenthood but I'm certainly trying to be! I always hear everyone talking about the "nesting" phase (as I mentioned in my last post below) but I didn't know I would be this anxious to have everything in place. I'm always continuing to learn something new about myself all the time and I think I have some more adjectives to add to the list- perfectionist and planner.

I know I have to be driving my husband crazy lately with my long to-do list of everything that needs to be done before Lucy is here. I try to keep telling myself that she is not going to care if the picture frames are hung, her bookshelf is here in time, our closets aren't organized, etc. Of course, I can tell myself all of that but it will still drive me crazy that not everything is in it's place exactly how it should be. 

Heck, I'm driving my own self crazy that I'm keeping myself up at night worrying - what if I don't have enough bath towels for her? What if she needs more clothes? What if I go into labor early and nothing at all is ready? The list goes on. Not only that - but then there's the fact that everything has to be perfect. For example, I've been stressing about what she is going to wear home from the hospital. If you take a look at her closet and in her drawers, an average person would probably just pick a cute outfit. Not Mallory though - instead, I have to spend countless hours online trying to find the most perfect outfit. What 2 day old baby really cares what they wear home? It's crazy. I think it all stems from me wanting her to have everything she ever needs and to make sure she has the best childhood any child could have.

So please tell me this stressing will subside? Some part of me makes me think it's only going to get worse once she's in my arms. I guess this is all part of the saying, "Welcome to mommyhood!". 

Well have a good weekend, everyone! You can find me working hard on getting things crossed off that to-do list of mine. :)

34 down, 6 more to go!

If I had to sum it up in one word how I'm feeling now at 34 weeks, it would most definitely be huge. I feel like my belly is just so heavy now and I'm just carrying around soo much weight. Even rolling from side to side in bed at night is quite the task. My belly literally sits in my lap when I sit and I can feel the weight. I sure hope this girl comes out nice and plump! Here's a pic for proof...

Besides the ever-expanding belly, I am surprisingly still feeling pretty good. I've been having a ton of braxton hicks contractions and those aren't very fun either. I had a doc appt. this morning and all is well. My total weight gain so far is 24 lbs. I was surprised I had only gained 1 pound in the past 2 weeks considering all the sweets I've eaten lately. It just seems like that's all Lucy wants me to eat these days!! Gotta do what makes her happy, right? :) My next appt. is in 2 weeks and then I'm every week after that. Holy cow, I'm seriously having a baby verrrry soon. Whoo-hoo!!

Last week I started the search on finding the perfect pediatrician. I asked around and got a lot of advice and opinions from friends in the area with children. We thought we had it all decided and have one picked, but after talking to my doctor about our decision today, I think she's changed my mind and has convinced me to go with another doctor that she seems to have a lot in faith in! I love her and trust her judgment, so I think we're going to now go with her suggestion. I'm so glad I can now check that off my list of things to do!

Now for the exciting update... this past Sunday was my baby shower! It was seriously everything I wanted it to be. Jen and I schemed idea's for it months ago (I know, I know.. I'm not supposed to plan my own shower but anyone that knows me seriously knows how much I love this stuff so I couldn't resist!) and we decided a lady bug theme would be adorable. The clubhouse we had it at (Stone Point) is very modern with red walls so we thought it would go perfect!

Below is the beautiful cake my mom made. (Lucy's very first cake!) I actually saved the top tier (the ladybug) and froze it. Maybe I'll defrost it on Lucy's first bithday?? But, seriously, how cute is this cake? My mom always does such an amazing job with cakes!

I couldn't believe how many gifts we got! I'm still so overwhelmed trying to put everything away and get it all organized. Mark and I couldn't be more appreciative of everything we got. We do have amazing family and friends and feel so blessed!

My sister-in-law, Staci, made these adorable favors! They were a big hit and I absolutely loved them. Thanks again, Stace!!

And of course I have to throw in a picture of my beautiful niece (she couldn't get any cuter!) and Lucy's first (and only, so far) cousin.

I'm so sad that I didn't get a chance to take any pictures with my camera but fortunately I have been able to steal a few from friends and family. Unfortunately this appears to be the only group shot I was able to take and it was on my friend's cell phone. Here is me with a few of my very best girlfriends.

Thanks again to everyone that came and/or contributed to making this such a wonderful day for Mark and I! It's definitely safe to say that Lucy is going to be one very spoiled and loved little girl. She will definitely always know how blessed she is to have such wonderful people in her life.

On a another note, I want to apologize for not making a 33-week post. That weekend was a super busy one for us as 2 of our good friends got married. And what a beautiful wedding it was! If you don't believe me... look how the bride made her grand entrance...

Congratulations again to the very happy couple, Jessica & Luke! Here's a picture of Lainie and I from the wedding. (Side note: It was a VERY hot day and this was taken after hours of sweating our tush's off so it's not the greatest but it's the only one we have so far of our bellies!) Lainie is scheduled to have Blake on 11/10/11 so it's really exciting that Lucy will have a built-in best friend so close in age. We can't wait to watch them grow up together. :)



See ya next week! I'm off to tackle a little more of getting the nursery organized. (I feel like I'm already in that "nesting" phase I always hear people talking about!)

It's someone special's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Yvonne!

Tomorrow is my beautiful, wonderful, loving, & supporting mother-in-law, Yvonne's, birthday! Since we have a very busy day tomorrow I wanted to make sure I posted this today since I may not be able to tomorrow. 

Yvonne - I hope you have a wonderful birthday tomorrow! You deserve it and I couldn't be more blessed to have such an amazing mother-in-law. :)

We love you! (& Lucy loves her Grandma too!)

Maternity pics!

We just got them back so I wanted to share all of our favorites! Isn't she the best? Please let me know if anyone is looking for a photographer and I'll gladly pass her info. along. :) Thanks again, Melissa!

Happy Labor Day! 32 weeks

Happy Labor Day Weekend!
 

Hope everyone is having a great Labor Day weekend! Sorry I've been MIA for the past 2 weeks. Last weekend we were hit with Hurricane Irene which left us without electricity for about 27 hours. I know 27 hours seems like a lot but there were people in the area that were power-less for up to 5 days! Ugh, I couldn't imagine and feel fortunate that we weren't one of those! So I just figured I'll save the post and do a big update at 32 weeks.

So I had a doc appointment for my 30-week check-up and my doctor wrote us a referral to get a sonogram. I was so excited as she usually doesn't have her patients go until 33 weeks but she said we could go anytime (and we didn't even ask!).  It was so neat to see how much our baby girl has grown since seeing her on the screen at 19 weeks. She's now a pudgy little thing and already weighed 4 lbs! Not to mention, the tech told us she has a good amount of hair already too. We thought for sure we were getting a baldy so it'll be interesting to see how much she'll have. Hopefully I'll be able to put those bows to good use. :) It was so crazy to see how much she resembled her daddy. She definitely has his nose, cheeks, and feet. She has his big lips but my shape lips (and we think my chin too). I just can't wait to squeeze those cheeks and kiss those lips! Here's the best face shot we got. How adorable is she?!

I seriously stare at her pics all the time. I know, I'm crazy. I just look at her and think to myself "That's MY baby!" I just love her to pieces and getting sooo anxious to meet her already! (Daddy is too.. he wishes she was here now!) At 30 weeks my cousin was in town for my Grandma's birthday party and she was able to squeeze in a maternity photo session for us! So far we've only gotten a few sneak peeks back but as soon as she sends me all the rest, I'll post them all for you to see! The one's we have seen so far have been amazing!

Overall I'm still feeling pretty good. Getting a little uncomfortable by the end of the day but I guess that's to be expected. I'm constantly getting the "you're about to pop" remarks already so I can't imagine what people will be saying in 8 weeks when I'm 40 weeks and WAY bigger! Oh well... I'll get as big as I need to I guess as long as my girl is big, fat, and healthy. :) Here's a 32-week shot I took today.

A lot bigger than 2 weeks ago! Well I'll be back soon to post those maternity pics so stay tuned! Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their labor day weekend!