Day #1 - Overflowing with Hope

Have you noticed the ticker up top? The one counting down the moments until I hold my baby? Well, today kicks off "30 Days to Baby"! I am a big believer in the "GUESS DATE" instead of a due date, so 30 days is just an estimate, it could be 10 days ... or 40! I wanted to chronicle this last bit of pregnancy a bit better - my thoughts on motherhood, my fears and the things I am most looking forward too. So here it goes ...

Hope.

This is one of the words I have chosen to focus on during my daily relaxation time. Which, might I add, is usually only 1-5 minutes. I promise I'm aiming for 20 minutes like the Bradley Method recommends, but I'm not perfect, and 5 minutes is better than nothing.

Anyways, hope is such an encouraging word. It has no end. It means I don't have to worry, because there is a promise of a brighter tomorrow. As a soon-to-be mama I am hopeful of so many things ... healthy delivery, healthy baby, quality transition to life as a family of three, success in breastfeedng, a few hours of sleep each night, fulfilling maternity leave, do-able transition back to work, ability to stay at home with my child[ren] someday and much more.

I don't feel like I have a solid grasp on what it means to be a mom yet. How do you put words to something you have never experienced? Even with this unknown, I do understand that this baby, at this time, is part of God's perfect will. That gives me the most hope. Hope that God is in control of my life. He has great plans for this child and as long as I strive to be within His will I will have the power and perspective to be the best parent I can be.

35 Weeks of Hope

Oh Little One ... I can hardly believe that you will be in my arms soon. I can't wait to hear your cry, see your sweet face and wrap my arms around you. Your Daddy is very excited too. We talk about you all of the time and are quickly preparing our home to welcome you. Every day you are getting bigger and I can feel it! Your movements are getting stronger and I can tell you are running out of space. I pray every day that you know and feel how much you are already loved. You have brought new purpose to my life and I can't wait to share all of life's goodness with you.

Reason #286,121 and #286,122

It's true, there are a ton of reasons why I absolutely adore my husband. This weekend he added 2 more ...

1. We ran out of toilet paper upstairs on Sunday night. Being too lazy/pregnant to trek to the garage for more I moved my tissue box into the bathroom for my midnight visits. By the time I got up on Monday morning Dominic had not only gotten a new pack from the garage HE HAD ADDED A NEW ROLL ONTO THE DISPENSER! I use at least 10 times more TP than him, so it was obviously an act of true love to watch out for my TP needs :)
2. With the temperamental NW weather Dominic has made it a new habit to wake me up with the weather report. He kisses me, snuggles me into the covers telling me I have a few more minutes to sleep and whispers the daily weather report so I can decide what to wear that particular day.

Yep, he is spectacular and he is all mine :)

Our Baby Mobile

Our baby mobile is finally ours!!!

After much Craigslist searching on Dominic's part and anguish on my part (I mean, we are mere days away from having a child and only had a 2-seater car until today) our family has a family-size car.

I am brimming with excitment!

It's a 1999 Honda CRV.

It is an automatic, has cup holders AND space for a carseat with plenty of room leftover for groceries and/or a stroller.

It's also the youngest car I've ever had. Totally trumps the '81 Mercedes, '83 Mercedes, '86 BMW and '93 BMW. I'm obviously moving up in the world. So much so, I'm gonna party like it's 1999 :)

We're getting so close to being ready for our little one to arrive!

25 before 25

Inspired by The Paper Mama's 28 1/4 before 28 1/4 and The Feminist Housewife's 21 before 21 I thought it might be fun to create a 25 before 25. This gives me a touch more than a year (September 8, 2010 to October 5, 2011) to accomplish 25 things. Totally do-able, right?

1. Host my own photo shoot of our baby for their monthly birthday
2. Write my birth story
3. Re-start the Recipe Project of 2010
4. Find a new TV series to watch via Netflix
5. Learn how to can fruit next summer
6. Plan our first "family of 3" road trip
7. Visit Crater Lake
8. Read a "just for fun" book
9. Paint a piece of furniture
10. Go to a fitness (yoga, pilates, etc.) class
11. Find a new favorite place in our hometown
12. Sew my own version of Baby Legs
13. Finish framing and hanging pictures at our new house
14. Make homemade biscotti
15. Become more diligent in my daily devotions
16. Clean the garage ... enough to park in it
17. Read 12 Hours by 12 Weeks with Dominic and sleep train our baby
18. Host my first blog giveaway
19. Begin tracking our family's geneology
20. Pack a Christmas box through Operation Christmas Child
21. Decorate my front porch with a large potted plant
22. Cut our grocery budget by 10%
23. Buy a family-size car ... without credit or a loan
24. Sacrifice something for the betterment of my family
25. Be the best wife and mama I can be!

September Means Teachers Deserve Extra Love

There are 3 very important teachers in my life and this is a significant week for them because it is BACK TO SCHOOL!

-My Mom-

She is starting her 18th year teaching (3 years in 2nd grade and 15 in Kindergarten). It is a wonder she has any patience left for our family with all the patience she expends at school. You have never seen a woman more happy to wipe a snotty nose or tie 20 pairs of shoes. I am sure Kindergarten teachers get an extra special place in heaven.

-My Sister-

Her name is Katie, but at school she is know as Katherine (since that is how she filled out all of her official student teaching paperwork). She is working on her Masters of Education and begins student teaching today in a 7th grade science class. My dear Katherine (it makes me giggle everytime I say it) is going to be an amazing teacher ... she is just starting her journey, but already you can see the light in her eyes about sharing science with her middle school students.

-My Bestie, Leah-

Yes, this is the same Leah who makes fabulous arts and crafts that I often feature. She moved to 5th grade this year and if you know any teachers you know that a grade change is no easy task. She has faced it with grace and creativity and her 5th graders are going to be in love with all the fun she has planned!

Wish I could be closer to deliver you the ultimate Fall/Back to School treat!

Photo credit

Instead, here is a virtual Pumpkin Spice Latte. I love you all!

The Webster Technique: Pregnancy Chiropractic

I started seeing a chiropractor 3 weeks ago. I was pretty sure I was having sciatic nerve pain (no fun) and thought a chiro might be my best route in adjusting to my bigger pregnant self.

I was absolutely right! There is no doubt I am bigger and the bump is more uncomfortable to move around, but I'm not having pain anymore. I can still make it through my 10 hour work day sitting at a desk (with frequent bathroom breaks, of course). Pretty impressive for almost 36 weeks if you ask me!

If you are interested in pregnancy chiropractic I would check wth your provider on who they recommend. I got a great recommendation from another mom at the birth center I am attending. Community boards on Mothering are also a great resource for these type of recommendations. The chiro I am working with has specific expertise in both pregnancy and pediatric chiropractic. He has been a wealth of knowledge in helping me to understand how spine care is tied to many other wellness aspects of life. It is the core of our nervous system, so obsiously our spines play a big role in our health.

Make sure your chiro has a pregnancy table. They split in the middle so the belly has space to hang. I can't tell you how amazing it feels to lay on my stomach!

Make sure your chiro has pregnancy training. This is a delicate time in life and you want someone who understands pregnancy and how your body has changed. When it comes to training, the Webster technique is what I was specifically looking for.

The official definition of the Webster technique as taught by the ICPA Certification program is as follows: The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments. This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, a cause of intra-uterine constraint of the baby and allows for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth.

This is my goal: "optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth". If I can get my back/pelvis aligned correctly I am in effect making a "straight" chute for little one's delivery. That's the theory at least :) Webster is most frequently used in lieu of external version for a breech, posterior or transverse baby. My chiro said external versions usually have a 45% success rate and moms are left with bruises from the often painful procedure. Webster has an 85% sucess rate and although it wasn't comfortable, it defnitely wasn't painful. (Sidenote - my baby is still head down and doing just fine, I'm just having Webster done for the pelvi muscle/ligament care).

I can't recommend chiropractic enough ... if you haven't done it before, it is definitely worth a try. Just know that it isn't a quick fix. I'm going once a week until the birth and plan to have some postpartum visits as well. Have to make sure everything goes back in to place properly :) At $25/visit (that's my co-pay) it adds up, but if it makes for a safer/swifter delivery and better wellness on a daily basis during the end of my pregnancy I'm willing to invest.

Not to mention the lovliness of how relaxing my appointments are. Calm music, warm heating pad on my back and a mini massage. It totally gets me in the zone and helps me to forget my to-do list ... for a short time at least.

My chiro has also been a great resource when it comes to the vaccine dilemma (which I promise I still have more "parts" in the works on this topic). He gave me 2 books to read this last visit and is hosting a vaccine seminar in the next few weeks. I appreciate his interest in not only my, but my child's wellness. He even plans to visit us after the birth (at the birth center) to adjust the baby as a gift to us and our little one! Apparently, baby adjusts have statistically shown to decrease childhood illness like ear infections.

Have you gone to a chiropractor during pregnancy? Any other types of wellness care I should look into during these last few weeks of bumphood?

Baby Gear, My oh my

I've tried to be a minimalist with baby "stuff". Unfortunately, I don't think I'm doing a very good job :(

In the beginning I had planned to just get a large purse for my and baby's things. But seeing how full my own purse gets I can't imagine fitting in baby's things too. So, yes, I am going to get a diaper bag too. This is the one I've decided on ... I'm ordering it from Target.com thanks to the Target giftcards we have received.

Photo credit - Skip Hop

I think it will match perfect with our stroller, don't you?

Photo credit - UppaBaby

New Name ...

Dominic and I were near the State Capitol today for some of our maternity photo shoot. While there we passed by the Korean War Memorial. As with any list of names (movie credits, authors, event programs, etc.) I told Dominic, "Look for boy name options." So he did. He scrolled the names of those we served our country - hunting for a new boy name.

Sure enough he found one!

Leland

AND we both like it!

That makes our top three for a boy (in no particular order):
-Rocco
-Reid
-Leland

I still adore Wilder and he is still rooting for Peyton, but I think we have both come to grips that our favorites will not win and we'll have to compromise on one of the above if our little one turns out to be a boy.

Girl names are still:
-Jemma
-Elsa
-Tallulah

Enjoy Birth

Whenever I need a dose of encouragement or an informative article about birth I turn to Enjoy Birth. It is a serious blessing to have such a great resource at my fingertips! This week the author, Sheridan (mom of 3), posted a list of recent articles she has come across. Two of my favorite links were What the Midwife Heard and Simplest Breastfeeding Advice I Know.

Definitely worth heading over to Starbuck's (you know, to order a decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte) and snuggling up for a good website browse and reading session!

To Die for Ribs

I do not like ribs. I rarely eat beef. For example, last week was the first time I EVER had a burger from our home grill. Call me crazy, but I've always opted for chicken and been perfectly happy with that. Today was different for some reason. Maybe it is my hormonal hunger. Maybe it was the sweet smell of sweet barbeque. Whatever it was, I am in love with these TO DIE FOR RIBS - Kalbi which are Korean Barbequed Beef Short Ribs. 

Photo credit - Food Network

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Korean style beef short ribs*
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup mirin (rice wine)
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely grated
• 1 small Asian pear, peeled and finely grated
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions

Sprinkle brown sugar over beef and mix well to evenly coat. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while preparing marinade. In a bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Transfer beef into a large sealable freezer bag (you may need 2). Add marinade, press out excess air from bags, and seal. Turn bag over several times to ensure beef is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Heat gas or charcoal grill to medium-hot. Drain excess marinade off beef. Grill short ribs, turning once, to desired doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, if desired. Serve whole pieces as a main course or cut into smaller pieces, using kitchen shears, for a starter or party nibble.

* NOTE: Korean-style short ribs can be found at most Asian markets. The cut, also known as "flanken," refers to a strip of beef cut across the bone from the chuck end of the short ribs. Unlike American and European-style short ribs, which include a thick slice of bone-in beef, Korean-style short ribs are cut lengthwise across the rib bones. The result is a thin strip of meat, about 8 to10 inches in length, lined on 1 side with 1/2-inch thick rib bones. The thin slices make for fast cooking on the grill.

Thank you, Judiaan Woo for introducing heaven on earth. These ribs just made my Saturday :)

Praying for Brayden

Please take a moment and say a prayer for baby Brayden and his parents. He was born on August 27th at 28 weeks and 1 day. He has been such a trooper in the last week, but has recently encountered some scary health issues. My heart goes out to this lovely young family and I hope you'll join me in lifting them up in prayer!

Worry, Helicopters and Becoming a Mom

Worry is the fear we manufacture; it is a choice. Conversely, true fear is involuntary; it will come and get our attention if necessary. But, if a parent or a child feels fear constantly, there is no signal left for when it's really needed. Thus, the parent who chooses to worry all the time or who invests unwarranted fears into children is actually making themselves less safe. Worry is not a precaution; it is the opposite because it delays and discourages constructive action.

-Gavin De Becker

Have you seen all those articles about helicopter parents lately?

Those parents stress me out. I mean, what parent has that much energy? Hovering by each and every child must take alot of caffeine and craziness ...

My parents were very anti-helicopter; long before the term "helicopter parent" was coined. They read Dr. Dobson's parenting books and followed alot of their parenting intuition. Most important, they believed God was in control and as parents they were merely vessels of His plan for my and my sister's lives. Therefore, worry was unnessary. I think they would be categorized as free-range parents

I got my driver's license at 16 because I had proved I was responsible. I set my own curfew during high school since my parents trusted me to know I needed time for homework/sleep/etc. I also made my own mistakes. My parents knew mistakes help a person grow and because of that they were always their to support me as I realized my shortcomings. If they had been helicopter parents would I have learned those valuable lessons?

On the brink of motherhood I'm realizing how much I don't know. This has worried me from time to time. Toss in a heavy dose of pregnancy hormones and you will find a fire hydrant of tears. But I'm learning that this is just the way it is. I have a choice to worry. I have a choice to trust God, to trust my motherly intuition and to trust that everything happens for a reason. With all those options why would you choose to worry?

I'm going to try my best to remove worry from my vocabulary. It is counterproductive and I don't need ANYTHING working against my productivity!

Car Seat Installation

We are about ready to get a new, family-size car. Well, new to us at least :)

You know what that means?

It's about time to get the car seat out of the box and get it properly installed! Thanks to Fit Pregnancy I have a guide to hand over to Dominic for the big event. Here are the step-by-step instructions.

Any other car safety advice for a new mama to be?

Guess Who Loves You?

I had a free photobook coupon from Shutterfly (my favorite photo website) and decided to create a book for our little one's library. Have you heard that baby's see much better in black and white when they are young? Hence, the monochromatic design. I'm SO, SO excited to read this book sometime next month! Baby wil be in my arms, not in my belly!!!

Click here to view this photo book larger

The Wonders of Magnesium

Yesterday I mentioned that magnesium is now in my vitamin regimen. One of the benefits is sleep, so you are supposed to take it before bed. Last night I mixed a 1/2 teaspoon in 2 ounces of water and guzzled it down (raspberry-lemon flavor, yum!). Then, I snuggled into bed and didn't wake up until 6:30 am!

That's right, no tossing and turning, no bathroom breaks. I was out like a light ALL NIGHT LONG. Oh, the wonders of magnesium!

Don't be jealous ...

Tummy turned table isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Week 34 Appointment

Another week is flying by! Yesterday Dominic and I went to my 34 week appointment ... 34 WEEKS. It feels like the home stretch. All the pregnancy blogs I've been reading over the last few months are giving birth and it is so sweet to see pictures of pregnant bellies turn into pictures of little babies! I still can't quite imagine what it will be like to hold my little one in my arms instead of my tummy, but I know it is coming soon!

Lucina guessed that baby weighs about 5 pounds now and if I carry until my due date he/she should be a solid 8 pounds. Still head down and heartbeat was right around 140 beats/minute. Such a miracle to have this little life bouncing around inside of me. Braxton-Hicks have kicked into full gear, especially in the evenings. Nothing too exciting though, my uterus is just getting ready!

We had a plethora of upcoming decisions to review during this appointment ... Group Strep B, Vitamin K, Newborn Screening Test, Newborn Eye Prophylaxis and Circumcision (if it's a boy). I love that our birth center gives us information to educate ourselves on each of these options. It's nice to not have a choice dictated to us by what is considered "normal". There is so much research on each of these procedures and truth be known ... it might not be for everyone. You have to analyze your specific siutation and see what actually applies. It's a little stressful to add more research on to my mounting to-do list, but it is well worth it. Part of me wishes Lucina would just give us her recommendation. But she doesn't, instead she asked questions, provides examples and gives us tools to learn more. She also gave us a great pep talk on the reality of parenthood ... there is rarely a right answer. OMG. That was like a slap in the face. I knew parenthood wasn't going to be easy, but as we get closer to D-Day it is becoming more real. Nobody is an expert on this topic. Nobody knows for sure. There are no right answers. It's up to Dominic and I to just do our best.

After the paperwork discussion I had a mini meltdown about breastfeeding/pumping and all the intricacies they both bring. I'm an ugly crier, so it was pretty awesome to be hormonally bawling my eyes out as poor Dominic tried to comfort me. Not. Lucina was great as she talked through all my concerns and gave me a ton of encouragement. I can do this. Lots of people do. And she, and many others are in place to support me. Perfect, one meltdown I can cross off of my pending meltdown list :)

We finished up with routine things ... feeling baby's placement, pee in a cup and a blood draw. We decided to do a round of probiotics before I take the GBS test and add magnesium into my daily vitamin ritual. I was amazed by the power of magnesium and was equally thrilled that the powder comes in raspberry lemonade flavor. Here is the scoop on magnesium ...

• Relaxes muscles and helps blood to clot
• Helps to prevent premature contractions
• Less chance of low birthweight and better Apgar score
• "Nature's tranquilizer" - helps with tension and stress
• Basic treatment for insomnia

I can't believe we are a few short weeks away from meeting our baby! I told Dominic I wasn't going to put this out there ... but ... I'm sensing that our little one is a boy. I don't know why. I just have a feeling. And I'm going to feel pretty lame if I'm wrong. I think every mother wants their "motherly intuition" to be right. So, if I'm wrong we'll just say I'm still practicing :)

The Real Celebration

It was a long Monday and Dominic and I are wishing we were back at Skamania Lodge. SO RELAXING! We had a wonderful anniversary trip hanging out at the hotel, eating great food, dipping into the pool (yes, I squeezed my pregnant self into an unsuspecting swimsuit from the back of my closet) and enjoying the fabulous scenery. I could live on vacation, so much easier than real life :)
The food was definitely a highlight (do I sound like I'm pregnant or what?). We had dinner in the hotel restaurant ... the best spinach artichoke dip and dungeness crab sliders that had an amazing lemon garlic aioli, avocado, tomato and greens with steak fries (my fave). For breakfast Sunday morning I had vanilla bean hazelnut french toast ... MELT IN YOUR MOUTH ... with bacon and eggs. Yes, the food was spectacular. Yes, I am sure I gained a pound, or two, or three.
We took a short video to document our trip. I didn't plan for it to be my first vlog which is apparent by the awkward face in the starting scene ... but  here it is anyway!

34 weeks, 1 day

The view from our room

Getting ready to "hike" up Multnomah Falls

We considered taking the 6.8 mile route ...

... but opted for the more "pregnant-friendly" .2 mile path

We made it to that bridge!

Then, I talked Dominic into a treat as a reward for my hiking efforts ... Peanut Butter Fudge!

Josiah's Nest Review and Special Sale

Moriah is the creative inspiration behind an amazing blog and Etsy shop, Josiah's Nest. I first ran across Moriah when I joined Top Baby Blogs ... her blog tagline was "Joseph and Moriah made a Baby Josiah". Does it get any cuter than that?!? After perusing her blog I fell in love with her style ... from her wedding, to her nursery, to her everyday posts, Moriah and her words and pictures are sure to light up your day.
Now ... to the review! Moriah sent me one of her lovely fabric knot necklaces. These necklaces are truly unique and quite fabulous. Plus, jewelry has got to be a pregnant lady's favorite thing since you don't have to order it in maternity size! I love that it always fits and can go from fancy to casual. The craftsmanship is perfect, versatility divine and I would just love for you all to swing by Josiah's Nest and order yourself your very own fabric knot necklace!
Did I mention these necklaces are super affordable? ONLY $12. Trust, I know the accessory market and you don't get spendid pieces like this for that price very often. And, to make the deal a little sweeter Moriah has offered That Mama Gretchen readers a special sale ...

"Buy One Get One 1/2 Off"

All you need to do is enter "Mama Gretchen" at checkout and Moriah will reimburse you through PayPal after your transaction.

While you are at it ... don't forget to follow Josiah's Nest and That Mama Gretchen through Google Friend Connect, it would make us smile!

Breastfeeding Q&A

Mrs. G at Our Growing Garden just had a baby boy, James. She is making the trek through breastfeeding land and had some great questions for her pediatrician. I'm so glad she decided to share her pediatricians answers - such valuable information for a wondering mama! Check out her full post here.

• Now that James has surpassed his birth weight and is 3 weeks old, do we still need to nurse every 2.5-3 hours? No. If he is asleep or just not hungry, don't force the breast on him. Try not to go past 4 hours without nursing.
• Is it okay that he is not nursing 10-12 times a day? Sometimes he only wants to eat 9 times a day. It's fine.
• I asked her then if it is okay that I just go solely off his hunger cues. She said yes. Again, let him sleep at night. Try to wake him after four hours.
• Do I need to pump when Dad gives the one o'clock bottle? Will it affect my supply if I don't? No. It's okay to let my breasts to go unstimulated from 11pm-3:30-4:00 am. She said for me to sleep during this period.
• Is it okay that James sometimes only nurses for 10 minutes and then he is done? Yes. He is probably becoming more efficient.
• How many ounces should he be getting (for his bottle)? 2.5-3 ounces.