Bumpdate

By Natalie

Can you believe it? We’re 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Our little girl loves to squirm especially when she hears Brandon’s voice. She’s giving some strong punches and kicks making her presence known more each day.

How I’ve Been Feeling

  • After some recent blood work my midwives informed me that I was iron deficient anemic which explains why I couldn’t stand for long periods of time without feeling clammy and lightheaded. I’ve since been taking a liquid supplement and feel much better. I’m also trying to incorporate some more red meats and dark leafy greens in my diet too.
  • I started to feel claustrophobic and have anxiety at the beginning of the third trimester but the iron supplement has greatly helped. I still get a little anxious in the car sometimes or at church but a fidget cube seems to help.
  • I have never wanted to wear dresses more in my life. I’m actually glad to be in my third trimester in the warmer months because of this and slip on sandals and shoes.
  • I can’t reach my toes well unless I do some crazy contortions!
  • My belly feels very heavy these days.
  • My low back is still on the fritz.. I have one achy spot that my chiropractor stretches amazingly. She suggested I switch to visiting weekly to help manage the pain toward the end. I couldn’t say yes fast enough because I love my chiropractic care so much. I started going to help with headaches and low back pain. I’ve felt so taken care of by her. Before I started going I was having 2-3 headaches a week. Since I started going months ago I have had 2 headaches total. She has greatly relieved my neck and shoulder tension. She continues to help me manage my low back pain and encourage me that it’s all normal.
  • My sleep is so off and I’m amazed at how a woman’s body is built to prepare for baby’s late night feedings. It’s also that I’m so uncomfortable I can’t get to sleep as easily as before. I can get a good 4-6 hours of sleep but usually by 3 to 4am I’m wide awake. I’ll snack and catch a British show on Netflix while Brandon and Bing snooze, then I make breakfast. Brandon has enjoyed some early morning breakfast in bed lately. A treat that is sadly very temporary.

What I’ve Been Craving

  • Some of you may have heard of an odd pregnancy symptom called Pica. It’s when a woman will begin to crave non food items like chalk, dirt, detergent, etc. It’s usually a sign that you’re body is lacking some other nutrient. I’ve had a stint of it myself and was very surprised the day I started craving a wooden popscicle stick. Not the popscicle itself, I simply wanted to chew on the stick. A couple days later Bingley and I walked by a construction site and I was hit with a huge waft of lumber. I could have sat there all day and sniffed the air. Since my iron supplementation I’m chewing on less popscicle sticks as I’m not craving them anymore however the smell of wood and construction is still intoxicating to me. I’ve loved all the Lowe’s trips we’ve been taking since closing on our house. That store smells like heaven to me these days.
  • I also can’t stop chewing on ice which is another non nutritional food substance under the category of pica. It drives Brandon mad when I’m shaking up the ice remains in my water bottle, breaking them down so they’re prime for chewing.
  • Still loving grapefruits and any other citrus.
  • Cereal and ice cream randomly but nothing too out of the ordinary.
  • I haven’t had too many cravings lately that I want all the time, more often it’s when I see or think of something then I have to have it. You know, something like Rita’s.

What I’m Most Looking Forward To

  • Setting up the nursery!
  • Delivering in the birth center.
  • Brandon finally being able to hold her.
  • My mom coming down to Charlotte early to stay with us, so she can be here for go time!
  • All of our family and friends meeting this little miracle.
  • The look on her Nana’s face when I tie a hand me down bonnet around that cute little girl’s head.
  • The support and love we will receive from our wonderful friends who have prayed for this child with us.

From Here On

By Natalie

Now seems as good a time as any for a recap on the last couple months. I’m writing this at the birth center, where we will be welcoming our little girl, having my blood drawn four times over the course of 3 hours for a more conclusive glucose test. Luckily for me I get to pass this time in a more private lounge space on a comfortable couch surrounded by the sound of midwives clicking their sandals down the hallways.

This is what I’ve hoped for when deciding where we would give birth. A place that feels like home surrounded by encouraging women who’s job is to do nothing more than empower the mother I am becoming and create community amongst all us new parents. We’ve been educated here and had the opportunity to share our hopes and fears with others who are due around the same time that we are. It’s provided such comfort as we near the end of this pregnancy.

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New Beginnings

By Natalie

I’m officially no longer a nanny. Which makes me all sorts of emotional because that means I’m becoming a mother myself. Like many of the things in our lives we did not get here by accident. Nearly seven years ago Brandon promised me that one day I would live out my dream of staying home to raise our children.

At the time it was difficult to believe. Coming from a past of empty promises I was nervous about trusting his. Marriage takes a ton of trust and I was just beginning to practice it. Now I can tell you that he’s never made me a promise he couldn’t keep and while that may seem crazy it’s really not. Brandon is a logical guy if you don’t know him. He never made me a promise he couldn’t keep. As frustrated as that would make me sometimes when there was something I wanted I eventually learned that Brandon had our best interests and long term goals in mind all along. He made those tough decisions to say not right now which I now realize has been him leading us well all along. Seeing his promises come to fruition over the years has made it unbelievably easy to walk alongside him and trust him 100 percent.

I feel so overwhelmed by this time in our lives that we’ve prepared for. I feel incredibly blessed to have this time to rest, love on my husband in our final days as a family of two and to prepare for our daughter.

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Timing

By Natalie

We revealed the gender of our little babe this past weekend by cutting into this gorgeous cake from Drip Cake Bar. She’s a girl!!! We’re overjoyed and eager for her giggles to fill our home. I feel such a connection with her now that I can call her by name.

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Montreal – The Food

By Natalie

Friends! It seems that I never officially told you about our food experience in Montreal! Though it’s months later I still feel it’s worth mentioning considering we are the kind of vacationers who love to eat eat eat!

There were so many beautiful cafes filled with friendly baristas. They’d toggle between english and french causing you to believe you were half a world away. I wanted nothing more than to sip at each cafe window, eyes fixed on the characters striding up and down the streets. (more…)

First Trimester Recap

By Natalie

15 Weeks

We’ve officially made it to the second trimester.

I wouldn’t say that the first trimester took me by complete surprise. I expected to feel tired and nauseated. What I didn’t expect was the [Squeamish ears turn elsewhere because I’m giving the honest details here.] difficulty I had chewing and swallowing food without gagging. I did not expect how much my gag reflex would come into play with familiar smells like bacon, my spice cabinet and Bingley’s food. I underestimated how exhausting it would be to feel so sick for such a long stretch of time. The transition from the first trimester to the second has been a slow one. “You should be feeling better soon.” Is what everyone told me, but it hasn’t been an overnight change like I’d hoped. (more…)

Blessings

By Natalie

IMG_0574We’re so excited to announce we’re expecting our long awaited dearest little one.

The past year has been extremely difficult for me to write anything meaningful or personal. My personal struggles had been consumed in trying to conceive our first child. I took a big step back from sharing things publicly because what now mattered to me was the support and closeness of family and friends. If it weren’t for their encouragement I wouldn’t have made it through with my head held as high nor would I have seen what God had in store for me during this waiting period. I learned the value of close relationships. Brandon and I became much closer than we already were, supporting one another when the other seemed to wonder what could possibly be the problem. (more…)

Montreal – The Sites

By Natalie

Montreal-068

Montreal has so much to offer for an extended stay. It’s a great walking city which is right up our alley. Everywhere that was too far to walk we opted for Uber which was much easier than renting a car. I’d recommend doing this to any city you visit. We’ve learned through experience that paying for parking can often be a hidden travel expense. In addition to not having to worry about parking the locals know their drivers as well as their streets better, plus they’ve acquired the knowledge of cut throughs. Brandon was much more at ease that he didn’t have to drive and I was much more at ease being picked up on our doorstop and being dropped off right where we intended to be. (more…)

Montreal + Thoughts on Travel

By Natalie

Montreal-115Every time we step out of our comfort zone we’re forced to reassess the direction in which we live our lives. Brandon and I set aside the time to ask each other the tough questions. Are we where we want to be? If we’re not how do we get there? Are we gracious friends? Are we generous enough with not only our income but our time? Are we surrendering our struggles enough? What are our current priorities? (more…)

About That Stephen King

By Natalie

IMG_0533Growing up if J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter was demonic then Stephen King was the devil himself. I’ve had this stigma about him all my life. His books are untouchable. He writes horror, they shouldn’t be read. Until I realized that my goodness I am twenty six years old and I can read whatever I choose.

Don’t worry, I didn’t go straight for It or Carrie because I don’t think they are particularly my cup of tea. Perhaps I’ll read Christine one day simply because that’s my middle name and who doesn’t love a good suspense about a car with a vendetta? Who knows, we’ll see. (more…)

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