our adventures in alaska

First Thoughts

2012-01-26T10:14:00.000-09:00

Being a new mom brings on a whole spectrum of emotions. I am in complete awe of this beautiful little person and cannot believe that God has entrusted her to me. I am so deeply in love. I can stare at her for hours - it never gets old. It is the most surreal feeling knowing that this child grew in my womb and don't understand how people cannot believe in God who created her, the whole process is such a miracle. She makes me laugh with all her little faces and expressions, even at 3 weeks. It hurts me when I hear her cry. I get completely overwhelmed knowing that I am her sole source of nutrients, yet realize what a gift that is. I have been frustrated when she pees again right after I just changed her (or waits until I take her diaper off) or when her pacifier just won't stay in her mouth. I have never been so tired in my life. Some days Matt comes home from work and I go straight to bed. At 7pm. It's a good day if I've showered before noon...or even showered at all. I feel like my house is a disaster, which is really hard on my neat freak side. My time is not my own anymore.

Being a new mom is challenging.

But she is so worth it. Our little baby girl is going to one day be a grown-up woman. She will never be this small again or so dependent on me. I want to soak it up. I know this phase is going to go by way too fast. I never realized how easy it would be to fall in love so quickly. Plus she is just so darn cute. I can hardly stand it.

Her first smile caught on camera - bummer on being blurry.

Marmie's Visit

2012-01-23T11:43:00.000-09:00

This past week I was blessed to have my mom come visit us in the bitter Alaskan winter. It was special because it was her first time to Alaska and our home - but more importantly it was her first time to meet our precious baby girl.

Marmie couldn't get enough of her. (If curious, Marmie is from Little Women of which involves 4 daughters. My sisters and I liked to think that the book was about us and their mom, Marmie. Hence her grandmother name).

I decided that winter was a good time to have a baby in Alaska. It's bitter cold outside (my mom visited during one of the coldest weeks of the season) and dark. Not much is going on, so staying in bed until noon every day isn't that big a deal. :)

My mom was a huge help. I actually felt mostly rested! Marmie had morning duty, so after Matt went to work and Maddie had her early feeding, I was able to go back to bed for 2-3 hours. I never realized how big a difference a few hours of sleep makes. She also fed us well, I'm pretty sure I put back on a few pounds (and I no longer have the excuse of a growing baby in me!). And I probably only changed half the diapers.

We unfortunately didn't get out too much, except for various doctor's appointments, a trip to Starbucks, the mall and short drives around town. But we tried to get her out to see a tiny bit of Alaska, we even ventured out to our first restaurant with the wee one (of which she slept the whole time, yay!). And headed to Girdwood to see the most beautiful drive down the inlet and enjoy a snack at Alyeska. We also watched our yearly share of HGTV - Matt probably won't let me watch that channel again with him for awhile!

One exciting trait of Maddie is that she does not like being put down. Ever. Sleeping only happens in our arms. I don't know how she knows, even after passing out and limp, that within 5 minutes of being put down she is no longer in somebodies arms. Immediately wakes up. Crazy. Maybe it's a gift. But certainly a gift that at 3am is not my favorite. Good thing she's super cute. :)

Madelyn (or Baby Madelyn as we refer to her) is 3 weeks old tomorrow! The last few weeks are kinda a blur, but I cannot believe how fast time is going by!

I feel so blessed to be her mom. Even if it's still very surreal.

First Bath

2012-01-16T12:14:00.000-09:00

Before Marmie arrived, we thought it'd be appropriate to bathe our little one for the first time. It had been a week. And it probably won't be happening a ton, because Maddie was not a huge fan. She's a pretty modest one and doesn't like to be unclothed - even for a diaper change.

It was a tag team effort to get it done quickly.

I mean can you really get enough of that little face?

Trying to warm her up before running to the airport to greet Marmie!

I might be a little biased, but I'm pretty sure she's the cutest little girl. :)

Labor Story

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-09:00

I decided to write out Madelyn's birth story. For some this might be too much information, of which you can just pass right on over this post. :) I for one enjoyed reading about others birth experiences, and though everyone has a completely different experience, I felt like it helped me prepare for what might come.

One thing is true. It does happen as one plans. Flexibility is crucial while dreaming up your birth story. And I for one had no idea…

It's been a running joke/wish the whole pregnancy, being that Madely's due date was January 5th, that she needed to come just a tad bit early to be born in 2011 - tax deduction, insurance deductible, and Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend - all wrapped up in a few silly days. Not that money is everything and induction was not in the cards unless we had to, but you know to save thousands of dollars would not be the end of the world…:)

Friday, December 30th I had a doctor's appointment. I was 39 weeks and 2 days at that point, though I was a tiny bit dilated. It was clear my baby girl was not coming that day, and my doctor asked if I wanted my membranes swept. She said sometimes it just speeds thing along. We decided it was worth a shot, so she did. That night we went to the infamous restaurant in town that is known to serve a dish that encourages labor. The next day we went to the mall and walked at least 5 miles in circles (the only place in town big enough to avoid the sidewalks and outside), ate spicy food - basically every old tale that encourages labor.

Well, it worked. Saturday, December 31st I started having contractions. They got pretty strong and after a few hours of having contractions 3-4 minutes apart, one minute long for one hour (the 4-1-1 we learned about) we decided to head to the hospital. I'm pretty sure Matt was quite giddy as we checked in to triage at 11:25pm New Year Eve's night. He was convinced she could be born in 2011! I guess crazier things have happened.

When I first was checked I was only 2cm. A complete bummer. The nurse on duty was convinced I was going to have this baby very soon and that I needed to walk around for an hour. Thankfully it was in the middle of the night, so it wasn't incredibly awkward walking around the hospital halls in slippers and a hospital gown. She checked me again. Still 2 cm. So back to walking we went for another hour. Another check. Still 2cm. Talk about frustrating. At this point the contractions were very strong and I was beginning to feel them even more in my back. Since I wanted to have a natural birth, staying was not really an option. The longer I'm at the hospital the more likely I'll have to have interventions. I wanted to go home and get off those pesky monitors. Due to the amount of pain I was in and lack of sleep (since it was 5am at this point), they offered me some ambien and morphine to help me sleep. I had decided no meds, so I declined and we headed home.

After about 1-2 hours of on and off sleep, my contractions continued 5-15 minutes apart throughout the day. The back labor was getting really bad. I was doing everything I had learned to ease the pain - hot showers, baths, Matt pressing on my lower back, birthing ball, walking around - little was helping. Later that night I decided we both needed sleep. So I decided to go back to the hospital so get hooked up with the ambien and morphine I had been offered. Of course they have to do the big ordeal of checking my cervix, walking and checking again to see if I've progress before I can go home. I was 3 cm both times. At least it wasn't 2! So I took the meds and got home just in time before I passed out. Sleep was glorious.

I woke up on January 2nd (this is day 3 of labor) after about 5 hours of needed rest with contractions that were quite unbearable. Still only 5-10 minutes apart. My back was getting bruised from having Matt put so much continual pressure on it. Multiple times I pleaded with Matt that I changed my mind, natural wasn't working. But we had discussed how I would probably do that and he needed to encourage me that'll it'll be over soon. He said he didn't know what to do - listen to me or continue to encourage me. Poor guy.

At 11:40pm that night I basically decided he was going to take me to the hospital for more morphine or I was going to walk. We were both exhausted, so he obliged. When I showed up, I was 6cm. Wahoo! The nurse freaked out and I was immediately admitted to Labor & Delivery thinking the baby was about to pop out (I was feeling a lot of pressure). At 2am I was checked again and I had progressed…to 6.5cm and 80% effaced. Not great. For the next 4 hours, I was still 6.5cm. I decided to take an IV for a little pain relief, though I'm not sure how great it worked. At 7:30am with 3 days of basically no sleep for neither Matt nor I and incredible back labor pain that I could not bear anymore, I decided it was time to give. I needed a stronger alternative for pain medication. I didn't think I'd have the energy to push when the time finally came nor have anything to give to our little daughter when she made her appearance. I was frustrated and ashamed of myself for getting an epidural and yet knew that it was probably the wisest decision since neither one of us could hold our heads up we were so tired. Thankfully, I had progressed to 8cm by then.

My doctor arrived for her daily shift at 8:10am and broke my water. For the next 3 hours Matt and I passed out in the L&D room. The relief of pain was amazing. When my doctor showed back up at 11:20am, I was fully dilated and effaced. Madelyn's head was about a fingertip length away! She told me to get ready to push. Amazingly enough, after only about 10 pushes and 25 minutes, at 11:48am, January 3rd, Madelyn Grace made her appearance. 8lbs, 11 oz and 20.5 inches of her, she is the most beautiful gift. It is true that the agony of the days leading up to her is greatly dimmed by having her here. She is completely worth it.

Thinking back - though I do not wish to re-live any of those terrible pains - it's amazing how God had the birth unfold. She is a perfectly healthy and hungry little one. Matt and I had discussed that I would rather have a hard labor and easier recovery if I had to chose. That's exactly what happened. I'm thankful I didn't have to have a c-section or episiotomy. I am thankful for such a healthy and beautiful little girl.

After deciding to stay 2 nights in the hospital (the service can't be beat!), we headed home to start our lives as a family. We are a bit sleep deprived as Maddie has decided nights are her time she likes to be awake. But it has been such a sweet time with just the 3 of us this first week of our baby girl's life.

And for good measure...

We definitely have a finger sucker on our hands. At least she's a self-soother to a degree. :)

Madelyn Grace Arrives

2012-01-11T09:12:00.000-09:00

Due to the fact that we have had no internet the past week (we have a cap on usage here in AK and we used it all while skyping with family over Christmas), I have not had the chance to announce our newest arrival. We are so incredibly blessed!

Born on January 3rd at 11:48am, 8lbs 11oz and 20.5 inches long.

We are very thankful for such a sweet little girl.

39 weeks

2011-12-29T12:00:00.000-09:00

So, I'm still pregnant. Our hopes of meeting Madelyn before year end are slowly coming to an end. Just a few short days left of 2011. One week until the official due date. And I guess good news is no more than three weeks of being pregnant left. These last days go by dreadfully slow. I'm beginning to understand. All I can think about is our baby girl, labor and being able to bend over again! The hardest part is that there is nothing I can actually do about it or have a clue when it will all happen.

Thursday before Christmas was my last day of work before maternity leave. Thankfully Matt has had off this week so at least I've had great company during these long days. They have been filled with Christmas celebrations, trips to the gym (walking outside is not happening due to the multiple inches of ice on the ground and, you know, these freezing temps), running errands, cleaning house, putting Christmas up, reading, puzzling...and waiting. Lots of waiting.

Here I am at a full 39 weeks!

Right now...

I'm sleeping a bit better most nights and getting as much as I can of it.
Still swollen. I look forward to wearing my wedding rings again.
Have sporadic contractions. I don't really keep track of them, though Matt asks about them all the time. I figure when I'm in actual labor I'll know (so I hear) :).
I honestly still get nervous about how Maddie is doing. This feeling has been from the beginning - the out of control feeling of not knowing her well-being and having minor freak outs. I'm pretty sure I have the label of "nervous first time mom" across my forehead each time I walk into the doctors office.
As ready as I am to not be pregnant anymore, I'm more ready (or as ready as I can be!) to finally hold our little girl. Matt and I give her little pep talks trying to coerce her to come join us. One day it's bound to work:).

Madelyn's Nursery

2011-12-21T10:51:00.000-09:00

The nursery is finished. My mom surprised me with the curtains just the other day, of which I immediately went and put up. We have booted Mocha from her room, of which she wasn't too happy about. I often find her sprawled out on the white rug in the middle of the room in defiance. We are still working on where her new "place" will be.

I apologize also for the pictures. It's dark all the time now. And my iPhone on which I took these isn't the most high tech camera, but you get the overall idea.

This is walking in the door to the nursery. I love how all the projects came together. Sometimes I get a little concerned with how the ideas in my head will actually turn out in real life.

The wood rocker painted white. The armoire completely redone. The new crib shipped on a barge so I could get it in Alaska. The painted branch I was able to do for $1. The mobile of fabric balls I made. The curtains my mom made. The black mirror painted white. The old school bookshelf painted mustard to display all of Maddie's books. The two smaller rugs from Ikea put together to make one (because that's all I could fit in my suitcase).

There is also the garage sale toy chest painted and furnished with new hinges & handles. And two shelves that also came home with me in my suitcase from Texas.

The piano still has a presence in the room, along with the recliner that matches the bachelor pad couches we have downstairs - but I admit will be a comfy place for all the midnight feedings. I love the light hanging in the corner that gives just enough light off without it being too bright. Also the etsy pictures framed and hung above the piano, with the wreath (that still has no place) and one of the two mustard M's being sported in the room (one made my me and one by my sister).

A better view of a couple areas...

And here is a picture taken during the day. Notice how it's not really bright outside, but that's about the best we get these days.

I cannot wait to have our little one to put the room to use! I'm officially in the the waiting game phase now.

38 weeks

2011-12-19T13:02:00.000-09:00

Please forgive the very tired expression on my face. I took this picture after rolling out of bed for work and a not so good night's sleep (a typical occurrence these days). After work I typically go to the gym, shower and then put on sweats...so I try to take pics when I'm actually decent. And though this picture may not qualify as decent, you get the idea of how gigantic I am.

Matt and I agree how wonderful it would be if Madelyn decided to come just 6 days early and grace us with her presence in 2011 (I am married to a finance guy), but I know that she will come in God's perfect timing and I'm not too worried about it - though selfishly that would be nice on so many levels. My first priority is that she's healthy and safe! I know she'll come when she's ready.

I've also been praying a lot lately that God would prepare me to be a mother who sets a good example of what it means to love and walk closely with the Lord. I know there will be so many situations that we will come across as Matt and I begin to raise our child(ren), but I feel like if we have our priorities straight of seeking God first in our household, everything else won't seem as big a deal. I want to have a home where God is talked about freely, where we pray together daily and read the Bible regularly. I know our home will be the biggest influence on our daughter and I know we can't do it well without God.

At this point...

have 2 days of work left - as much as I'm looking forward to the break, I hope I don't go stir crazy waiting for Maddie's arrival. At least Matt has some time off with me.
still not sleeping well and have swollen hands, but overall I have little to complain about during this last little bit of pregnancy. I'm definitely blessed in that regard.
feel like the days are dragging by. I'm going to have to pick up a new hobby or something. Tonight I'm going to the book store to collect some new reads. Matt and I started a puzzle last night. I've recorded every Hallmark/ABC Family Christmas movie on TV. I'm baking, cooking, cleaning like every day. And I still feel so antsy, it's hard for me to sit still when I probably should be relaxing.
I'm having contractions every day, but nothing consistent. It took me quite a while to realize that they were contractions...this is my first time and there are all sorts of aches and pains throughout the pregnancy that I just endure and move on. But good to know now. :)
doing what I can to stock our little freezer with easy meals once Maddie comes. We might be doing some take-out in the days to come by default.

Oh, and if you were curious today is the shortest day of the year. So we Anchorage folks get a whopping 5 hours and 27 min of daylight today. I can sense your jealousy.

Weekend Events

2011-12-19T11:56:00.003-09:00

As I've mentioned before, there is thankfully plenty to keep me preoccupied as I anxiously wait out the days for Madelyn's arrival. Though some moments do seem to go by very slowly still....

First, we have all our presents under our tree! We got the last couple packages from family this weekend. This is the first year we've actually had presents under the tree since we won't be making the family get togethers. It's also the first year Matt and I decided to buy each other gifts - since we'll be solo this season and everything. However, it might become a new tradition because it was a lot of fun to shop for him! (Yes, that's a jogging stroller behind the tree. I cannot wait until I get use it soon! I get jealous of watching people run on the treadmills at the gym. I miss being in shape.)

We also went on a hike with the dog. Now that I'm full-term and ready for our precious little one to make her appearance, I'm all about doing what I can. Plus, I needed out of the house. So we endured the over foot deep snow on the trail and went out. Though Matt looks cold, it was actually pretty warm...in the 20s! It was a pretty mellow hike until I fell into a snow bank and literally was stuck until Matt lifted me out (that belly just gets in the way sometimes!) and then almost getting run over by a sled and dog mushing team (only in Alaska is that not considered abnormal). Alas, no baby...and until then it will not be the last hike.

We also saw a movie and had my work Christmas party (no pics, shame on me).

And then I spent hours baking goodies for co-workers, neighbors, mailman, etc. We do it every year. A fun way to show Christmas cheer to those we spend every day with or live around. Matt helped me package them up...and eat a few:), another perk of baking.

Now I just have 4 more days of work left before my maternity leave will officially begin. And only 6 more days until Christmas! And, if curious, 17 more days until my official due date. But who is really counting?

Virtual Shower

2011-12-14T11:50:00.004-09:00

Last weekend we were blessed with a virtual baby shower hosted by Matt's mom in Oklahoma. Crazy what technology allows us to do. We had his sister in Phoenix, 2 other ladies in Ohio and Iowa along with all the others in Oklahoma join us in our living room in Anchorage.

It was my first experience with a virtual shower. The invitations were beautiful (hand made by Matt's Aunt, sorry I don't have a picture) and had instructions on to ship the gifts directly to us in Anchorage. I am still amazed at how kind and generous people are! We are so very blessed! We have had to purchase very little in preparation for Madelyn - I haven't bought a single outfit (ok, maybe I broke and bought the cutest little dress a couple weeks ago that I cannot wait to dress her in!) - and I think we'll have enough clothes, books, toys, etc for her entire first year of life.

Here are just some of the generous gifts we received all boxed up.

Then Matt got it all set up so that we could webcam with all the guests while we opened gifts and chatted. With instructions from his mom, Matt picked up some cupcakes and fruit, since that's what they were having. We were even able to show off the nursery - that doesn't happen at every shower. :)

Makes living so far away feel a little closer to home.

36 and 37 weeks

2011-12-13T08:52:00.000-09:00

I feel officially huge. Maybe because I am officially huge. I get the "you are about to pop!" comment or "there is no way you'll make it to 40 weeks" quite frequently (which I hope they are right!). It's strange to think that we could be meeting our little one any time between now and 5 weeks from now (though the thought of waiting 5 more weeks kinda makes me want to cry). Though I will admit, overall time has gone by very fast. It probably helps that the holidays are in full force upon us and it keeps our weekends and evenings busy. It's also helping me pack on those last few pounds by eating my way through delicious party food...oops, I guess add it to the rest.

At this point:

I have less than 2 weeks of work left. Working part-time thing has been a huge blessing. It still allows me the flexibility to rest when needed, but certainly gets me up and out during the day. I think it's helped the time go by faster but not totally consuming all energy I have.
My maternity shirts are starting to get too short. I wasn't aware that happened.
Have certainly felt Maddie drop. She sits a lot lower - and although it often feels like she's trying to fight her way out, I can breath again!
I'm at the stage that some would label as "uncomfortable". That might be an understatement, but if our little girl grows anymore I'm not sure my mid-section can take it.
Decided that God uses the end of pregnancy to train you to wake up at least 4-5 times a night with a bathroom break for all those feedings that are coming.
I am decreasing on energy - I think it's the pregnancy and the Alaskan winter combined.
And with all that extra room for my stomach now, I can hardly get enough food in me. How am I this hungry?

I would also like to brag on my sweet husband just for a second. a) He endured a 12 week birthing class with me and b) he is completely supportive of the natural birth that I long to have. So he gave me an early Christmas gift (just in case Maddie comes early, I guess). He made a book to inspire/encourage me when things get tough during the birth. It's filled with pictures of family, adventures we've had together and times when I thought I might fall apart - such as below. The kayaking experience where at the time I considered just flipping into the icy Alaskan seas and swimming to shore...or my extreme fear of heights I've conquered at various times. He added commentary to each picture for a sense of humor - and I love it! I'm pretty sure he's the best. :)

Nursery Tree

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-09:00

I have been wanting to put a white tree on the wall in the nursery since the beginning. And I finally did it, well a branch anyways. For $1. Literally.

These popular beautiful wall features in decal form run $60+. A splurge I was just having a hard time swallowing (I am on a budget for this nursery). I like to think I'm on my way to becoming a "crafty" person, but free hand drawing is not my strong suit and I couldn't convince my sister, Kelsey, to make a trip all the way to Alaska just to paint a tree on my wall. I can't understand why.

Thus I improvised.

I just needed a way to somehow get a trace on the wall that I could paint. Matt was all about buying a projector, but I vetoed that rather quickly. I mean what in the world would we do with it on a normal day? Anyways, I realized that my work has a projector they use for meetings. I kindly asked to borrow it over the weekend...of which I was laughed at and asked "are you serious?", I then had to explain my excellent reason why. But they were generous and let me take it for a couple days, thankfully.

I then found a branch picture online that I liked and projected it on the wall just as I envisioned it. It actually worked out better than a decal, I think, because I was able to size it and place it exactly how I wanted it on the wall.

And no, I'm not doing this at 10pm at night. I'm pretty sure it was about 4pm. It's just that depressingly dark here at that time. Just about 2 more weeks til the days slowly start becoming longer again. It's like a Christmas present in and of itself.

It took me about 20 minutes to trace it with a pencil, one small bottle of acrylic paint from the craft store (where my $1 was spent), and a few hours of my life to carefully paint and erase erroneous pencil markings.

It left me with this above the crib.

I cannot wait for the curtains my mom is making to come to complete the nursery. Now I'm just working on getting all the necessities washed and ready - and organize where all this baby stuff is going to go. Goodness, who knew such a little person required so many things?

Santa Claus is coming to town...

2011-12-05T10:35:00.001-09:00

Just a reminder...I absolutely LOVE Christmas.

It brings joy to my heart. I've been listening to Christmas music since early November and we got our tree out at least a week before Thanksgiving. It can rarely be too early in my book.

Normally, I kinda pick through all our decor and get the most important things out. Especially since we spend about 2 weeks around Christmas traveling to various celebrations.

Not this year. Few things were left in the boxes. We are spending our first Christmas away from family this year - for good reason - as we hope to get the best gift of meeting baby Madelyn! However, it is still very bittersweet. I get a little sad thinking about not being "home" for the holidays. Though trying to keep an optimistic perspective of starting new traditions with our family - Matt, me and Madelyn (and Mocha...lots of M's going on around here).

Hence our house looking like Christmas exploded - and I love it. We even have all the presents under the tree - or shipped back south. I've never been done this early - completely finished - I'm torn between being relieved and sad. Who am I kidding, I'll probably continue to go overboard on all the M's in my life.

I also made a new wreath for our home. I found the idea on my new favorite inspirational website, Pinterest. It was super easy and I love the way it turned out...only cost about $8!

Here is our 5ft snowman we bought on clearance after Christmas last year (the best way to buy any Christmas decor). He smiles at us in the back yard from our living room window.

Matt also decked out our house with lights all over it - since we are an end unit, it's just that much better and brighter because they wrap around. We may be the only town home in the area that put as many lights up. I officially give us the prize. (I'd put a picture up to brag, but I try to avoid obviously declaring where live on the internet).

And just because...here is my mom's house. She has a two-sided fireplace. One has the grand kids on it (Wesley and Madelyn) and the other has all the grown-up kids on it. Our family is growing! I love it. Wish we could be there this year in person...sigh.

We had our first Christmas party of the season this past weekend for Matt's work. I enjoy getting all dressed up (though it was a bit more challenging this year!). They took professional photos when you arrived and gave everyone a copy. I don't know if we've ever taken such a posed photo, except for the wedding day of course. But I like that we have a nice copy of our growing family! Exactly one month from today Madelyn is due!!

33 and 34 weeks

2011-11-29T08:00:00.000-09:00

Now that I'm almost to week 36 (wahoo!) here are weeks 33 and 34 growth pictures. (again, I'm behind.)

At this point if Madelyn decides she's ready to come, the doctor said she wouldn't do anything to try to stop her. Though I'd feel a bit more comfortable if she waited at least a couple more weeks (not another 6...though it'd probably be best if I mentally prepare for that to happen). A Christmas to New Year's Eve baby would be awesome.

As of right now:

Swimming is my favorite exercise. I wish I had a lap pool a bit more convenient. It's like I'm not even carrying this bowling ball around!
My hands are beyond swollen and my not sure if my hips can handle getting any bigger.
Maddie likes to squirm around - not so much punch me anymore. Which is a nice change of pace.
Wondering if I'll ever fit back into my pre-baby jeans again...but oh so looking forward to sporting the rest of my closet again soon.
Trying to find a pediatrician, register at the hospital, pack the bag, write the birth plan, finish the nursery, train replacements at work, get all Christmas shopping done and shipped...there are so many things to prepare for! But really all I can think about is holding my baby...
Getting tired easily again, but certainly soaking up those opportunities to sleep in.
Matt officially helps me put on my boots now when we leave the house. Bending over is a thing of the past and with 33 inches of snow the past 3 weeks, boots are a must.
I'm not really sure I understand the concept of some women who say they felt their prettiest while pregnant. I understand pregnancy is a beautiful blessing, but the whole feeling physically attractive thing - nope. Thankfully it doesn't last forever.
Anxiously awaiting Madelyn's arrival!! ...over 8 months and counting...

Alaska baby luncheon

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-09:00

I'm a tad behind in posting life as of late.

A few weeks ago, my sweet friends here in Anchorage hosted a small lunch/dessert/spoil me rotten shower. The four of us have been getting together since the beginning of the year and just share life together. They have been a huge blessing to me during this transition of moving all the way across the country and now as Matt and I embark on this new journey of parenthood. While us ladies talked all things baby, the husbands enjoyed an afternoon of football and eatting.

Nicole, me, Sayward and Anne

Opening gifts and photo op with Anne! They certainly went overboard.
I felt sincerely loved.

The yummy treats during gifts. Good thing I am pregnant and feel more or less guilt free indulging.

We even had a family of moose join us right outside the window.
Until our mean neighbor lady opened her door and starting throwing things at them.
Haven't seen them since:(.

Maternity Pictures

2011-11-26T16:26:00.001-09:00

Back in early October when we were in Texas, my mom arranged to get some family photos done. As you can imagine, I was thrilled that she decided that after 15 years since our last family photos she decided it was important to get them done while I was 28 weeks pregnant. However this did give Matt and I a great opportunity to get Michael Hansen (a photographer from her church) to quickly take a few maternity pictures for us in addition.

Then Matt and I attempted to get a few of our current habitat about 33 weeks. Sadly, the shoot didn't last long as the single digit temps kept killing the camera battery. But such the difference between Texas and Alaska. We are almost at a record snow fall for November. 33 inches so far. Good thing I love the snow (and notice I said snow, not below freezing temps)!

nursery coming together

2011-11-11T11:35:00.001-09:00

Matt and I have been working on finishing up the nursery. We just have little things left, but time is running short as the holidays approach and we are already 33 weeks! Wahoo! Here's a little update of what has been completed.

Remember this TV cabinet we bought off Craigslist?

It is all finished! It's probably my favorite piece in the nursery. Matt painted it, added magnetic strips so the doors would close, built in a shelf (to alleviate the open TV space), and added handles.

Here's an up close of the handles I found at Anthropology while in Seattle. They go perfect with the nursery.

And inside, in case you were curious, of course. I found the baskets at a craft store for half off. I'm kinda an organizational nerd, so the baskets make me happy. One is full of hats. And one of little shoes. Sometimes I just rummage through them to bring a little joy to my day.

And you might remember these prints I found on esty?

They are finally framed and hung above the piano. I also hung the banner and the "M" my sister made for Madelyn for the baby shower in Texas. So proud of her craftiness. :) Also displayed is my Le Mutt, a prized toy from my childhood that has seen better days.

I also made this wreath for the nursery. Clearly I'm getting a little antsy for Maddie to get here so I'm making up projects to keep myself preoccupied. I still don't know where it'll be hung.

And a bookshelf which matches the toy chest we found at a garage sale that Matt painted. I'm pretty sure this bookshelf was found in one of our college dorm rooms at some point. But that plywood all painted sure does make a great display for all the books Maddie has (and quite a cheap option, since we already had the paint).

I will eventually have a post to show the whole room. But only when it's all done. I'm currently working on a baby book...when that's finished...who knows. Got any ideas?

Snow

2011-11-07T09:02:00.000-09:00

I'm clearly a southern girl, because all this snow still fasinates me. We have gotten a ton of it the last week or so. We are having to go buy Matt some knee high boots so he can take Mocha out. It's that much. But it is beautiful. And as long as I'm not out in the single digit temps, I greatly enjoy it. :) We didn't get nearly this much at this point in the year last year.

The first night of snow. About 11 inches. And still coming down.

I love fires. Matt chopped all this for us. I love him too.

Did I mention a little snow? And this pile will continue to grow until they haul it off in a dump truck.
In additional to garbage dumps in down, we also have snow dumps. Lots that hold all the unwanted snow from the streets. It's still a new concept to me.

Have I mentioned Mocha also loves the snow? It is beyond difficult to get her to come inside. How does she not get cold? I wish she could give me some of those genes.

Winter is here

2011-11-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

My puffy maternity coat that makes me look 300lbs, my fur Uggs and all the scarfs and gloves we own have come to use. It is officially winter. We have gotten our first snow storm and on average it's about mid-20s throughout the day. Jealous?

This is after the first snow. The blur is Mocha. She loves the snow...hence the inability to keep her still for this picture. She's a tad excited about the white stuff on the ground. I think it's about 9am in this picture and still kinda dark. The days are getting so short now. My least favorite part.

Here we are Halloween night. We had a fall festival of sorts up at the church. Our small group passed out candy - in the parking lot. Fun tradition, but makes it interesting when it's blizzardy and freezing. The snow was coming in full force - beautiful, but cold. Those poor kiddos trying to show off their costumes looked miserable.

And just to give you a little glimpse of what I'm used to: here is my cute nephew Wesley all dressed up for his fall festival. I think that might be a drop of sweat running down his forehead.

I miss warmth.

30 Weeks

2011-10-26T17:18:00.003-08:00

30 weeks. Goodness. It feels like we got here so fast, but yet it still seems so far away before we get to meet Madelyn.

The last month has been slightly crazy. We have travelled to and from the south twice (one unexpected visit included). Yes that's at least 36 hours of flying. Not counting the 10+ hours of driving in a car to get from airport to designated locations. Going from the 90's to the 30's is a fun adjustment. Needless to say, work has been fun playing catch up and my body may or may not be exhausted. But it's been a blessing to see family and am thankful to have the ability to still be able to fly...even in my third trimester.

This also means I've been terrible documenting weekly growth through pictures. But here is the big week 30. Maddie is growing! (And her nursery almost complete!)

I officially:
Have too swollen of fingers to wear my wedding rings, they reside on my pinky, if at all.
Feel like I have a bowling ball permanently strapped to my torso.
Can't make it up the stairs without having to stop to catch my breath.
Feel Maddie kickboxing/doing somersaults about 15 minutes every time after I eat.
Indigestion. Enough said.
Move a lot slower these days.
Am getting slightly nervous about that whole birthing part (I really haven't until this point).
Can't eat very much at one time due to my squished stomach. But that doesn't mean I don't eat often. ;)
Whack Matt every night when I'm tossing and turning. Sorry babe.
And that perfect vision I always took pride in? I can barely read street signs now.

Thankfully these should all be gone once we have our daughter. So many things to look forward to!

This weekend I did a load of newborn baby clothes that we have received through gifts and donations (people are so generous!). It made me so anxious for her to get here. A little impatient, actually. Matt often finds me in the nursery just sitting with a book or journal. It's one of my favorite rooms in the house right now. Good thing since I'll probably be spending lots of time in there in the near future.

So only about 10 weeks left! Can we fast forward, please?

Toy Chest

2011-10-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

There is very little in the nursery that we didn't DIY, fix up, or recycle from another room (other than the crib). I love that we were able to make it exactly how we wanted it and it sure has kept me busy rather than dwelling on the fact that my jeans probably won't fit again for a loonnng time.

This summer Matt and I were garage sale-ing one morning and I came across this trunk. It was full of another person's junk and was being used as a box for "$1 items". It was nasty and cobwebby and apparently at one point used to store Christmas decor. I asked if I could take it for $5. And she gave it to me. Yay! I love good finds.

Along the way I primed it down and Matt painted it this lovely yellow color (it's actually more mustardy in person, but these dark winter days kill the natural light for pictures). It will be Madelyn's toy chest. It's currently empty, but I'm sure over the years it will quickly fill up.

It's going to go here...eventually...when Mocha is relocated to a new room...which is why it's currently sitting in the middle of the room. She doesn't really look like she wants to go quite yet, and I'm not going to make her. (And don't mind the bandage on her leg, poor girl is falling apart these days:( )

I also found this amazing, random giraffe while back in Texas. It's over a foot tall, but I made it fit in our suitcase to come back, no worries (though Matt might have thought I was ridiculous). I had no plans on incorporating giraffes into the nursery (along with elephants), but I fell in love. So here he is. :)

Nursery Mobile

2011-10-16T19:03:00.000-08:00

I mentioned earlier I had quite the flop at my first attempt to making Maddie's nursery mobile. I'm kinda embarrassed to even post a picture of my disaster. So I won't. However, I then found this awesome design for fabric poms here (initially found on pinterest). Seemed more fool-proof than my last design.

All it required was:

fabric cut into circles (I used a 3" coaster as my tracer)

Styrofoam balls

hot glue gun

ribbon or something to hang them from

I ended up with 3 different colored fabrics - yellow, orange and gray - 1 yard of each for the two small styrofoam balls and 1 1/2 yards for the larger styrofoam ball. And I used every inch, I actually planned on doing the two small ones in the same fabric until I realized how much it required. So I had to take another trip to walmart to pick up another color. It took an entire day of college football watching to finish these bad boys. Below is one yard of fabric cut into 3" circles, if you were curious how many it takes. Quite a few circles if I do say so.

I then just followed the instructions and glued them down as such. Seems tedious, but after awhile it's easy to zone out and just get in a rhythm.

About 8 in it looked like this...I had a long ways to go. Good thing we had 3 games to watch.

But after a Saturday of enjoying my Aggies beat Baylor, I had my mobile completed. Matt helped me hang them the next day and I have to say they look so pretty. I love the pop of color since it's a rather neutral room.

I think I'm ready for this crafty, stay-at-home mom gig.

A Baby Shower

2011-10-10T13:03:00.001-08:00

A very special day when we were back in Texas is the shower that my sisters and mom threw for me, Matt and Madelyn. They went above and beyond anything I ever expected. It was a book shower - to gain a collection of our closest family/friend's favorite childhood books for Maddie. Caitlin came up with the idea and I absolutely loved it! We definitely have a great selection to chose from to read to our daughter now! Friends that I have dearly missed since moving to Alaska made the trip out to attend which really meant a lot to me to have their support and catch up even if it seemed for just a few minutes. So though it way too quick of an afternoon, I am so thankful to have that memory.

The "Heine" girls - Kelsey, Amy, me, Caitlin and my mom

Amy made this awesome diaper cake. Sadly I had to take it apart to get it back to Alaska.

I love the banners Caitlin made. They are going to be hung in the nursery.

They also made these really cool stars...those sadly had to be left behind. :(
It stinks being stuck to traveling with only a suitcase. These would have been awesome in the nursery as well.

And one cannot forget the amazing food spread.
I wish I could go back and enjoy some more now.

Family photo shoot!
27 weeks pregnant. We are getting so close!

It was a bit tricky figuring out how to handle the weight and space issue with our luggage flying back, with all the books, various gifts and shopping I did (I have been greatly deprived, so I thought I actually displayed great restraint overall). But we made it back with only one extra suitcase and very heavy carry-ons. :) Matt is currently working on painting a small bookshelf for the nursery that will display all the wonderful books Maddie received. He has recently informed me he's about done with the painting and "re-doing" projects I keep coming up with. But he has been a great sport about it - because there have been quite a few...

State Fair of Texas

2011-10-07T07:44:00.001-08:00

It so happened that while in the Dallas/Fort Worth area the state fair had begun. It also so happens that I've never been...even after a free ticket and day off of school most of growing up. I can understand why now that I know how ridiculously expensive it is for just a bottled water. Bringing kids there could be dangerous - however we had a great time.

The boys - Matt and Karl, my bro-in-law - were by far most excited about the Cotton Bowl. Maybe one day we can attend an actual game.

The classic shot of Big Tex with my sister Caitlin and my mom.

We all decided to splurge and ride the farris wheel. Sounded like a great idea until we got near the top. That thing is HIGH!

Karl, Caitlin and my mom

Matt, me and Amanda - my sister-in-law

If I were to actually enjoy the views rather than having a panic attack, they were rather beautiful at sunset.

Babymoon to Seattle

2011-10-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a wonderful vacation - that went by WAY too fast. Being 27 weeks pregnant, we wanted to go ahead and travel to see some family before I no longer could fly. Especially since we will miss all the holidays this year (my first time ever for Christmas, my favorite holiday, I'm probably going to be a giant, sobbing mess...if I'm not already just thinking about it). We also wanted to include a little just-us time in the trip. One aspect of living a 8 hour flight away is that you almost always have to stop in Seattle (the half way mark to Texas). Well, for no extra charge, we decided to stop for 4 nights, and leave the airport for the first time.

We got a hotel downtown and just walked and explored and walked some more. Matt and I are both planners, so this was the most laid back vacation we had been on together. No plans. No expectations. Just relax and enjoy each other and the city.

I loved Seattle. It is really a beautiful city (of the downtown we saw). So much character in the buildings. Maybe because living in Alaska there is none of that, we appreciate it more.

I also secretly wish I lived next door to this market. It was PACKED each time we went by, but the idea of fresh produce and flowers daily would be amazing. Again, maybe because we don't get that up here either.

And of course we visited the first Starbucks. A hole in the wall. We got a latte and hot chocolate - I sadly am not enjoying coffee right now and Matt never has - but we still had to indulge in something.

We spent an evening at a local sports bar so we/aka-Matt could watch the Oklahoma game (after a day of watching other games in our swank hotel room). I'm a good wife. :)

Which is way when the first night in town I found a cupcake place, we naturally we had to stop at some point. I don't really know what my obsession is about delicious vanilla cupcakes. They are just so good...as were these.

Matt most anticipated stop - the Space Needle. They charge a ton just to ride to the top, so we decided to go ahead and make it a lunch date and eat at the restaurant - at least we'd good a good burger out of the deal.

Only terrified for about half the meal (Matt says I'm irrational, but I was scared the whole building would topple over), we enjoyed lovely (and slightly cloudy) views of Seattle.

Enjoying some more walking and sunshine along the pier.

When Matt and I went to New York two Christmas' ago, we took a picture in front of every Christmas tree we came across. Which was a ton, but it was a fun way to document the trip. On a similar note, Matt and I decided to take a picture in front of every Starbucks we came across for our Seattle trip, which I thought was appropriate...I'll spare you the dozens we found in only a 5 mile radius, but here are a couple.

In all it was a wonderful, long weekend. Even at 6 1/2 months pregnant. I just walked a little slower and had rest my feet a bit more, who knew carrying a 2 pound baby around was such hard work at this point?

The best part was that we weren't going home just yet...we still have a trip to my mom's ahead. It was like Christmas in the fall with the whole family.