Time for my monthly post!
Ok, so some catch up...
May was filled with good things. A little more restful as I tapered off working with clients and got to work mostly from home transitioning things with the business so I can really take time "off". After my big service month it was nice to slow down. The timing was good as my body is really telling me to do that.
I had a wonderful baby shower organized by Heather and Kristina on Saturday May 1 where so many family and friends were there to share in Olivia's arrival. It was so nice to feel so much love and excitement over this little girl. It was really special and she got lot's of wonderful and sentimental things she will cherish.
Here are some pics...
Look at these cute sugar cubes that Aunt Gayle hand made and sent up for us for the shower! So sweet and creative!
I also had my Derma Bella event the day after my shower! Overall it went really well and was a nice farewell to my clients.
We had another baby class that was informative and Matt made it fun as usual. More good times and laughs. The classes have been great. Some review and some new info. I know a lot of it will come naturally but getting an overview of what to expect and do beforehand helped us both feel a lot more prepared.
Then we had our CO visit, which was really nice and encouraging.. and good timing for me to still participate in service a couple of days. I had a talk CO week as well with Anita which was very lovely and so special to have her back in town at this exciting time!
The next week we went up to Sonoma for a wonderful, relaxing time at one of my favorite little towns of Glen Ellen. It is so quaint and beautiful. It has wineries, a big walking park, wonderful food, and one of my favorite places to stay all within 15 min drive max. The weather was perfectly warm, sunny and slightly breezy. I even swam! And I hardly ever swim... but it was soooo refreshing. It was perfect timing for a get away and to mentally come down off of all the changes and shifts in my life! It worked and felt much better after.
Here are some pics.
Then from there we drove to Brentwood to see Matt's family. It was Alan and Sandy's 25 year anniversary and Gini, Matt's mom , (Olivia's grandma) was coming to town from Arizona. This was really wonderful to spend a couple days with family and for them to see and feel :) Olivia in my belly. They are part of the Punjabe congregation and had a big party thrown for them.
Right when we got back from up north we got some family photos taken at Natural Bridges here in Santa Cruz. It was a really windy day but I really liked how they turned out and we had fun taking them. Here are just a few!
Then I thought.. what to do??... a whole week with nothing planned!??? I know I know, still a bit of energy in me at this point. So I thought a craft night out with some friends sounded fun and relaxing. So 5 of us met up at Paper Source and crafted away. It was so nice and had a really fun girls evening out.
Here we are:
(Christine, Mona, Dayla, Me, Michelle)
We also sold our Camry and got a family car..the Toyota Venza from a previous post's test drive pic. Bye Camry!! It went to a good home and we were able to sell it within 2 days! It was a good car. Speaking of the Venza some crazy lady decided to rear end me already! Can you believe it? All is well, NO injuries at all and not too much damage, but still. An inconvenience and a big bummer for sure, not to mention a little unnerving.
Here is a pic of Olivia growing and growing in my belly at 36 weeks. She doesn't have too much room for lots of leg and arm movement, but I can very often feel her moving and shifting side to side and a few stretches and kicks here and there. Sometimes she just goes to town and gets this burst of movement. It is so neat to just watch my belly move around waving up and over and around. My mom says she is "cleaning house". That's what its like, like she is buzzing around getting situated in her little space and then settles. The coolest thing!
June has brought a whole new adventure. Really getting down to the nitty gritty cleaning, projects, getting things ready for this little girl's arrival. Matt has been nesting more than me even. Doing all sorts of projects in record time! It is great to have things spruced up and to see him so energetic about doing it for his little girl.
We got a great rocking chair from Carl and Carolyn (family) that is just perfect! I was wanting to get a glider, but our house is a cozy one and I don't have room for a lot of furniture, nor do we need a lot. And they can cost a lot. But I don't have a chair or a couch that is very nursing friendly. So when they called to ask if I wanted it, it was just perfect. So comfortable, small, and portable. And with my new nursing stool and pillows I got at my shower, I am ready to rock!
Matt also set up the stroller and car seat and we had a practice session getting it in and out of the base. We have been practicing swaddling and diapering a teddy bear The car seat is officially in the car ready to take our girl home.
It is now June 4th and this month has really brought about changes physically and mentally and emotionally that feel drastic to me. It has made me slow down to what feels like a snails pace, Which is appropriate for now and no doubt longer! Just keeping up with the minimum and really planning and budgeting anything extra, with naps here and there. I really feel crummy if I try to do more. Needless to say I am forced to surrender. As much as Rowena surrenders anyway. :) I have been taking walks but the long hour ones are out of the question as of this week as I paid the price trying to do that and a trip to a few stores. I seriously thought I was going to have to have Matt rescue me from Target just as I got into a few isles. I had to really muster up some energy and mental focus to complete the trip and was so relieved to had made it to my can and my couch after!
It was so wild to actually have that nearly overwhelm my mind and body! This girl is taking over for sure.
Also I stopped my Crossfiting as of last week. I just have no big drive to push and it makes me sore, which keeps me up at night with ice packs, even when I really scale back. No thank you! Walking even just through stores or around the block, and a few squats will do for these last few days. My body really feels like it is locking down, preparing me for the athletic event of my life. So as my doctor tells me to get night and day periods of sleeping since there are no longer long stretches of uninterrupted sleep, due to getting up every hour and a half to use the bathroom and tossing and turning. So Doctor's orders ( and Mom's, sis's, and Matt's): naps it is.
Good news.. I had been having 2-3 bloody noses daily that lasted about 45 min each. This was about a whole 2 week stretch and about drove me crazy the last few days of them. So inconvenient and unexpected. They happened everywhere, usually when I was trying to get out of the house to make an appointment, or at the gym, or at work, in the middle of the night. It got to be a big bother. But they stopped a few days ago and I am so thankful! That has really been the worst of the symptoms up till that point so I do feel so fortunate that way.
Now it is just the up at night very often, joint/hip aches, and emotional and physical fatigue and ups and downs. Not bad for 10 days left, i guess. Glad it is only 10 days left! Ugh... ( I have to complain a little right?)
In fact we had a doc appt. yesterday, and no dilation yet. But it was the most involved appt . yet! I am glad Matt was with me so he could see it all. I got hooked up to a monitor which checked the heart beat and any contractions. There were contractions but they were not active. Just warm up ones. I do feel cramping more, in fact regularly every day which are minor but do get my attention. I am hoping the more prep contractions I have now, the more I will be off and running when active labor hits. I also hoped to have had the exam get things moving, but not yet.... So when will she come? Pick a date! Let's guess. My guess is June 11. Post your guess in a comment so I who I know who you are.
Here I am! 38 weeks!
Bags are packed..
I will share anything exciting from here on out probably in person. But if I get some more fun pic's I will put up a post.
Love to you all!
