360



360-degree - complete; all around


No not the new trick I am trying on my bike, snow board (much to my husbands dismay), or any other object for that matter.  In fact any sort rotation is seemingly challenging right about now.  Our 360 is coming in all sorts of shapes and sizes these days.  We have had quite the "complete/all around" changes showing up all over the place the last 9 months, including but not limited to the all aroundness of my growing belly....which is still a growin! Our lives have taken the 360 degree turn, gradually at the beginning, now somewhat quickly things in the White house are revolving at a very, very rapid pace. 

B-dub and I had a full term celebration party on Monday, we were 37 weeks, some plans had fallen through with our friends that evening, and I was off work!! So I decided to make the most of our evening alone and attempted to connect with my former self and put together some sort of meal for my hard working husband.  Annabelle and I talked it over, and decided it was worth the grocery store trip, sore feet, and swollen legs to make dinner for our main man.  And so we did.  Lasagna it was, and I must say, it was not my typical pregnant disaster of a meal Daddy-dub has grown accustomed over the course of our prego journey.  Maybe out of sheer stubbornness and determination not to screw this one up or by some Grace from above, our full term party dinner was, yummy! Who knew I still had it in me?!?!  Anyway, I digress, just had to pat myself on the back and document in writing I was not a complete culinary failure during my entire pregnancy.

I bring it up only because it was at that dinner both Bobby and I looked at each other and had the realization that with our 360 coming to complete revolution in the next few days, weeks, hours, etc.. that  things were about to be drastically different....

All in a GREAT way, but it was somewhat of a moment to sit there and think, wow, this is going to seem like a faint memory in a few very short days.

In less than 2 years we have gone from engaged, to married, to homeowners, to newly weds, to expecting parents....followed by becoming Mom & Dad.  Unbelievable.  We have been so blessed and so overwhelmed by this growth that has developed and led us to this point, anxiously awaiting our girl,  drumming up all sorts of emotions that are beyond impossible to put into words.  So, so blessed.

So what better time than the present to reflect on our revolution into parenting from where we were to where we are....and what we hope to become.

Somewhere between May of 2009 to Jan of 2011 we went from...

This....

To This....

My Belly went from (if you are squeamish of weird belly pics you can skip over this transition, it wont hurt my feelings)

 This...

Belly at 12 Weeks

To This....



belly at 37 weeks 1 day...Its HUGE, I know, you don't have to tell me :)



My purchases moved from something like

 This....                                                       

To more like

These....

                                                                                     

And our upstairs guest room has gone from

This



(Yes I know there is no picture here, that is the point, imagine a blank room, I promise there are more fun pictures to come just keep reading)

To this....

this....

This....

and finally, this....

YES!!! Our last and final phase of our 360 (aside from the whole labor and delivery thing) was completed this weekend!  Her ROOM!!!  My favorite place in the entire house.  Waiting anxiously for its newest little tenant. 

Our transformation into parents has been a process beyond imagination, I can only imagine what it will actually be like when we do indeed have our girl in our arms!  Come on Little Annabelle, we are so ready to meet you, and for you to turn our world completely around!  We are so beyond blessed to be your parents, excited beyond imagination, and anticipating every day of the rest of our lives together.....We have loved our complete, all around changes you have brought us the last 9 months and are looking forward to a lifetime of more 360's with you.

Just for the record

The past you know, 250ish days have been a learning process all their own.  When started I was like all other first time mom's, unaware, full of questions, inexperienced, well, new.  A few short months later, with one huge learning curve to climb, I feel like there are a few items I have learned on my journey.  Take it or leave it for what you will, these are just a few tidbits, I thought I would share not only to other new moms but to myself.  (Disclaimer, I am not claiming them to be fact, or an expert by any stretch of the word, just a few lessons I learned along the way, with a few more weeks to go, I have a feeling this list will only continue to expand)

Lessons Learned....

- Enjoy every day with your little one in your belly, even the scary, sometimes uncomfortable, and very exhausted days.  It goes quick, so quick.  As I hear so does the rest of life.

- Learn to take a compliment, Learn to take what people think is a compliment, and Learn to take what no one in their right mind would EVER think is complimentary but choose to say anyway.  Ex.  "You look great" say thanks, "You don't look big, just healthy" smile and sip your orange juice,  "Are you having twins" politely say no then try desperately to find somewhere else to go before you scream, "Wow, I didn't think you would get so big, I mean you were just so little before", proudly pat that belly and proclaim, yes we did good!

- Always size up....before when shopping and deciding between two sizes, I would originally say go with the smaller of the two.  That's nothing one run or a little stretching wont take care of.  Pregnancy brings a whole new light.  No amount of stretching will actually stretch those pants that shouldn't have been purchased in the first place.  Give yourself  a little room to grow.  You will grow, that is a GOOD thing.

- Never compare pregnancy weight gain with others.  Its just not good for anyone.  If you were a super hero and gained 20 pounds, good for you.  If you were a super hero and gained 70 pounds, good for you.  No need to go writing home about it.  First off, no one ever really tells you their correct total, second off, if your dr. isnt worried, no one else should be.  Leave it at that.  BUT be prepared for any Tom, Dick or Harry to ask off the street.  Apparently when you are prego social norms go out the window and people feel obliged to ask. 

- Give into your cravings when you have them, but don't try to recreate them when you don't.  For example....When all that sounds good is pretzels and orange juice, by all means go right ahead, but be aware that 6 times from now when you are still trying to eat those pretzels and o.j., it will loose its luster. As it should, its weird. 

- The right undergarment can be a real game changer.  (See point above about sizing up)  If you haven't been comfortable in a month and you realize you are still trying to wear the same underpinnings as before you were pregnant, just go get some that are bigger.  It will change your world.

- Talk to your baby.  Even if you feel weird about it.  It is the only time you have them captive, no interruptions, crying, etc...  So what if the guy sitting next to you in traffic thinks you are talking to yourself, just go ahead and tell him or her whats going on, how you cant wait to meet them, and how much you love them. 

- 2 words.  BODY PILLOW.  I don't even know if you would call it a pillow or a huge monster that takes over your bed, but either way, get one and use it.  Your husband may grow to despise it and it may end up burned or torn to shreds after the baby comes, due to the hatred that has been brewing over the last 9 months....BUT get one anyway.  Your body will thank you.

- Hire a chef :) , if you cant hire one, train your husband, if he is un-trainable, order out, but by all means try and avoid cooking.  One, even if you muster up the courage to cook, by the time dinner is ready your feet hurt so bad you night is pretty much over.  Two, even if it sounds good before you go to cook it, once you stare at it for 30 or so minutes, taste it, stir it, season it - then go to eat it, something happens, because what you thought looked good an a hour ago, and what smelled good 20 minutes ago, just isn't appetizing anymore and you would kill just to eat a pb&J.  I am hoping my domestic urges return once the baby gets here and I will enjoy the culinary process again.....

- Just ask.  If you are worried, agonizing over something, thinking about it, googling it, etc. just ask someone, anyone.  Your husband, Friend, Doctor, Mother, Sister, sometimes ask them all.  It wont hurt.

- Watch out for sneezing attacks....for those of you who have been there you know why.  Enough said.

- Say no to the social obligation every now and then.  Spend the time you would have there with your husband at home.  Nothing is better.

- Go easy on your other half every now and then, despite what your crazed hormones may be screaming at your, he didn't mean to make his socks smell extra bad today, wasn't malicious when he bought you sprite instead of ginger ale, and really truly didn't intentionally make the apples you have been dying to eat go bad in the fridge.  Sometimes fruit just gets old.  He really is trying.  Just let him.

-  Start a blog, because when everyone else is tired of talking to you, you can just write it :)

- Love every moment.  You will never have those moments again.

It's Game Time...Limbo anyone???

We are committed, gotten up the nerve, taken the plunge, goal in sight, and now we are stuck...somewhere between one side of the bar and the other.  Stuck in a GREAT sense, just waiting, in sort of a holding pattern for the momentum to shift and push (no pun intended) us under the bar, and take us from the game to the prize!!  I am READY!

Its the only visual I can really picture to describe the state I am starting to feel myself in. Literally the visual is pretty out there, me + one big belly + no balance, coordination or skill, trying to maneuver under a dangerously low bar....not so much, but figuratively speaking, the limbo it is!  Nerves have set in, I am excited beyond belief, not really on one side of the bar or the other, just somewhere hanging out in the middle, waiting to move! 

I am not really sure what to do with myself these days, do I rest or keep on truckin', clean every inch of my house or give in to the fact that I will be busy when the baby comes so enjoy the down time, read books on pregnancy or switch to baby, exercise or take it easy, shop more or get the things I have in order, stay up late talking to my husband or go to bed early, start new projects at work or start wrapping up some loose ends, figure out if it is even possible for me to be productive at work or do I give in to the fact that I am mainly concerned about my water breaking while I am AT work, look for maternity items or figure out what to do with this bod after baby, pack a bag for the hospital or clean my closet?  Clearly I am confused..... In the best of ways, just really starting to find myself really, really ready for my baby to be here!  In my arms, safe and sound, I am ready to meet my girl.  We have gotten through all my little personal markers I had set for myself, Thanksgiving - check, Christmas- check, New Years - check, birthday - check, it has all come and gone, now its time for the big one....

In theory getting down to the month marker seemed like worlds away when I set it in my mind, I figured by then she could come at any time, I would have things ready, I would be ready, and the days would pass by quickly.  Now that we are here, a month seems like a long time to wait!  I know in reality, it isn't, but I am indulging my non-realistic self here...so go with me.

I know I will miss the days of having my girl all to myself, safe and sound in my belly, feeling her kick all by myself in the quiet hours of the night, the wonder of it all.  Don't get me wrong, I am loving it!  Just a little on the anxious side these days!

We  are now going to the Dr. every week, CRAZINESS!  It has all gone by very fast!  However, the thought of possibly going to the doctor 4 or 5 more times is a little weird because I feel like she is so close to coming (see.... more of my confusion)!  As of yesterday, we are still in the running to have her on her predicted due date, no progress in the labor department, but a GREAT report on all ends.  We have a good healthy girl growing here! Something I am reminded every day not to take for granted.  Thank you Lord for protecting our little one.

The birthday predictions are coming at us from all ends, all get me very excited that she may come early, but may be a little on the unrealistic side, I have to counterbalance the girls in my family's maternal inklings on predicting her to come weeks early with my prediction of one day late :)  Its how I roll.

Our official guesses are as follows:

Jan. 15th - Mom - Grandma Susie (I think she knows this isn't going to happen, she just wanted to have the first date claimed)  This coincidentally is our Child Birthing class day, so I guess if Grandma Susie is right, we will be in the right place, just a little uninformed.

Jan. 20th - Camille - She thinks this is the winner!  Caris was born on the 20th...of April, so they could be birth "DATE" twins, still to me, a little early

Jan 23rd- Alise- She bounced around a few days, but she is convinced Annabelle is going to have a Jan birthday

Jan 24th - Daddy Dub- For obvious reasons, see my week 24 post for more details :), he did say he gets another guess, more on that to come

Jan 31st- My first guess (if B-dub gets 2 I get two right??) and Grandpa JJ's guess, my theory, if she is a January girl, this is the only day I think it could be. 

Feb. 1st - Auntie Shelby's guess, that I just texted her for....I don't know if there is any method to her choosing, but I like it!  I would be ok with a Feb 1st bday!

Feb 4th- Daddy- Dub's second guess, her birthday would be 2-4- 2011, see a theme?  I told you, he's a little nuts about those numbers

Feb. 7th - Her OFFICIAL due date, so I guess this is the Dr.'s guess

Feb. 8th - My second guess, to keep everyone honest....

We have a few more family members to poll, we need to get some predictions from the White's, more on that to come....but until then, here is what we have.

I am thinking about a cash prize for the winner....or diaper duty.  Maybe I will go with diaper duty!  May the best diaper-er win!!!! 

I will keep playing my little game until our big game of limbo is over!  Can't wait for what is to come.....