Babymoon eve musings

If you'd have told me when I got married in 2008 that we'd be married six years before having kids, I'd have told you that you were nuts. I had it all mapped out in my head: I was getting married at a month shy of 26 so I'd certainly be fine to have our first baby by the time I turned 30. And that was what I wanted - I'd made it clear - that was the plan. But life has a funny way of taking plans that seem so simple and feasible and turning them upside down. 

As we get ready to go to Hawaii for what will be our last true vacation as a childless couple, I can't help but think back to all the vacations we've taken over the last six years. We've been so blessed to have been to some amazing places and beautiful memories will forever fill my head: eating Nutella crepes then climbing the stairs to the top of the Duomo in Florence, laughing our way through wine tastings in Napa, the amazing dinner our last night in Paris followed by a (tipsy) midnight 2 mile walk back to our hotel, poolside life-sized Jenga with bottles of wine in Mexico, getting lost in Alfama and stumbling upon the smallest bar we've ever seen (like 100 sq ft small) in Lisbon, the water taxi ride from the airport to our hotel in Venice, gorgeous hilltop views from Anne Amie Winery in Wilammette Valley, OR...

The list goes on and on. And as I sit typing with a baby girl giving me playful punches from the inside, I can't help but think how so many of those memories would never had been made if we'd stuck to my plan. 

Life will look so different when baby girl arrives - we know that - and it will be wonderful. We'll create new memories as a family that will share a place in my head and heart with the ones listed above. But nothing can take the place of those times we shared - just Brad and me - exploring the world and all it has to offer with nothing to worry about but ourselves. 

I plan to soak in every second of this babymoon in Hawaii - grateful for this time as a party of two and excited for the future as a party of three. 

I love you, B, and being where we are now, am so glad we had six incredible years to learn and play together. And baby girl, we can't wait to explore more of this amazing world with you. Party of three here we come...but first, one last hurrah as a party of two. 

Week 23 woes

As I've mentioned before, compared to stories I've heard, I know this has been an easy pregnancy so far and I consider myself very lucky. Because of this, I realize I don't have a lot of room to complain. However, week 23 was the roughest one I've had in awhile, and since it's my blog I'll complain a bit if I want to :)

I think it really hit home this week that I'm PREGNANT. Nothing, not even my pre-preggo baggier t-shirts fit, and I just feel...big. To top it off, I've gotten horrible sleep this week, woke up with a seriously sore neck one morning, baby girl's movements are strong enough to keep me awake (she wants to party at bedtime - prob doesn't bode well for her first few weeks on the outside), and have had a headache almost everyday. Maybe it was all a coincidence, maybe my hormones were acting up, but either way, I'm welcoming week 24 with open arms. 

Couldn't have said it better

A well written article about raising a girl to be healthy. And how to help her see fitness not as a way to fit into a dress or swimsuit, but as a beautiful way to live your life. 

http://wellfesto.com/2013/11/19/10-things-i-want-my-daughter-to-know-about-working-out/

Kicking butt

This morning, our alarms went off, and we were both slow to get up. I turned to snuggle in behind Brad, and my belly ended up nestled near his rear. All of the sudden, I hear, "Hey! I think she just kicked my butt!"  

Yep, peanut is already kicking butt and taking names, even if right now it's just her dad's. 

22 week check up and photo

We had a regular check up this week and as has been the theme, everything is looking good! But we're certainly not going to take our "boring" appointments for granted - we are continuing to feel very blessed. 

Baby girl made finding her heartbeat tough (I wasn't worried because I'd felt her moving around just minutes before the doc came in), but eventually we found her...at the very top of my uterus (which is now a bit above my belly button line)! Definitely not where the doctor expected her to be! She's moving around like crazy in there and according to our books and apps is about a foot long weighing just at one pound. 

We're still tossing around names but are narrowing the list a bit (sorry, it's going to be a surprise!) which feels equal parts relieving and crazy because it makes things so real! 

Weight gain is thankfully still in a good place - I officially hit the 10 pound mark, which doc says has me right on track for a 20-25 pound total gain. Yay! 

Continuing to enjoy these days of good  mobility, energy and mood - I know the sluggishness, waddling, and swollen feet aren't far away! 

Weeks 21-22 symptoms: moving like crazy! At 22 weeks Brad could feel it and we could even see it, sciatica pain starting after sitting too long esp on right side, stomach starting to feel slightly "heavy" when sleeping on side - pillow helps, getting lots of cute pregnant lady comments - people can definitely tell, got weird strong chills in the middle of the night at 22.5 - doc wasn't sure what it was but is not concerned

Daddy turns 36!

It was a big weekend in the Kiesling household - daddy Brad turned 36! And the overachiever in the making (ie: baby girl) decided to show up any gifts I was planning to give by giving her own gift on birthday eve - she kicked hard enough for dad to feel it AND see it! A pretty amazing sight and it was a very special moment. Happy birthday to my amazing partner who has been nothing but patient, loving and attentive - baby girl and I are SO lucky to call you ours. xo

Beta Sweetheart in the making

Baby girl attended her first Beta convention in Oxford, Ohio August 6 - 11. It was so wonderful seeing so many friends and especially wonderful seeing our friends' little ones having so much fun together. We can't wait for our little girl to get in on the fun!

First trip to SoCal...

...for both me and baby girl! We had a fabulous time, and thank you to Lindsay for being an excellent and very patient guide.  We drove all OVER the place! A few highlights: sticking our feet in the Pacific, Laguna, Newport, LA, Santa Monica, Venice, Hollywood, UCLA's campus, and a duffy boat ride. We also had a Santana spotting!

Baby taste buds = pressure!

One of the things you hear a lot when you get pregnant is to make sure you get enough protein. Since meat hasn't been sounding great (consistently, anyway - last night I had some skirt steak I'm still thinking about!), I started drinking protein shakes (with the ok from my doc). I've been making a few a week, and feeling pretty healthy and proud!

Then I found out that around now, 21/22 weeks, baby girl's taste buds are forming and she'll start to taste what I eat, potentially developing a preference later in life for what she "eats" now. Talk about pressure! 

In an attempt to get this little girl off on the right foot, I decided to start throwing stuff in my shakes that I normally wouldn't. Today's venture...kale. And it's delicious! 

Cheers to you, baby girl, and your hopefully very healthy future!

Recipe: half cup fat free Greek vanilla yogurt, splash of skim milk, half cup of kale, 2 scoops organic whey protein powder, one banana, a handful of frozen strawberries. 

Penny's big announcement

It's a girl for Team Kiesling!

20 week pic

Official 20 week bump pic!

Halfway there!

It's crazy to think we're halfway through this amazing experience! I am counting my blessings as, all things considered, this has been pretty darn easy (yes, I'm knocking on wood as I type).  Because of that though, I keep telling B either my last trimester is going to be a disaster, or this is going to be one tough newborn ;) For now, I'm enjoying every second.
Our 20 week appointment and hour long sonogram showed us a healthy, perfectly developed little lady. She was moving around like CRAZY making it tough on the tech to get a few of the shots - thankfully she was persistent and darn good at her job. We caught baby girl waving and even yawning over the course of the hour, which immediately brought tears to my eye...a personality already. And the funniest thing to both of us was that for most of the hour, baby girl had one arm behind her head...just how her mama likes to sleep. Brad couldn't believe it and I have to admit, whether it was coincidence or not, it was a pretty awesome. We have TONS of pics from this sono, but my two favorites are below: her perfectly formed spine (it's CRAZY how perfect we all start!) and her darling little profile (the doc and tech both thinks she looks like me - sharp nose and big lips - I guess time will tell).

Symptoms at 19-20: belly is definitely starting to pop!, very hungry, finally broke down and purchased some new bras for the growing girls, lots of movement and getting very consistent towards the end of the 20th week especially at night, feel like I'm expanding in more places than just my belly - just feel bigger in general