Maternity Session

well I can honestly say i've been way way behind on my blog. Motherhood has been amazing and I love every minute of it. I ain't going to lie {there are times where I end up eating half of the nutella bottle because Lucas won't stop crying and I'm not sure how to make him feel better} but like everything in life, this is a great learning experience. i'm learning how to be more patient and understand that my baby needs me more than ever. i'll be writing a bit more about that in another post. i want to share some of the pictures that our lovely photographer liz saldana took of my {not so small} bellly ;)

i loved how they came out & i decided i wanted to take pictures where daniel and i did our engagement session. such a beautiful and peaceful location.

thank you liz for the images.

Lucas Birth Story

October 6, 2013 I was 39 weeks, it was that day when I felt Lucas was going to be joining us. I went up to Daniel like around 10:30 pm and told him "Babe don't freak out but I think my water broke!" We called our doctor and he recommended for me to go to the hospital. We grabbed the hospital bag and we took off. At this point I felt extremely calm and extremely happy that Lucas was finally coming. The rash & the heavy load of my belly was becoming a bit too much for me so I was anxious to meet our little guy.

Once we got to the hospital they sent us to the triage room and they measured me and told me I was only 4 centimeters dilated but they were going to contact my doctor to see if I should stay or go (Oh & by the way my water did not break--the doctor actually broke my water and it felt NOTHING like what I had in mind.) After almost two hours of waiting the doctor finally decided that it was best if I stayed and they were going to induce me. 

I was moved to a delivery room around midnight and at 7am the doctor came, broke my t water and contractions started immediately. i must applaud every single mother out there who is able to deliver w/o an epidural because i broke down and i needed the doc ASAP! such a tremendous amount of pain but i knew at the end it would all be worth it.

at 12:00pm i started to push (i pushed for 3.5 hours) and at last our baby was born. he was 9lbs!! for those that know me i'm a pretty short & small gal' so having a baby this big was such an accomplishment for me lol! as soon as i held my son i couldn't contain myself and tears just came down my face! it was such an emotional & surreal experience.

now we are a party of three and i'm loving it.

Lucas Nursery

I was finally able to take some pictures of the nursery. It's still a work in progress but we'll get there, eventually. Having Lucas in my arms has been the most fascinating & emotional experience ever. I LOVE HIM DEARLY.

• The dresser belonged to me
• Rocking chair was my grandfather
• Letter L, laundry and brown basket--TJ Maxx (I painted it myself)
• Ottoman-Target
• Small red baskets--Dollar Store :)

Week 37 & 38

The countdown has begun--10 days left before my due date! I haven't been able to take pictures of my progress is the last two weeks but I've had several symptoms I would like to share (in case others are experiencing the same)

Latest Update:

• I'm actually measuring 41 weeks instead of 38--the nurse recommended for me to get an ultrasound to see how much the baby weights
• I'm 2 centimeters dilated
• Cervix has thinned out 50%
• About two weeks ago I started experiencing an immense amount of itchiness around my stomach and I currently have PUPP (also known as Puritic Urticarial Papules & Plaques) read more here. The rash has been extremely uncomfortable and at times it gets really red. I've been using Aveeno Anti Itch cream and it has been a salvation for me! The rash has stayed on my abdominal area so I'm thankful for that.

The ultrasound went well, based on what the nurse told us she said Lucas can be between 7-9 lbs but at the moment it seems he's 8 lbs. I always had a strong feeling he was going to be a bit on the big side so we will have to wait and see. I thought it was adorable to see how much hair he has. 

Other than that everything has been good. My Braxton Hicks have been a bit stronger and more regular and I'm hungrier than usual.

Latest Buys

As I prep myself for Lucas arrival I decided to make a list of things that I must have before he gets here.  I've read a few blogs and a few mom's have told me what they wish they had before the baby got here.  I still need a few more things but I bought most of them already.

1. Boppy Pillow + Cover
2. Health & Grooming Kit
3. Changing Pad
4.Bottle Drying Rack
5.Swaddle (I still need to purchase this)
6. Bouncer (I still need to purchase this)

Other than that I think we are pretty set. We were fortunate enough to receive a lot of gifts and I'm sure this will be a learning experience for me and Daniel--can't wait.