Yesterday I was all prepared for my mom to come down and visit for the day and Liana and I sat outside to await her arrival. She made quite the entrance, driving her birthday present up the driveway: a yellow and black Mustang convertible! And not only that but she also brought Desiree with her. Liana had the biggest smiles ready for her Grammy and Auntie.


I gave them a tour of our new home (I think I mentioned already that we recently moved again) and there was a lot of chatting and catching up. As our bellies grew hungry I prepared us some of the double cheese vegan lasagna that I made on Wednesday night for Ashton's birthday. I was so excited they both loved it and wanted the recipe!
We decided to get out of the house and go to Dighton Rock Park in Berkley for a walk. I hadn't been there before and didn't know what to expect, but it turned out alright. It seemed like a good spot to have a picnic and the water scene was beautiful, but the paths were a bit overgrown and unkempt. We attempted one of the paths, but Liana was having a tough time handling the hike in her stroller. We visited the museum and signed our names and where we were from in the guest book. There were entries dating back to July 2006!


After Liana had her afternoon lunch, we packed up and headed home to meet up with Ashton, who arrived home from work right around the same time we did. We chatted some more and made peanut butter and homemade jelly sandwiches. Yum!
I was having so much fun watching Liana with her Grammy and Auntie, it was sad watching them go. And soon after they left, Ashton went out to a friend's house, so Ani and I were hanging out just the two of us for the rest of the night. To put an unexpected closure to a perfect day, Liana let me hear her laugh for the very first time! I was playing around with her while she was sitting in her bouncer, and out of nowhere she started laughing. I was so surprised and excited. I absolutely wanted to capture the moment, but my phone and camera were upstairs. Luckily I had my computer on the counter so I opened Photobooth and tilted the screen down toward the floor so the webcam could peak at Liana. I managed to catch just the end of her laughing, but it is still super cute. I immediately uploaded the short video to YouTube so I could share the amazing moment.


It's not good quality video, but it's her first ever laugh! Enjoy!

As my 37th week approached, I decided to crack down and finalize my preferences for my birthing time, and be able to discuss these preferences with Ashton so he knows what I am thinking before we are rushing off to the hospital together. We made a rough list of things that I knew I definitely wanted and didn't want. After a little research I decided to finalize my preferences and create an actual birth plan. I never realized how many details there are to be mindful of regarding birth, until I decided to sit down and map out my own birth plan. I use the term "birth plan" pretty loosely, and should really use the term "birth preferences", simply because we all know my little one on the way is going to be the star of the experience and she will most likely determine how she enters the world, regardless of what I plan. For that reason, not every mum chooses to create a birth plan, but I think there are also a lot of really great reasons to consider it!

Why did I create a birth plan?
I feel that a birth plan:

• empowers me to envision how I expect my birthing time to play out, while also considering second options should it not go as expected.
• will remind me of choices that I made with a clear mind, so I don't have to think about them during intense labor.
• allowed me to discuss important decisions with Ashton so he can be prepared and know how to advocate for me during my birthing time.
• equips medical practitioners with guidelines to follow if I am unable to communicate them myself.
• decreases the chance for a misunderstanding or added stress during my birthing time.
• lets me consider many different kinds of birthing journeys that I may not have even known I had the option to experience.
• is giving me peace of mind during my last few weeks of pregnancy that I have done everything I can to prepare for the big day. 
• enables me to remain involved and be as in control of my birthing experience as I would like to be.

My birth plan.
I created my birth plan using a technique that I conjured up myself, rather than one I found on the web. I created a checklist document that includes a multitude of options for different situations (fetal monitoring, pain management, induction techniques, etc) and then checked off my preferences for each one. I then created a second document with a bulleted list of preferences from the checklist in the form of statements, separated into sections for labor, delivery, and postpartum. The end result is one document, my birth plan, that only includes the options that I chose and isn't bogged down with extra information. This way, my midwife, nurses, partner, etc., can easily see what my preferences are, since they are clearly explained the way I think is best understood and doesn't include the distraction of anything extra.

Just as a quick overview without all the personal information, here are just some of the requests that I included in my birth plan: the use of a birthing tub provided by the hospital, only my midwife and support people be present unless there is a medical need for a doctor--and no medical students, residents or interns allowed, as few cervical checks as possible, to not be offered an epidural or other medication for pain relief, to try natural methods of induction first before any medication (Pitocin) is offered, to not have an episiotomy, to be able to push spontaneously and not be rushed, to avoid vacuum suction or forceps to aid in delivery, to donate baby's cord blood--and in the event that staff are not available to collect a donation, we will wait until the cord stops pulsating for it to be cut, to have immediate skin-to-skin contact and that my baby and I be allowed bonding time before any procedures or exams be done, that my baby not be offered formula or a pacifier and that I will be exclusively breastfeeding, a lactation specialist to help with first time breastfeeding, etc.

I plan on giving a copy of my birth plan to my midwife before I show up at the hospital in labor. That is, bringing it along to my next prenatal appointment (or emailing her a copy if I forget to bring it!) so she knows what my preferences are and can plan accordingly on her end. I will also be sticking one in my hospital bag as a reference for the nurses or other medical staff that may assist in my birth.



I am so super excited that my little girl is almost here! Just 16 days until her estimated arrival. Writing out my birth plan (as well as setting up her nursery!) made things slightly more real for me, and I do feel more prepared. Next step.... packing my hospital bag! I'm going to have a baby so soon!!!

This trimester has seemed significantly longer, but just as exciting and rewarding as the first. This trimester has brought on the most changes and the most decisions have had to be made so far. I've gone through a whirlwind of emotions, but I am still loving every moment of this journey. I still feel like everything has been quite peachy so far, with no major issues or symptoms.

Symptoms: continued acne, cramping and pressure due to baby hiding out in my pelvic area, and terrible nightmares accompanied by night sweats.
Issues that came up: anemia due to an iron deficiency.
Important decisions: not taking prenatal vitamins and getting vitamins and nutrients from food instead (with the exception of iron), not getting a flu shot, giving birth at Brigham & Women's hospital, not getting an epidural for pain during labor, not opting for an episiotomy unless it is medically necessary, and choosing a name for my baby girl!
Improvements from last trimester: breast tenderness, leg cramps and waking up to roll over at night have all gone away, surprisingly! (I'm preparing for all three of these to make an appearance again at some point though). I have probably the same amount of energy, but have more motivation to do "nesting" things like cleaning, baking, preparing for baby, designing her nursery, and beginning a few diy projects.

Like my last trimester recap I will include the highs and lows, beginning with the lows.
Lows: Honestly, the worst thing to happen to me this entire pregnancy is having nightmares that involve my baby. I have woken up terrified, sweating, and crying. The dreams seem so real at the time and it's hard to let go of that when I first wake up, so I just lie there feeling numb, until the thoughts roll away. Luckily, Ashton has been such a great support person and comforts me when he knows I need it, but also lets me ride out the fears and thoughts until they are gone. Luckily, this lasted less than two weeks.
Working six days a week or working longer hours right up until 27 weeks for fear of not having money when I go on maternity leave. That has been a major cause of stress this trimester and I know will only get worse as the time for leave draws nearer. I don't know if I will continue working 6 days after this past week, or if I will even be allowed to at work. We'll see. I am proud of myself for making it to 6 months working so much though!
Stressing about not being able to find an apartment yet and not being able to get out of my current lease. I don't really want to get into this again, as it is still making me really upset to think about. I'm afraid of preparing for a nursery that my baby girl won't get to have. :(
Highs: Continuing our registry at Babies R Us. Reviewing our registry, one of the things I am most excited for is a diaper bag! I know that sounds so silly and I can't even explain why I can't wait to have one and fill it up, haha.
I love feeling her move around all the time. I used to get lonely and miss her because I could barely feel that she was there, but now there's no mistaking it! I was even told (by my doctor) I don't need to bother tracking her movements since she is so active all day. I also love that my belly is getting bigger because I can never be upset when I rest my hand on it, knowing that she can feel the warmth of my hand. I made up a little song that I sing to her in the shower as I wash my tummy. I really love moments like those.
Nesting! I absolutely love it. I feel energized and motivated and purposeful. For the first time so far, I feel "motherly"!! I don't even mind so much with cleaning, and I LOVE being crafty and coming up with little projects. During my first one I was so excited to be painting again!
We have received so many wonderful gifts from friends and family. Several gifts came at Christmas, but we also have friends who have recently had baby girls and were willing to give us their extra goodies. We have tons of teeny clothes already and we haven't even bought anything yet!
I'm still really invested in my blog and am delighted that so many people have taken the time to read it and tell me how much they enjoy it! I can't wait to look back on it all and read previous posts and remember the joyful moments I had. I also secretly hope my sisters will read it again when they are pregnant to see how our journeys compare. :)
We decided on our daughter's name and I wrote it in the snow one day and sent Ashton a picture of it while he was at work (as I am sure you know if you have read my past posts). I am in love with her name already and can't wait for the name reveal at her birth!

Overall, I am loving being pregnant more than any other experience in my life!! There are times when I feel a little heavy, but most of the time I actually feel pretty light on my feet. I know baby is due for another growth spurt any second, so that will probably change and also affect my energy level and mood. I can't see myself getting too upset by anything at this point, but I do still have three months to go! I'm ready for trimester #3!

Sneak-a-peek! My first nursery project.

I wasn't going to reveal this project or post any pictures until I was done but I just can't help myself! I decided to design and hand paint a truly unique, one-of-a-kind set of blocks for my little bump's nursery. Now I know she probably won't play with them (I used acrylic gloss enamel and she will undoubtedly put them in her mouth), but I think they are so adorable anyway and will make a nice shelf decoration to go along with the Studio Ghibli theme in her nursery. The set is going to include 6 blocks, each one based on a different Studio Ghibli movie. As to not give too much away I will only show you one side of the three completed blocks so far.


These are based on the movies: Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Totoro. I am still working on Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky and Whisper of the Heart. They are pretty time consuming and tedious (1 1/2 inch blocks!), but I am loving this project because I haven't painted in so long (I forgot how much I love it even though I'm not great at it), it is very relaxing for me and something I can do to stay busy while sitting, and I have a secret obsession with everything Studio Ghibli. Basically this is a project for the both of us! :)

How far along? 20 weeks!!!
Total weight gain? 8 1/2 lbs
Stretch marks? None
Maternity clothes? None.
Best moment this week? Finally signing up with the Maternity Support Program that my work offers was great, but the best time I've had in a while was playing trivia and bringing out surprise cupcakes at Thanksgiving dinner with my family!!


Keeping my little banana baby in mind this week, I decided to feed her a yummy and healthy banana breakfast!!
Actually blueberry pancakes, but topped with nutritional yeast, chia seeds, flax seeds, of course maple syrup, and obviously bananas! With a side of the rest of the banana. :)

First off, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you all took a moment to think of the things that you are truly thankful for in your lives. There are so many things that bring me joy and smiles and laughter and excitement every single day and most of all, I am thankful to be living a healthy and happy life. I'm truly grateful for all of my family and wonderful friends who have stuck with me over the years. I'm thankful for my boyfriend and all the love he shows me every day, and for our little peanut in my belly. I love you all! ♥


Ashton and I went to my mom's for Thanksgiving, which was a lot of fun, but I wish Deasha could have been there for dinner too. Everyone was of course wondering about the news of our little one and waited as patiently as they could. I waited until after dinner (I'm surprised my mom could wait that long!) to share the news. Before the big reveal, I had my family play a little trivia game with questions that were all about the baby (which I actually only just thought up on one of my many pee breaks prior to dinner!). I came up with eight questions and gave out little treat bags of chocolate truffles as prizes for the person who got the question right first. It was fun to have everyone participate and to see who reads my blog, haha. Desiree got three questions right first and three bags of truffles, and I believe everyone else at the table ended with one bag of truffles. I was surprised my mom didn't dominate the game! Even my little cousin got a bag of truffles for saying "pickles!" before I got a chance to ask the last question, lol. Lastly I got a quick poll of who thought baby was a boy or a girl (2 votes boy -- even though mom lied about her vote, and the rest voted girl) and then Ashton and I went in the other room to get our surprise dessert. Ashton tied a pink ribbon around my tummy and we came back in carrying a platter of red velvet cupcakes with white frosting and pink sugar sprinkles!

I truly am in love with the Ultrasound Diagnostics Center in Brookline. Once again, it was so much fun, brightened up my day, provided wonderful (and surprising!) news about our little one, and we got another ELEVEN ultrasound pictures to take home!!!

Baby got all measured up, including leg bones, arm bones, spinal cord, and head measurements. We got to see the heart, kidneys, stomach, brain... am I forgetting something?! The 3D part was amazing too, being able to see the detail on the face and even peeking in on the brain on accident! lol The cutest part was seeing the bottoms of little feet kicking around in there. And my gosh, we had a little squirmer today! That made the leg measurements a little more difficult, but everything checked out normal and the tech kept saying how beautiful our baby is. :) We didn't get to hear the heartbeat, but we got to see it in action. I remember when it used to be a little flickering spot on the screen, but today it was definitely a little heart pumping in there! She checked out the valves and ventricles and other things that I couldn't really tell what they were, but baby has quite a healthy heart! The doctor came in next to look over the pictures and she peeked around a little herself. I was so happy just to watch baby moving around in there, I didn't care how many people had to come in and look. She also checked out my cervix, ovaries, and everything else around the baby. She could even tell that it was most likely my right ovary that carried the fertilized egg?! They are sending all the info over to my OB office in time for my appointment with my midwife on Monday. Even though I'm sure that it will be a non-eventful 15 minute appointment, I'm still excited about that one too (did I mention I love seeing my midwife?!).

Oh, and don't think the tech forgot to ask if we wanted to know whether we are having a girl or boy! To my delight, baby was in perfect position for us to peek between those little legs and reveal what lots of people keep asking about and what Grandma has been waiting 6 weeks to find out. Well, I'm sorry to rain on everyone's parade (lol), but we're not revealing just yet!! Thanksgiving is too close to not tell my family in person. (Don't be mad Grandma, it's only 8 days away and I'm sure that is something to be thankful for!!!) Everyone else will find out right after the reveal to my family, I promise!

One more week with a secret all to myself. I'm such a sneaky pregger. =P

We went in for our first OB appointment today. I was so super nervous and just wanted to know that my baby is healthy. I filled out some paperwork that I never received in the mail, but should have, then was brought in, weighed, and immediately gave a urine sample. After a short wait (although it felt like a century) the midwife came in and asked if I had any questions before she began. I said I didn't because all I could think about was seeing my baby with the ultrasound. She explained what we would do in the appointment and what to expect in the near future. I had some questions about weight gain and essential vitamins (I will elaborate more on these in another post). She went over the welcome packet and gave me a ton of info to take home and read through. And FINALLY, we were ready for the ultrasound. The moment I was waiting for!

My baby immediately popped up on the screen and was tumbling all over the place! She is so active and completely adorable already. Her feet were up in the air, she was rolling over, moving her head everywhere! We could see the little flutter in her chest that was her heart beating.♥ It took a couple of tries to get a clear picture to be printed. She estimated that my little sprout is just over 11 weeks and gave us a due date of April 22nd. Then she used a doppler to hear the baby's heart beat. The experience was so amazing. We could hear it right away but since she was so active we lost it and couldn't find it again. But I was so happy to hear it for that short time, I was literally brought to tears. For the first time, I felt like something magical was happening inside of me. She gave us the printed pictures and gave us a few minutes alone in the room.

I had to give another urine sample on the way out and then we headed across the hall to the lab for blood tests. The lab tech, Margarita, made it quite an interesting experience! At the end she gave me a pink band aid and some (quite sugary) apple cranberry juice. Finally we headed back to reception and made an appointment next week for a Serial Sequential screening (for Down Syndrome) and then we were on our way! The OB part was about an hour and the lab part was about 15 minutes. Including wait times we were there for probably an hour and a half.