The Newlywoods

Adventures in Mommyland

2012-04-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Hey yall,

I'm back again :-) Happy 10 months to my big boy - only 2 more to go until he reaches "big boy" status! Woohoo :-) Lets get this party started!... (literally)

The Agenda:
Party Planning Inspiration Boards
Picnicking in the Blue Bonnets
Stay at Home Daddy Week

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Party Planning Inspiration Boards
Ok so, I have a confession. My sons birthday is 2 months away and I have already started searching (somewhat exhaustively) for inspiration for his birthday party. 2 months..ok so maybe that's not bad, but lets just say I started around oh 4 months ago! (I know, I know. But I can't help it!) The creative, diy, enthusiast in me is overly excited about this. Many people don't see the point in going all out for a birthday he wont even remember, and I hesitate thinking this as well. But then, I read somewhere it is more so a celebration for the US (the parents) Almost like a "Congrats You Made It Through the First Year of Parenthood" party. A right of passage so to speak. Or an "If You Think That Was Tough - Welcome to Toddler-hood" party. Either way it goes, I am always looking for a reason to get creative and take on a new project.

So here are the Inspiration Boards I created for Elijah's 1st Birthday party. In a perfect world, I would spend all my days slaving away creating cute little nothings for his party - hence the inspiration boards - but honestly I will probably only do 1 or 2 ideas because time my friends is just not on my side like it used to be! But nevertheless, I just love to dream hehe...

So I am trying to decide between two themes: Cowboy or Farm Animals

COWBOY THEME:
Being that he was born in Texas (and mommy and daddy were not) I thought the cowboy theme would be cute. Especially if any family comes in to town. On the other hand, I think the cowboy theme can be so much MORE fun if he were older (like 5 or so) so he can actually PLAY and enjoy being a cowboy. lol

FARM ANIMAL THEME:

Very similar in style to cowboy, still cute, but a bit more age appropriate - not as fun as the Cowboy theme though in my eyes.

So what do you all think? Your vote/comment below please!

Picnicking in the Blue Bonnets
Spring is HERE! Yey! Fun Fact: The Blue Bonnet is the Texas State Flower. And you can find them growing in random fields just about everywhere! They are so beautiful, especially when they first bloom. I met Aaron for lunch a few weeks ago and we ate our lunch in a blue bonnet field by his lab. Needless to say it was a picture worthy moment - a bit overcast, but beautiful nonetheless!

My little explorer! He was literally jumping out my arms!

Stay at Home Daddy Week
I recently went on an interview for a work from home job opportunity and praise the Lord, I got the job! I will be working part-time during the week from home for a insurance lead generation company. It turned out to be a complete blessing because I simply scheduled my times around Elijah's naps!

So in other news, with this job came on-site training last week from 8am - 3pm. So Aaron and I switched places! He stayed at home to watch the baby and I went off to work! Hehe.

This is what I was up to:

Hello Working World - haven't seen you in a while!

The beautiful view from the office

Front Desk/ Waiting Area

Training

More Training - Healthy Snacks and Lunch Included
You can write on all the walls in the building - pretty cool.

Meanwhile - this is what he was up to:

Good morning!...Wait a minute - your not mommy!

Daddy's home?! - (So sad I missed seeing him wake up)

Breakfast time! (Eggs yummy)

Ready to go out for errands - front carrier, diaper bag and all!

Because every Stay at Home Dad needs to take the car to the shop lol

Whats for lunch today daddy? Oh Buffalo Wild Wings!...Mommy's never taken me here!

First time in his big boy booster seat - without Mommy :-(

Ok , I'm starting to like this - sports and a bottle, what more could I ask for!

The boys :-)

Time to do some grocery shopping!

What's a little Target shopping without some playtime (aka distractions) in between?

And I get a toy too! Man, you are wayy more fun than mommy!
All she ever gives me is a hanger to play with!

In short I must thank my hubby for doing a wonderful job last week. He truly held down the fort, and honestly exceeded my expectations! I think ALL married couples should try switching places at least for a day! As Aaron so sweetly put it, he is now more than grateful for what I do at home every day and realized that it is no walk in the park! As for me, I realized that traffic (still ) sucks just like it used to - and there is a reason why my hubby is so exhausted when he walks through the door! Lets just say something had to give. We ate microwave meals for dinner and the laundry piled up sky high for the week. Although I truly enjoyed getting to dress up again, have adult conversation, and eat uninterrupted lunches... being away from my baby boy was so tough. I missed him terribly!

Long Story Short:

Work - whether inside the home OR outside is not a "break." And I think seeing it from both sides has now given us more understanding and appreciation for each others roles.

THE END.

See ya soon my friends,

9 months! Say What?!

2012-03-09T14:22:00.001-08:00

Hey friends!

First and foremost, how in the heavens is time flying so fast. I was just reading my old blogs and I was like "wow Tania you used to blog WEEKLY!"...now its been 3 months since my last post! Perhaps I have an excuse - my crazy 9 month old whose new obsession is sneaking under my feet to turn of the computer before I press "SAVE"...ahhh..but nope no excuses...here I am again. Lets see how this goes.

So lets gets right into it shall we? We shall...

Agenda: Let's Play Catch Up!

1. Latest Milestones

2. Memoirs on Mommyhood

3. Video Diary

4. Last Words

1. Latest Milestones

So in the past few months it seems as though every day this kid learns something new. They say once they hit around 6 months that's when the fun begins and its true! He is crawling, laughing, responding, saying "Mamamama", "Dadadada" and "hey"... I love it. He can crawl between any small space and pull him self up on everything. He knows how to climb the stairs now and get back down WITH his toys in his hands. (I know, I know I shouldn't let him play on the stairs, but I just can't believe he even know how to get up them! - need to get that gate ASAP though.) Anyway I can go on forever, but I will just show you instead...keep reading! ;-)

2. Memoirs on Mommyhood

Part 1 - It has been the ride of my life. Its HARD work, but it is one of the most rewarding jobs I truly believe we can have as women. I love it so than I ever thought I could! This little boy brings me so much joy its pretty ridiculous. I am like silly putty in his hands, and big ball of mushy goodness. Lol But that will soon come to an end soon as those crazy toddler years start! I am putting my foot down! (Yea right - more like my pinky toe down :-p). But I can't help it! Even in the frustrating times like waking up in the middle of the night to nurse (YES I STILL waking up 2-3 times a night), once I get him in my arms I just look down and try so hard to capture that very moment because when he is older (which is not very far away) he will be longing to jump out of my arms instead of being cradled in them.

Part 2 - Life of a Stay-At-Home Mom

You know this can be a single post in and of itself but I will keep it short for now. Let me just say the fact that I am a "stay-at-home mom" is such a testimony in my life. I never would have thought that would be my path. Just 5 years ago I was single, getting ready to graduate college and looking to land a big time corporate job - and marriage and children was NOT a part of my 5 year plan. But oh friends, how the Lord has done such a re-shifting and softening of my heart! Being able to be here and raise my son, creating a lasting bong, and shepherding his little heart is a blessing beyond belief! I am really starting to be so grateful for where the Lord has me in this season. (More on this some other time)

3. Video Diary

Ok enough talking! So you may or may not know but my lovely hubby has created a YouTube channel for MrElijahPaul. We just wanted to have a way to share all of his little milestones with our family and close friends since we are all the way out here in Texas. But feel free to take a peek if you like. Hopefully it gives you a small glimpse of our love for Elijah, and why he brings us so much joy. Here a few of my favorites from his channel.

4. Last Words
I think I have said enough! Oh but one more thing, THANK YOU for reading, thank you for all of your love and sweet comments always...it means so much to little ol' me.
P.S Please "Follow By Email" (top right) to stay up-to-date on my post...I'll be back! (Hopefully soon!)

With Love,

6 months?!? Time has literally flown by!

2011-12-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Hi friends and family,

So its been forever I know! My mommy duties have kicked in to overdrive! I am now a mother to an adorable, active (border line crazy!) 6 month old son. I literally look at this kid most days and wonder where he is getting all this personality from and then I remember how crazy me and daddy can be..lol
6 months - 6 months ago he was just a little thing with a wobbly head and big bright eyes...and I can't believe in just 6 more months he will be a year old. (Time to get a head start on the birthday plans!...hey call me overzealous but I say its never too early to begin putting my creative genius to work:-p

Well I am sure I have left you all somewhat disappointed by just falling off the blogesphere for the past few months, but I decided hey - its never to late to try again :-) So here I am - I am taking a facebook break and I think I will reinvest my time into blogging again...its theraputice in some ways...yey!

WHAT'S NEW: In the life of a 6 Month Old...Elijah is no sitting up on his own (yey! we are so proud)
He got his first cold this week - and passed it on to me too (snot nosed monster!)
He likes to make gurgle sounds while on his back (with the puddle of drool that forms in the back of his mouth lol)
He is a CHUNK - 17lbs 9 oz of love...and I am lovin every single inch
His feet smell like cheese ALL the time - socks or not (must have inherited that from Daddy :-p ) jk hunnie
He tried to stand up in his playpen today - yea I am pretty sure that's ahead of schedule lol
He like peas and green beans more than bananas - or any other fruit - (odd i know)
And he can't crawl just yet - but the doesn't stop him from getting where he needs to go - (roll, leap on his belly, roll again, reach with the left hand anddd- got it! (usually its my phone that motivates his adventures the most)...Kids and technology - crazy.

I LOVE THE WAY...

I love the way his hand reaches up to gentle touch my face (and sometimes not so gently) when he is nursing
I love the way he laughs so hard that he literally can't breathe and has to stop and catch his breath
I love the way he looks in his GAP pjs
I love the way he plays in his crib all by himself when he wake up in the morning...then the smile he gives when we approach his crib
I love SO many things...but I will stop here...

MOMENT I WANT TO REMEMBER FOREVER...
So as I said Elijah has a pretty bad cold - which means he has been waking up very frequently in the middle of the night. Meaning like every 2 hours. So one night, it had gotten pretty bad, so I decided to just camp out downstairs on the couch next to his bedroom. After a few minutes, my hubby joins me and brings the comforter down. Then me, him and Elijah all fall asleep right there on the couch curled up in our comforter. Arms all wrapped around one another. And just when the dawn rose, I woke and realized everything I could ever want was nestled right here in my arms. To see the soft glow of the dawning of a new day rest so gently on the faces I love most, and listen to them breathing, sleeping so soundly - it gave me such a picture of our Heavenly Father and how much he adores to just look upon his children. To give us rest in His warm embrace.
Oh Lord, I love you. Thank you for giving moments of "heaven on earth" in the sweetest and simplest moments of my life.

With Love,

Mommyhood. Memories. Milestones - Part 2

2011-09-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yes Part 2!
Our baby boy is 3 months today! How time flies. So I wanted to share with you this note I wrote to him, some of Elijah's milestones and treasured moments.

Dear Elijah,
As your 3 month birth date approaches I cant help but to think how much you have already grown in such a short time. You have started to stuff 4 fingers in you mouth while you engage in conversation, with yourself. Honestly, watching you stick those 4 soggy little fingers into your mouth, as you coo is the cutest thing ever. That is until you accidentally gag yourself with them and start coughing. Lol...I shouldn't be laughing but it's quite hilarious!

Your getting so chunky, you started wearing size 3 months two weeks ago and ur plump little booty barely fits in ur size 1 diaper. Last week I tried to squeeze you into your newborn onsie, the one you wore home from the hospital, and it looked my like a baby muscle tee! I can't help but to be a little sad that I can't squish you down and keep you in my arms forever. I know I will miss it.

I was looking at you beautiful birthing photos today and started to tear up. I will never forget that day. You were so little. I have cherished watching you grow every single day. I remember wondering when your skin would stop peeling, and now I wish I could feel that peeling skin again. Even now, daddy and I tease you about your double chin, your over-sized noggin, even the bald spot that is appearing on the back of your head (i even tried putting a satin pillowcase in you bassinet just for kicks... it didn't help lol) But know one day I will miss seeing you, just as you are right now..

I love your pouty lip before you cry. I love the way you turn you head to find me when your in your swing, and they way you smile when I smile. I love how you jump like a fish out of water these days in the bath tub (as if we havent gone thry this routine every single night). I love how you suck on my shoulder and leave a puddle of drool while I am rocking you to sleep. I love slow dancing with you; we practice our waltz, I spin you around and your tiny little palm clinges so tightly around my finger... I know its only a reflex, but it makes me feel so loved :-) I love how you try to talk over me while I am on the phone, and laugh when I try to cover your mouth lol...I love watching you fall asleep on daddy's chest, (as you both snore in unison)..lol I can go on forever, but the point is, I just love loving you.

Love,
Mommy

Mommyhood. Memories. Milestones - Part 1

2011-09-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,

I am back as promised :-) So I am coming to realize that I may not be able to blog as often as I like now that I have only one hand to type and a squirmy baby occupying the other. lol I saw this Johnson&Johnson commercial that said so simply "Having a baby changes everything." I smiled. How true those words are my friends. So I am here to tell you all about it! To share with you, through a few funny stories, what has "changed" these past three months of mommy-hood. Enjoy!

The Airport Stalkers

3 weeks after the birth of our son, we got on a plane and headed to Jacksonville for my Brother-in-Laws wedding. I knew that was a wee-bit early, but his pediatrician and the airline had no problem with it, so neither did we. Well anyway, we head to the airport, and as a new mom, I am trying to figure out why everyone is staring me down as if I was one of the girls on "16 and Pregnant"...Some people looked in curiosity, yet others in down right disapproval. I guess seeing a 3 week old at the airport isn't so common, but still - you'd think I was carrying Mariah Carey's twins or something. So here is the icing on the cake, even though we had him covered up most of the time, I had to take him out the car seat to change is diaper in the bathroom at the terminal once. So this lady walks over to the changing area, looks at me and says "Oh my goodness...how olllld is hee?" I said: "3 weeks." She says: "Goodness! You should be home getting rest, and that poor little thing...he shouldn't be here at the airport..." I looked in disbelief, extremely irritated. I could not believe her nerve...Deep breath... she's lucky I'm saved. lol

So now that Elijah, is 3 months old - I look back on this (not so fond) experience and realize why people were staring us down like a piece of prime rib. He really was small, so I will extend a little grace, however I just don't understand why a complete stranger can be so comfortable to offer up their nonsolicited advice when it comes to children. SMH

*SN: I didn't mention this story but we ALSO missed our original flight, had to fly standby to Orlando, rent a car and drive the rest of the way to Jacksonville. How is that for a first time flight with baby? (The stories are ENDLESS) lol!

Pregnant in Heels?
Forget pregnant in heels, lets try "new mommy" in heels! Now that my friends deserves
all sorts of accolades. Indeed, these women are full blown Olympic athletes. Well, 1/2 determined, 1/2 naive, I decided to have a go at this sport myself. Hold on - let me set up the story : It was the day of my Brother-in-Laws wedding. My hubby, the best man, left early -so I had to get ready and take care of Elijah alone. This was the first time, but still I thought how hard could it be? Tired of my endless days in pj's post-pregnancy, I was looking forward to dressing up, so I went all out. Hair curled, make up, cocktail dress...and heels in tow. Boy, did I not know what I was in for! Every time I would put Elijah down he would cry...so I came up with a rhythm. Get ready for 5 minutes, pick him up for 5 minutes...back and forth, back and forth...5 minutes of crying was really all I could take...Finally 3 hours later...all dolled up, party dress on...then doom, doom doom...I stuck my feet into my 5-inch heels and said a silent prayer! lol...Here I am trying to walk somewhat gracefully in these heels, while (let's not forget) carrying a 8lb diaper bag and a 20lb car seat! I am sure I looked ridiculous now that I think about it! Lol - Some things just shouldn't be tempted alone.

The Grocery Store - aka The Amazing Race

What used to be a simple run to the grocery store is just well no longer simple! No...its more like a cross between a relay race and a circus act! So I take my son out in this 100 degree weather, bouncing his car seat off my left leg to support the weight, meanwhile Elijah is getting knocked around in there like a puppet on a string. (Its a good thing I secured the straps!) So we get to the store, when just my luck, my sleeping monster decides to awaken...he screams "foooodddd, where is my fooooood" in baby cries of course. So I race thru the aisles pushing the cart with one hand, trying to keep his Paci (aka the Silencer) in his mouth with the other - while onlookers stare. So finally we make it out the store, he continues to scream incessantly on the ride home so I turn up my music. I figured, its either I drown him out and drive safely,or allow his piercing scream to drive me crazy...and straight into oncoming traffic!...Finally I pull into the spot and it hits me..."how am I going to get my child, this diaper bag, and these grocery bags, up to the 4th floor at the same time? Enter Circus De Soleil...I strap him in the front carrier, cross my diaper bag over my chest, grab the groceries, and I'm off...(did I mention it was 100+ degrees outside?) Finally we make it inside, I drop everything, strip down my sweaty, red-faced, puffy-eyed baby with tear stains on his cheeks...and hold him so closely. "Mommy is here baby, don't worry, we're home now"...I rock him slowly in my arms as I look down into those teary brown eyes. In the stillness of that moment, an indescribable kind of love just overwhelms me. Almost moves me to tears. In the midst of chaos, it crazy how just one look from him makes it all so worth it.

The Check List

Keys...Check.
Phone...Check.
Purse...Check.
Shoes...Check.
Ha! Gone are THOSE days! lol
Now it goes a little something like this:
Bounce Elijah on hip while brushing teeth.
Wear something bfeeding friendly (in a closet where nothing fits yet except maternity clothes.)
Make sure shirt isn't on inside out.
Pack diaper bag,
Change diaper
Nurse baby...both sides
Burp him.
Secure him in car seat.
Finally ready to go and that is a good scenario, absent of any diaper blowouts, spit up that leads to clothing changes and etc..lol..At least I have a new excuse for my tardiness :-p

Well 3 months later, I can honestly say I have adjusted to mommy-hood and I am enjoying every moment. Seriously, I wouldn't trade it for the world! I know I made it seem a bit daunting, but I look back and laugh at the memories my hubby and I have made in such a short time!

As my 25th birthday approaches, I never would have imagined myself being here; a stay at home wife and mother. Sometimes, on those long days at home with Elijah, I find that my thoughts begin to drift off, thinking of the "simple" lives of my single, child-free friends in the working world. Yet, ever night, when I curl up in bed next to my hubby, rest my head on his shoulder, while Elijah falls asleep on his chest, I realize there is no where else I would rather be.

Tania ♥

Introducing...

2011-08-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hiiiiii there! Are you still with me? I hope so! I know this is WELL overdue but I am so excited to be back!..and hopefully updating more consistently now that I finally have adjusted to mommy-hood! Thanks for being so loving, patient, and supportive by the way. I've gotten some fb messages from some of my friends that read my blog and I can't tell you how much it brightens my day. So thank you! Ok,so first things first..

2 months ago today, a new love entered my arms, stole my heart, and changed my life.

Introducing our baby boy...

ELIJAH PAUL WOODS

Born June 7, 2011

6lbs 6oz

ambervraiphotography.com

I will never forget the moment he breathed his first breath, when I heard his tiny little cry, and the nurse laid his warm little body on my chest. Overwhelmed with an emotion that words can never sufficiently describe, I looked up into the eyes of my husband, then down back at the life we created, and sobbed...
how can any moment in life ever surpass this?

He looked at me, so alert, as if we had met before...

I can't believe it has been two months since the day I gave birth to Elijah, our family feels so full now, its almost as if he has always been here. So you may want to know how it all went. The labor, the delivery, the whole shebang, and honestly you KNOW I would love nothing but to walk you through every little detail,

but what I have written in my journal is long enough to write a book...

so I will spare you and try to keep it as short and as sweet as possible :-)

June 6, 2011

6:00am - I woke up that morning early because I couldnt sleep. I kept having this reoccuring dream of a voice telling me that Elijah will be here soon. "He will be here on the 7th..."I kept saying "but today is the 6th isnt it?..then a voice would say "He will be here on the 7th" This kept happening repeatedly, so much so that I decided to just get up and start my day. I went down for some cereal and after scafing down some Honey Bunches of Oats in typical pregnant woman fashion, I felt my first contraction. I remember it being painful, but now I have kind of forgotten how painful it truly was (funny how that happens)....well I called my hubby down and told him...and then I tried to get some rest...unsure of what lied ahead.

4:00pm - The day progressed and the contractions came sporadically...every 20-30 mins or so but, unfortunately you can't go to the hospital until they are 5 minutes apart for an hour. So Aaron and I decided to head across the street to good ol' Target. Of course I suddenly thought of a million of errands to run and time was running out! So here we are at Target looking at baby stuff, stopping every few minutes for me to kneel over grab a rack and say..."this is it, this is it, lets go home..I cant take it anymore!" and then 60 seconds later, it would be over and I'm back to deciding on what color outfit Elijah should wear home from the hospital.

6:00pm - The contractions intensified and started coming more frequently...so we grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital. We couldn't believe this moment had finally arrived! After trying to turn back for items that seemed so crucially important..i.e make-up and breath mints...lol my husband literally dragged me out the house and told me we had to go! lol

8:00pm - We check in to the hospital, I put on that hideous robe, got hooked up to all kinds of wires, tubes, and gadgets then signed my life away on dozens of documents in between the pain of contractions...funny the things they ask you to sign when u can barely think straight!

10:30pm - I remember breathing through contractions, and wanting so bad to just break one of Aaron's fingers. Maybe, just maybe that would make me feel better right now...lol. One time I attempted to bite his neck, while saying "I don't want to do this...but I have too"...somehow he managed to escape my choke hold. lol...Well, just when the pain reached an unbearable point, the anesthesia doc came in to administer my epidural...it hurt a bit, but in comparison to a contraction, it felt like a mosquito bite...lol after that kicked in, it was smooth sailing! Surprisingly the nurse informed me that I was 8cm dilated at this point, and couldn't believe I had progressed so far. My little man was just around the corner. Numb and pain free - I had my hubby dim the lights, turned on some Kenny G on Pandora, and i got some rest! (Yes, I said rest! Can you believe it?!...) The atmosphere was so calm and serene...I felt the presence of the Lord with us the whole time. I remember looking over to see my husband journaling, and then I would see him on his knees in prayer...words couldnt describe what it meant to have him there supporting me and covering every moment in prayer.

1:30am - After my nap (lol) I woke up, the nurse checked me and told me I was 10cm dilated and it was time to PUSH! I asked for the time, and sure enough, just as I had heard so clearly that morning, it was past 12am - and officially June 7th. After a few good pushes my son was out! And I couldnt believe what I saw before me...I held him closely, and sobbed saying "hi baby, mommys here...dont cry..its ok"...sigh I wish I could relive those few seconds over and over again...there is truly nothing like it...i am sure my mommys out there can attest to that right?

Well, I know I made that sound like a trip to the spa friends, perhaps maybe as painful as a bikini wax..lol but it WAS tough don't get me wrong! But I know the Lord truly showed me favor by granting me such a smooth, quick, and problem free delivery. What a blessing..seriously. The Lord has been way too good to me! :-)There is one verse that perfectly describes the state of my heart: The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed I have a beautiful inheritance. Psalms 16:6. In the beginning of my pregnancy, it was these words, that gave me comfort and peace the most. This verse that encouraged me in the times that I thought I was going to "miss out" on life by having a child so soon into my marriage. But friends, can I tell you how TRUE those words are in my life? Jesus, ever since you came into my life, you have filled it with love and joy unfathomable. Oh, what a beautiful jewel, a beautiful gift, a beautiful inheritance I have found in You. So I can only say Thank You. Thank you for transforming my heart through my husband and now...my son.

Thank you. I am so unworthy of your unmerited favor and grace. Thank you.

Well friends, there are more pictures to share

and stories to tell..but I will leave you for now...

Stay Tuned! :-)

Heading home from hospital

1 month

6 weeks

2 months

With all my love,

Tania ♥

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.

Psalms 127

37 Weeks = Full Term!

2011-05-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Ok, so of course I have to apologize for my 3 week absence...honestly I have just been a lazy bones! I mean @ 37 weeks now, honestly I feel like all I have been doing for the past couple of weeks is WAITING! lol...So everyday I say to myself "what the heck should I write about?" lol....I still dont know, but I will figure it out as I go.

Soooo as I said I am OFFICIALLY 37 Weeks!! I can't believe it honestly! My little boy can come at ANY moment...its such a weird feeling to think...wow. He can be here today, tomorrow, next week...who knows. My hubby has finished his coursework for the semester and now has a bit of a break before starting his summer research. So I have really been ENJOYING my time with him as much as possible before we go from simply hubby and wife to mommy and daddy. You know its amazing, that realization that we will soon take on this new role, that our lives are about to take a dramatic turn, has brought us closer together. Its like...I am savoring every single smile, every single cuddle, moment of quiet, every day that I can wake up after 9am in his arms...I know it sounds corny...and I am not saying that alllll goes down the drain once baby comes...but the reality is, things will be a bit different. And that is ok. Change is good. I think of it as, enjoy today for what it brings you, yet also look forward to tomorrow.

Ok that was a long intro! Whew...here is what we have on the Agenda:

Agenda
1. 37 Weeks Baby Update
2. Preggy Dougie
3. Doc Appt
4. Latest Pics

Baby Update: 37 Weeks
*babycenter.com

"Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz."

Preggy Dougie

Most of you may have seen our silly video on facebook already...it took like almost the whole day for my hubby to convince me that putting it up wouldnt make a mockery of me...lol...and it did, but it was still fun none the less...

So here we are...literally bags packed, windows dusted, all clothes washed, baby gear all set up...with NOTHING TO DO! lol...so we look at each other..and say...lets learn the Dougie..."I'm gunna Dougie my way into labor!" Yesss! lol...

Well it didn't work - yet. I think I will give it another shot today. lol...

SN: Do you know how HARD it is to have any sort of rhythm, coordination with a massive belly hanging in front of you?!...Omg, I was like...why can I not control my body! Haha...quite an experiment that was!

Anyway here is the video..if you would like to laugh at our expense once again :-P

Doctors Appointment

So Aaron and I went for our (now weekly) check up at the OB/GYN and she told me that I am officially 2cm dilated and baby is head down! (For those of you who have no clue what that means just know that its exciting news!) Well, it means he really can come at anytime and that I am progressing towards labor :-) I was excited especially to hear about the 2cm because THAT means 2 more centimeters less of pain that I will have to endure during labor before having my son! LOL...I am hoping to be like 4-5cm before labor actually begins...but I think that is a BIT unrealistic...lol By the way...you have to get to 10cm total before you can actually PUSH the baby out..lol...

Latest Pics

Alright without further adue...here are the latest pics we have been taking...Btw, the nursery is finally complete!!...Look out for a video tour on that one once baby arrives :-)

a couple of my favorite outfits...

Aaron: "Monkeys and Bears?!...babe that is NOT an outfit!" lol (oops)

i know you see those GATOR colors! :-)

cute little jumper i found at ross

My absolute favorite PJ outfit yet! From Auntie Lorriane :-)

Sleepfaced smile...and about to pop!

my new diaper bag :-)

swollen ring finger :-( I CANT GET IT OFF!

Shelves that Aaron hung up! :-)

36 weeks! Hospital tour!

cheeeessse! Excited about the hospital tour :-)

Baby Shower and More!

2011-05-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Happy Friday...What a week...i am feeling nothing short of ex-haus-ted! This little boy is growing an arm and a leg every day it feels! Ok ok...get it together Tania "Woohoo saww...woohoo sawww"..breathing.

Alright here we go peeps...are you having a good week?
I hope you are :-) It so hard with these blog things - this is a one way relationship! (So not fair!...you know all about my life...and I don't know about yours...lol) Call me! I need updates! (Make sure its before June 14th, because I am not sure I will have time to speak to you after...once this little boy comes!) lol

Our Agenda:

34 Weeks! - Baby Update

April 28, 2010 - Happy Re-birthday to me!

Baby Shower Pics

34 Weeks...the Countdown Continues!
*babycenter.com
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

HOW AM I FEELING?

Oh boy...I am exhausted, fatigued, everything hurts from my feet to my fingers. In fact, I can't even get my wedding band off anymore! Good thing this marriage is forever! The doctor told me to take it easy on my feet to reduce some of the swelling...Soooo you know what that means...the heels have been retired! Yep!...I never thought this day would come, but here it is! No more heels from here on out. I mean, I can barely keep my balance anyway, so perhaps it is for the best! lol... On a brighter note, I am loving my belly...:-) Its just so cute, hard, and round...lol (Probably the tightest thing on my body right now..haha - sad I know) And sooo far I have gained about 30 lbs...Whew...(huge pill to swallow) But I am just trying to focus on eating healthy - its been sooo hard these past few weeks! All I want is fried chicken and icecream (noo not together..although maybe that would be tasty!) lol...Just trying to put baby's health first...he eats what I eat! (Ahh poor guy...hope he's not TOO much of a chunky monkey lol)

April 28, 2011 - Happy Re-birthday To Me
So as you may have read on my facebook status last week, it has been 4 years since I rededicated my life to Christ and got baptized! On that day, I officially and publicly declared to everyone my decision to follow Christ! And honestly, I do not know where I would be if it wasn't for Him. Everything I have, all that I am, all the blessings I have received from him - my joy, my peace, my marriage...all stem back to that day! He is so faithful! He is SO much better than anything this world has to offer. I am so glad he opened my eyes, and changed my life. My life was a never ending roller-coaster of brokenness, depression, and confusion of purpose. Yet no one even really knew! My facade of happiness on the surface, masked my brokenness within. And then one day - he came in and picked me up, redeemed me, and made me new. Praise God! His love is simply amazing.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

Philippians 3:12-14 "I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. ¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

*SN: If you are where I once was and would like to read more about my story of Redemption, I wrote about it on my other blog..Click here. I pray the Lord uses it to speak to you wherever you are in your journey with Him.

This race has not been easy...no..far from it..but every step I take, everything in my past that I painfully walked away from has been so worth it! Never turning back! :-)

Baby Shower Pics!

I can not express my gratitude enough to my sister Tracy and my friends here in Austin for throwing Aaron and I an amazing Baby Shower here in Austin. I think what I enjoyed most was just seeing the friends we have made over the last 8 months all in the same room! It is so awesome to have the love and support of so many people. I remember when I first got to Austin, I thought how will we ever meet anyone? Will I ever make any friends here? It was a tough transition! But as I said, The LORD is FAITHFUL! When he says not to worry...Philippians 4:6... he MEANS it! So here we are, celebrating the soon arrival of our son, with people who love the Lord and love us....Couldn't have been happier :-)

Here are some pics from the day :-)

Meredith Signing In on the Baby Onesie :-)

Sam! He was dominating the games! This was the "guess the size of my belly" game lol

The Trivia Questions had them stumped!

Baby Food Feeding Game

Brett and Melissa! THE token couple with 3 beautiful children - they knew ALL of the trivia questions lol!

The Newlyweds...sooo cute. Love you guys!

Cute Cupecake Cake :-) Yummy!

Me and My Baby Daddy ;-) lol

Aaron and My Amazing Big Sister Tracy! Thanks so much Trace! Your the best!

All my lovely friends that helped with the shower (Amelia, Alisa, Melissa, Megan, and Tracy)...Love you! xoxo

The Ladies! - So much fun :-)

The Gentlemen! Some of the hubby's stayed home...but these guys came thru big time! I love co-ed baby showers!

The Gifts....Thank you, thank you thank you! :-)

Aaron's Grad School Dream Team! lol...The people that see him more than I do!

Primary Color theme! Woohoo!

I love this guy...

My and my brother Delano (aka Frankie) :-)

I was trying to pick his nose :-p

Happy :-)...The End!

A Wonderful One Year Anniversary!

2011-04-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hellloooo!!

Yey! I am so excited about this entry peeps. Now, let me start in saying, I have received some threats for not being "timely" with my posts. (Extend some grace this way please!) sheesh! lol....This week sure has been a busy one! Whew...but I hope this post will be worth it! Ok soooo here we go!

Last week was an amazing one. From completing some canvas paintings for the nursery, getting our crib set up, working on "suprise" projects for our anniversary, our maternity photo shoot, anniversary dinner, easter...and even fitting in time to visit the dentist for a cleaning...whew...I blinked my eyes and here we are! On to a new week!

Our Agenda:

33 Weeks: How I'm Feeling

Our Anniversary: One Year of Marital Bliss...

Maternity Photo Shoot

Nursery Decor

What's Next? Baby Shower!

33 Weeks Strong

I cant believe in just a few weeks I will be holding my precious baby boy! It seems as the weeks get closer, the harder it is to imagine. I am excited to see him, but nervous to have him. I keep wondering how will I handle the pain of childbirth! Am I a screamer? Will I actually surprise myself and be relaxed? What will I be thinking? What will be my motivation to make it through? How will my husband respond?...and of course...How LONG will it take?..hehe...

These days I am REALLY FEELING PREGNANT. I mean...my stomach is OUT THERE...its heavy, I am walking slower, holding my back, getting winded very easily! I can't bend over, my feet feel like they are supporting the weight of a sumo wrestler, I can't really see my toes anymore (I tried to paint them- that was NOT happening) lol...When I look in the mirror, I feel like its some kind of out of body experience...Who IS this woman looking back at me? Honestly, I can't lie - I can get very emotional. Just longing to be back in my old skin...its like...I don't really FEEL like me! I can't explain it...but then when I look down and my little boy moves from one side of my belly to the other (yes he is a MOVER!)...I find it amazing to be holding life inside of me...its such a beautiful gift, I am so blessed and so fortunate.

April 23. 2011: One Year of Marital Bliss...

There is so much to say! First of all, PRAISE the LORD...we made it through our climatic first year! Aaron and I have endured so many changes in our first year of marriage. From moving across the country, starting grad school, planning for baby....whew. We are just so grateful that the Lord has seen us through...and kept us afloat.

This week I had been working on a few projects to suprise my hubby with for our anniversary. So I put my creative skills to work (and my house responsibilities on hold) to create this while he was away at school during the day.

1. Framing our vows. I really thought it would be special to have our vows framed and put up in our house so we can occasionaly stop and reflect on the words we promised to one another on 4.23.10.
Loved how this one turned out! I wrapped the edges with the fabric from our wedding :-)

2. As an ode to my 97 year old grandmother's advice: "No matter what happens, make sure you kiss each other and make up every single night....don't go to bed without a kiss"....I made a collage frame of us kissing, and bought a wall vinyl that reads "Always Kiss Me Goodnight" to hang above our bed. (Unfortunately, I couldn't hang them up on my own, so I just had to hand them to my hubs, so he can help me put it up later...lol pics to come)

Ok so on to the day. April 23!
Time to let the hubby step in and share some words on our special day :-)

It's my turn now, (Aaron), to add a little snapshot of our 1-year Anniversary activities! It was a crazy past few weeks with grad school, and it seems like every thing was coming at me: homework, coursework, research...and all I desired to do was plan our beautiful one-year outing. Being a husband and student can sometimes be challenging, but Tania is so patient with me, and I am so happy to have her as my wife. Sooo....now to the details of our dinner outing. I was referred to this wonderful Italian restaurant in the hills of Austin near the city of Driftwood. This place was like a good hours drive from us, but was well worth it! Trattoria Lisina is situated on a beautiful vineyard, and as you come in you can see the fields of vines before arriving to the restaurant. The weather was wonderful, much cooler than last April 23rd! lol And the breeze was just right. My wife was stunning! People were complimenting here before we could even ask for our table :-). The food was something serious, especially the mashed potatoes -- i don't know what they put in it but we will be back for them soon! It was so lovely to sit and enjoy a dinner with my wife looking out into the vineyard, reflecting on God's love for us. He has truly brought us through a challenging year. Looking at the vines all I could think about was what Jesus said in

John 15:4-5:

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Marriage is a beautiful opportunity to abide in Christ, and if you didn't know before marriage that you can do nothing apart from him, you will certainly be aware of it afterwards. I praise God for this first year with my beautiful bride. I have seen her abide in the vine, and she has encouraged and enabled me to abide in him also. Thanks babycakes for a wonderful year! Happy Anniversary!

Maternity Photo Shoot

Ok (Tania here)...btw (hunnie that was super sweet!) thank you for the lovely dinner...I truly enjoyed it much more than you know!!! I felt like I stepped RIGHT into the scene of one of my favorite movies: "Letters to Juliette"....Thank you!

Ok, so to back track a bit, another reason why our April 23rd was so wonderful from the very moment we woke up, was that we decided to take our Maternity Photos early that morning! And I mean early! Aaron and I woke up before the sun rose (5:30am) to get ready and meet our photographer at the outdoor location by 7am sharp. What a morning! From standing in fields of wild flowers with a flowing white linen dress, taking semi nude pics by the train tracks (not seeing those pics hehe ;-) and having a picnic in a field of blue bonnets...we couldnt have asked for a more beautiful backdrop for our photos! Our photographer did a wonderful job capturing the beauty of this moment. So enough words, here are a few teaser pics...so you can stop salivating ;-) lol....

Nursery Decor

Ok so this week I ALSO was working on painting the rest of the decor for the nursery! Our theme for our baby boys room is ABC's, Primary Colors, and Transportation....so I wanted to pull all the together with some canvas paintings. I have never painted on canvas before, but I figured it would be fun trying...and I absolutely loved how these turned out!

Look at these cute shoes I bought from craigslist for 5 bucks....adorable!

Also I ordered my crib on Monday and it shipped in like 4 days! Sweet story: So I went to a friends house on Thursday evening, and when I came back a few hours later, I walked into the nursery room, and Aaron set up the crib while I was out...even put the bedding on there...and left me a sweet note....I loved it!!!...So excited..the room is actually starting to look like a baby room now:-)


painted that little toy box!


Hubby Picked up the ABC bathroom decor I wanted SO BAD! Yey!

What's Next? Our Baby Shower!

Well that is all for now folks...hope the post brought you up to speed. Crazy week...and on the the next! This weekend April 30th is our Baby Shower! Although I am sad some of my friends and family from Florida wont be in attendance...I am looking forward to spending time with the friends and family we have made here in Austin! Here is a pic of the beautiful invites designed by my sister.

I'm 30!

2011-04-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

Gooood evening my friends :-)

As the title implies...I am officially 30!....Weeks that is :-p...I cant believe in 7 to 10 more weeks my son will be in my arms! Ahh....crazyness! Time flies!

Today is a good day.
I'm just feeling holly jolly all down inside. You know why? Well, the little things. I woke up this morning and hit my knees for starters...just got a little spiritual refreshment...its like taking a deep breath and enjoying the exhale...(you should try it sometime)...Also, there was a terrible storm last night, but when I left the house today...Bea-u-ti-ful day!...Windows down, sunroof back, music up...gotta love it. Praise Jesus for just giving me another day to rest in Him....

So the past week was pretty uneventful. My hubby went out of town, left me here in Austin all by my lonesome...but that is ok...I actually kinda enjoyed just having some time for myself...to reflect (and spread out on the bed!) Yet I was super happy when he came back. :-)

Ok moving forward...

Our Agenda
1.Big Babies!
2.Cute Huggies Commercial
3.This Weeks Pics

1.Big Babies
So I read this article last week about extremely large newborns and couldn't believe it....The Guinness Book of World records sets the largest child birth at 23lbs in 1879! I wonder it was a vaginal delivery?!? I did read somewhere that one lady gave birth vaginally to a 12lb baby...however suffered severe blood loss...This is certainly no laughing matter, in fact (I just read) the 23lb baby recorded by Guinness actually died 11hrs after his birth :-( His parents had Giantism....

In any case...here are some pictures of a more recent healthy baby weighing in at 17lbs....btw, the average newborn baby weight typically ranges from 6-9lbs....Btw, I read that the onset of gestational diabetes during pregnancy likely caused the child to receive too much glucose in the womb, accounting for his massive size upon delivery...

September 26, 2007: Nadia Khalina, born weighing an astonishing 17.1 pounds, lies in a maternity ward next to a "normal-sized" newborn in the Siberian city of Barnaul

eptember 26, 2007: Nadia Khalina, born weighing 17.1lbs

Watch this Super Cute Huggies Jeans Commercial:

Wasn't that just adorable?? :-)

This Weeks Pics:

Treated myself to Panera (again!) while hubby was away :-)

Gonna Pop! lol

Reading book about how to get babies to stop crying! Magic!

Look who came to join me! :-)

My latest non-maternity bargain find...love this dress! :-)

At Forever 21 - Do you like this shirt?
Thinking about taking some maternity pics
wearing it...I dunno...

Well just a heads up peeps....I am working on the nursery again this week YeY!..., My 1 year anniversary is next week Saturday (double Yey!)...and my baby shower is at the end of the month (triple YeY)! So look out for those post!...

(it's ok if you dont like this one...hehe...)

With all my love,

Tania W.♥

The HomeStretch! Third Trimester!

2011-03-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hellllooo world...or faithful few..hehe,

I'm delayed once again, but I just want to say, GOD IS GOOD! I lost my brand new phone, (I have literally had it for two weeks) and I found it @ Office Max. Lord thank you for still having noble people in this world. I am so grateful!

Ok moving on, so now that I am back in action, I can post some pics from last week..and well this week really since I am well overdue. ...Im just going to throw up my pics...Enjoy the mini highlight reel!

Oh I do want to tell you what my little baby boy is up to at 28 weeks :-)

28 Weeks:*courtesy of whattoexpect.com

Are you dreaming about your baby? At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby may be dreaming about you, too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs.

By now, your baby, who weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking to his or her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to your baby's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks.

Highlight Reel

1. Spring Is Here!
Last week started out a bit down in the pits...(funny enough almost ended that way too, but was redeemed by my hubby...more on that later)..In any case, to chipper my spirits, I realized I needed to get out the house...so I decided to take a nice little journal, my ipod and a fav book to the poolside and just chill...it was ah-maz-ing! I watched as the clouds just rolled by, closed my eyes and listened to the wind go by...It almost felt like the Lord was whispering in my ear to just rest in Him...what a momemt...what a beautiful day...

2. Child Birth Class

Aaron and I attended our final childbirth class...and I must say it was beyond entertaining! Our instructor is just amazing at what she does!

Funny quotes of the day:

Her favorite word is "waheena"...which is her reference to the female private area...lol...

"Kegel ladies, Don't forget to Kegel...we want tight waheena's for daddy!"

And my hubby's fav:

"And..another reason for a C-Section is known as Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD): when a baby's head is too large to pass through the pelvic region...or as I like to call it (HTB): Head-Too-Big."

And just before we left, I was asked to volunteer for the massage...Yes ma'm thank you..I'll take 30 more minutes of this lesson! Lol...Aaron came up and gave it a try...its harder than it looks, but he did great!...A little more practice won't hurt tho...hehe...free massages for me!

3. Another Pick-Me-Upper

Omg...my new craving...at a pricey $8 bucks a pop, (yes that is pricey when its something I want everyday)...lol..Panera Bread's Thai Chopped Chicken Salad with a cup of Broccoli and Cheese soup. Can we say mmmmmmmmmmm!! I know my baby is loving it as much as I am...healthy deliciousness..so hard to come by! Go take your next 8 bucks and head to Panera...please!

4. Another Delicious Dinner Made by my One & Only
So Sunday I was just down in the poops of all poops. (Hormonally you might say I had lost my darn mind.) It all started Saturday evening at good ol' faithful Babies"R"Us. Aaron and I finally decided to buckle our boot straps and get our registry done. But only 5 minutes after walking in, gun in hand, ready to point and shoot (nooo, not Aaron, the baby goodies...hehe) I was over it. I mean literally, I was just too overwhelmed. All I kept thinking was, "HOW DID I GET HERE?!"..." Omg, do we NEED all this stuff??" ..." Really when does a baby start teething anyway, cant we get these chew toys at the dollar store?"..." Really..why is there a spa setting on this baby tub?"..." How many diapers come in that box?"..."and HOW many boxes are you telling me I am going to need Ma'm?"..."How are we going to afford this?"..."Why didn't we put Tour a Baby Store on our pre-marriage counseling checklist, because I am pretty sure I didn't know what I was signing up for!"...then the final..look of rage over at my smiling husband..YOU DID THIS TO MEEEEE!....

Ok ok, you may think I am psychotic - but I am allowed. I am pregnant. And with much comfort and confirmation from other Mommy's I know I am not alone..(whew!)

So anyway, this debbie downer attitude, progressed into the next morning. I was not having it..I didn't want to leave my bed for church or anything else...and so my husband...disappointed I am sure..doesnt get upset with me..nope..he makes me breakfast in bed, kisses me on the forehead, and heads out to church without me. Then comes home WITH FLOWERS, and WHIPS UP A GOURMET MEAL??? (Ummm Jesus...is that you??) It HAS to be...because...it is humanly impossible to love me as I am right now...Anyway...I am so grateful for what I have in my husband...I am not bragging (maybe a little) but more so...I just want you all reading to know...that husbands like him, indeed DO exist...Here's the proof ;-)
P.S The verse is true: Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

Handsome Isn't He? :-)

Steak, steamed brocolli, garlic mashed potatoes, shrimp skewers, corn!!!

5. WE FINISHED THE LETTER WALL!

Minus the letter "I"...As simple as that letters is, I just couldn't find one I liked.

Anyway here it is, what do you think??? :-)

6. Preggy Pic This Week

Of Course I had to include this, I'm in my 3rd Trim. for crying out loud! (Yeyaaa!)

Tis All My Friends,

See ya when I see ya...cant make any promises of when..but we shall meet again soon!

Tania W ♥

One Week Closer :-)

2011-03-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hello again friends and followers,

You know let me just take a moment to say thank you sooo much to all of you that have been reading my blog. It means so much to me that even in my own little world (without much going on but being pregnant hehe) I have people around that care about me and take the time to tell me. Ahh you all make my day...thank you 100x! :-)

Ok on to this weeks agenda! What a exciting yet exhausting week for my hubby and I! It was Spring Break week for him, so we pretty much spent the entire week in shorts and an old tee, sanding and painting things for the nursery....but more on that in a moment! Here is what we shall discuss:

The Agenda:

1. Head Over Heels - Wearing Heels During Pregnancy

2. High's and Lows

3. The Nursery Project

4. Preggy Pics: Featuring Friends!

HEAD OVER HEELS: Wearing Heels During Pregnancy

*courtesy of maternityandstyle.com

There is still so much we don't know about how the body changes during pregnancy, which is why the debate over the safety of high heels during pregnancy continues. Many women enjoy wearing their heels while pregnant, and according to medical professionals, that's okay as long as you're aware of the risk. Falling down is the greatest risk to wearing high heels during pregnancy. Your center of gravity is shifted due to your changing shape, and adjusting it even more by wearing heels can leave you feeling off-balance. Mariah Carey experienced this phenomenon early in her pregnancy when she fell down on stage in late 2010 while wearing heels. On the other hand, whether or not you should wear heels is also about comfort. During pregnancy, stilettos tend to put more stress on the lower back than they normally would. Plus, most women experience edema during pregnancy, causing their feet to swell and become more sensitive. If you aren’t experiencing any of these problems, then there is no medical reason not to wear heels.

Are you continuing to wear heels through your pregnancy?

My answer: Yes! Well for now at least. They say everything in moderation right? I mean, I'm def not the girl to rock 6 inch stilletos to the grocery store (are you in-SANE!) but if I am going out on the town ~~(who am I kidding?...)~~ if i am going to church lol...I will put on a 3 or 4 incher...Yet perhaps my confidence in doing this (while being 28 weeks pregnant) can't be attributed to myself, but the support of my hubby, who I am constantly locking arms with to prevent a fall...Now if my feet begin to swell, or my belly grows entirely to big to be comfortable for me and the baby over these last few months..well then...hello flats!

Until then, I guess heels make me feel like even though I am pregnant, I am still beautiful, I am still girly, and classy...should I really have to compromise those things? Just my take.

Highs and Lows

The Highs

1. Jeans in Juniors - So I went to Macy's last weekend and I found myself mozing over to the juniors section, call it nastalgia, wishful thinking perhaps...So as I surf the racks looking for stretchy jeans, over-sized tees, and maxi dresses, the sales lady comes over and jokingly remarks "well now, this is different... shouldn't you be over in maternity?" I laughed - though slightly offended - and told her that I am not defined by my belly! I can shop in any department - and if the shoe fits - I am wearing it! Needless to say, 30 minutes and 13 bucks later, I left the mall with my skinny Levi's jeans in hand! Pic Above! (Mmmhmm...take THAT Sales lady! :-p)

2. Israel New Breed Concert

My hubby and I went to the ah-maz-ing Israel concert on Thursday! I can't not say enough about our experience. It was truly God breathed. So much MORE than a "concert." It was a true harmonious worship session to Jesus! It was just awesome to look all around me and see, from the people on stage to the 13 year old girl to my left, we all lifted our hands and just worshiped the Lord. He truly used Israel and his musical gifting to touch the very core of my being. I thought for a moment as he sung "He Knows My Name", and "Moving Forward"...I reminisce on the melody, the lyrics...It so easy to have spiritual amnesia as a Christian. To forget who I am, who I belong to. To forget how the Lord has completely transformed my life. Forget the moment that I decided to never turn back to the ways of this world again...its moments like this...that bring them back to life. Jesus, I live to worship you.

3. Child Birth Class
Informative, Enlightening, Fun - Loved it! Aaron and I went to the 5 hour class, pillow in hand, ready to soak up all the knowledge we could! And boy did we...so many of our concerns we answered! How to breath through contractions, vaginal tears, how painful is it??, breastfeeding, c-section worries - you name it - our nurse answered it! ( I love this woman and her amazing sense of humor) Referring to babies as "little critters," and warning us that "newborns can often resemble aliens at first" lol. We even saw a video (real and raw) of a live birth! It was intense! Yet..enlightening :-) Can't wait for our follow up class next Saturday!

The Lows

1. SPRING BREAK IS OVERRR!!! :-( Why did it have to go by so fast? Not ready for my hubs to go back to school yet :-( Sigh...

The NURSERY PROJECT!
Aaron and I have been working all week trying to put a cute little room together for baby Woods. So far so good. We aren't done, but I am excited for our progress. Many of our items, including the armoire and changing table were purchased off of CL, then Aaron sanded and painted them and we even changed out the knobs! Which I adore :-) Meanwhile, I was working on decorating letters! I can not describe to you all how tasking it was to make 26 letters look completely different while only using 4 different colors (red, blue, green, and yellow) Mixing shades, mixing patterns, etc etc...whew! Welp here are the results of this weeks work. Next we will be getting our crib and other things put in. Fun times ahead! Stay tuned!

Poor Babes...good thing we got you that palm sander!

So much more to go! lol

The beautiful knobs we found at Hobby Lobby! LOVE!

Sanded, Painted, Top Piece Made from Scratch!!! Nice Work Honey!

A close up! Dont you love the knobs!

My little project - these letters! I wish you could have seen the paint covering my arms and legs! Ugh!

All Done! Now I just have to hang them! U like??

Edit: So I can't take FULL credit for the ABC Wall Idea - Here is where I stole it from lol...(pretty similar no?)

PREGGY PICS: Featuring Friends
Well this week I wanted to give a shout out to my friends that are also expecting! Yey!
Please show them some love! :-)
Kim - 28 Weeks

Lauren - 24 Weeks!

Zanrieann - 24 weeks!

Alrighty! That's all I got for now folks. Love you mucho!

XOXO
Tania W♥

Sorry for the Delay!

2011-03-13T07:41:00.000-07:00

EDITORS NOTE: The post below is an accumulation of the last few days! I apologize in advance for the different tenses! Lol.

Friday: So I woke up in the middle of the night and realized (OMG!) its Thursday!...I forgot to write my blog today! Oopsies. Sorry peeps. Must be a bit of that pregnancy forgetfulness (yes, it IS an actual symptom)
Alright here we go:
Honestly, this wont be long because I can't even think straight. My husband and I are sitting here watching the news and the Earthquake/Tsunami that has hit Japan. My friends, if you could, please take a moment and pray for our people on the other side of the world. This is insane. Its time that we wake up peeps! Lets all join forces and cover this nation (Japan) in prayer.

The Agenda

1. Facts about Baby

2. High's and Lows

3. Nursery Inspiration Pics

FACTS ABOUT BABY
*courtesy of babycenter.com
1. The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

HIGH's and LOW's

The Highs
1. Praise God! My test results from my Gestational Diabetes exam came back negative! Lord I am so greatful! I literally got the call, then got on my knees and bald like a baby- just thanking Him! Honestly in hindsight I think it was just a test to see if I was going to worry, or If i was going to trust God to see me through. And He proved himself faithful once again! Thank you Lord :-)

2. Spring Break is coming up and I am so excited to get some much needed one on one time with my husband! ( You would think because we are married now we get a lot of this - but we dont!) School is hectic! So I look very forward to his breaks. This upcoming Spring Break week we plan on painting, prepping the nursery room, doing our registry, taxes, going to our first childbirth class, seeing Israel and the New Breed in concert (can't wait for that yey!). Anyway the we have a pretty packed schedule, but the point is, its great because we will be doing it all together :-) Ah, the little things in life that make my heart smile.

3. So today, since it is Saturday and my blog is a bit late, my awesome friend Erika Jones asked me to be a guest on her radio show. It was called "Women Profiting Form Their Passions." Basically, I have a growing passion (one of MANY) and am currently in the works of developing a side business as a Creative Consultant. My dream is to start with weddings, them move on to other events. My goal and vision is to help brides to create the image, inspiration, and vision for the their Big Day! "Ok I said YES, now what? So I am engaged, where the heck do I start! Ahh, it can be so overwhelming, to figure this out...and that is where I come in :-) Check out the interview below:

Listen to internet radio with The Erika Jones Show on Blog Talk Radio

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/erikajones
P.S Erika Jones is amazing please check out her blog as well! (You inspire me!)

The Lows
1. I am missing out on one of my BFF's bridal showers and its killing me! And this is when its hard to be so far away from home. :-( Cindy I love you and I hope your bridal shower is amazing!!!! Two more months and you will be IN the club!!! Wow...I cant believe how far we both have come on this journey!

2. That is ALL! Woohoo

See you next...Thursday (hopefully) ;-)
With Love,
Tania W♥

Breast Milk Ice Cream Anyone??

2011-03-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hello?
Are you still there? ...Good!
Hi my loves! I can't believe its Thursday ALREADY! The week went by so fast, I don't even know what to write this time...

Welp...here goes nothing!

This weeks agenda:

Fun Read
Hi's & Lows
Preggy Pics

FUN READ: Breast Milk Ice Cream! YUCK or YUM??

*courtesy of BBC News

A restaurant in London is now serving a new range of ice cream, made with breast milk.
The dessert, called Baby Gaga, is churned with donations from London mother Victoria Hiley. Mrs Hiley, 35, said "If adults realized how tasty breast milk was, more new mothers would be encouraged to breastfeed." The lemony, vanilla concoction is served in a martini glass with a rusk (toast) on the side. Each serving of Baby Gaga at Icecreamists costs £14 (roughly $22).

Icecreamists founder Matt O'Connor placed an [advertisement on his site] appealing for breast milk donations and believes his new recipe will be a success. "If it's good enough for our children, it's good enough for the rest of us," he said. "Some people will hear about it and go yuck - but actually it's pure organic, free-range and totally natural." He added that the ice cream was not certified organic. Mrs Hiley, who gets £15 ($24) for every 10 ounces of milk she donates to the company, said it was a great "recession beater". "What's the harm in using my assets for a bit of extra cash?" she added. "I teach women how to get started on breastfeeding their babies. There's very little support for women and every little helps." Mr O'Connor said 14 other women had come forward to offer their services. Health checks for the lactating women were the same used by hospitals to screen blood donors. "No-one's done anything interesting with ice cream in the last hundred years," he added.

Blog Writer Besty Shaw from babycenter.com comments:
"While I agree it’s out of the ordinary, and not instantly appealing, I do find it interesting that we are so quick to ingest the milk of other animals, namely cows, yet turn up our noses at human milk. I will come clean and admit that...I balked at ever even tasting my own breast milk. Is this a natural instinct, or have we been socialized into thinking human breast milk is inherently gross and off limits if you’re not a baby"..."Cows don’t ordinarily eat cheese or ice cream, but would they if they were offered it?"

Sooo friends, what are your thoughts??? Is the idea of breast milk ice cream utterly repulsive, or if presented the opportunity would you give it a try? Comment below!

HIGH's & LOW's
The High's

1. My hubby completely knocked my socks of this week by making this amazing meal while I just sat back on the couch and watched. He didn't let me move a muscle. (And I loved every minute of it.) Ahh thank Jesus for selfless and serving husbands. We had grilled chicken kaboobs, brown rice, and a rosemary potatoe and green bean medley. More points for the healthy arrangement! It was sooo yum! Thanks babes! You know I had to brag about you ;-) (So you'll do it again next week! Ha! - wishful thinking)

2. The Baby Shower planning is underway! We decided to have it here at our clubhouse in Texas on April 16th. My sisters along with the help of some of my Austin friends are working on the details as we speak! And now all I have to do is get this registry done! (I keep putting it off! lol) But the time is drawing near. :-) So excited!

The Low's
Well I had a doctors appointment last week, and I was called back this week to do further diagnostic testing for Gestational Diabetes. The test was today. Pretty intense. Its a 3 hour appointment. You have to fast 10-12 hrs before the appointment (it should be a crime to make a pregnant lady skip meals!), then I drank this syrupy drink (100 grams of pure sugar solution), and they had to draw my blood once every three hours. I couldn't eat, drink anything but water, or fall asleep. So it was just me, a good book, and my handy dandy laptop this morning. Praise God, I made it through, 3 hrs and 5 shots later. I never did like needles, but I am a big girl now right? I am praying the results will come back negative. My heart truly goes out to my family and those of you who do struggle with diabetes.

PREGGY PICS
Here is a shot taken today :-) (Please excuse the sleepy face)
I think my tummy looks the same size these days...

Until Next Thursday,
Love you mucho....Kisses from Baby Woods!

Tania W.♥

Boy oh Boy - What A Week :-)

2011-02-24T20:34:00.000-08:00

Hello again friends,

Another week another entry. :-) Hope I am not boring you quite yet! So this past week was beautiful one in good ol' Austin. The weather was unexpectedly pleasant - signs that Spring is in the near future. I am excited for Spring. My hubby tells me that's when Austin really shines! Ahh..ok so baby talk time.

This week agenda:

Fun Facts
Hi's & Lows
Preggy Symptoms

FUN FACTS ABOUT BABY:

*courtesy of purebaby.com

A baby is born every seven seconds.
Babies are born with very poor vision but can recognize their mothers almost right away.
Babies are always born with blue eyes, within a few moments of delivery their eye color can change.
Babies are born with swimming abilities and can naturally hold their breath. However, they shortly lose this instinct.
Babies and toddlers are, pound for pound, stronger than oxen. This is especially true of their legs.
Babies are born without kneecaps.

HIGH's & LOW's
The High's

I love love love my new prenatal fitness workout now! How is that for exciting? What a change from my dreadful start last week! I mean, I have been dreaming about the moves in my sleep...lol!...I dunno maybe fitness DVD's will be my new thing. Because the gym is certainly not it! lol..

So I just found out this week that there is free Zumba classes being held at the local church in my area on Monday's! So I plan to check that out with a friend of mine. Release my inner latina...lol. Show them ladies that preggy girls can bust some moves too! Looking very forward to that. Stay tuned next week. (Hopefully I don't faint! - this is common for me. I tend to "overdo" it as they say. lol)

This weekend Aaron and I spent some time with our good friends Aubrey and Trevor (married couple sleep over - whoop whoop) Lol. Well anyway, Sunday morning we went to go watch the Austin Livestrong Marathon/Half-Marathon race. It was so inspiring! That was my first time ever watching a marathon in person and it truly brought tears to my eyes to see people of all ages, shapes, weights, and sizes pushing to make it to the finish. Seriously it gave me chills! We even watched as one marathon runner's legs gave out from under him when he was just 50 meters away from the finish. Two other runners, picked him up and tried to carry him across the finish line as we all cheered. He had to be pushed down the last 20 meters in a wheel chair, but just the love in that moment felt by all, was overwhelming.

So I go to the mail box and find an unexpected package from my friend Lorraine. "Wonder what this is?" I open it, only to find a note that said "when you first told me you were having a boy, I ran out and bought all these baby clothes...I am so excited for you and Aaron and can't wait to shower the baby with more cute clothing..love you guys" I unwrap it and low and behold, Baby Woods' first outfits!! THE cutest baby boy clothes I've ever seen. I almost broke into tears! Seriously it was the sweetest, most thoughtful thing ever!! I will never forget it. Aaron went and hung it up proudly in the closet. lol Lord thank you for giving me such amazing friends! Lorraine if your reading this, (which I know you are), thank you...we love you. :-)

Craigslist STEAL!
So as you guys know, I am working on our nursery. (Sorry I haven't update the page. This takes enough time as it is! lol. ) But I haven't done too much yet. It's a work in progress. Anyway so the other day, I was doing my normal Craigslist bargain hunt and found an amazing baby blue swivel rocker listed for $20 bucks!!!
We HAD to have it. I can't wait to hold the baby in it. :-)

The Low's
I think I am addicted to sweets. In fact, I may be in denial about it! So lately, I have been having a scope of ice cream like every night ( I know it sounds bad) but I thought it was harmless. Well now, my body (or baby) or maybe just me is SEEKING the sweet fix. I can't stop thinking about it all the way up until bedtime. Somebody help!

So I went to the doctor yesterday and all is generally well. HOWEVER...doom...dooom...doom. I managed to put on 12lbs since my last visit (just 4 weeks ago!) When the nurse said my weight my jaw actually dropped. And my doctor looks at my charts says "Heart Rate - check, Baby's Heart Rate - Check....then says "Weight...umm 12lbs...what happened girl?!?" Yea not so funny. Then she proceeded to give me her "Wellll I gained 40lbs in my pregnancy...so don't worry"...THEN said "butttt just be careful because those pounds sure are hard to shed!" I think I walked out of that appointment slightly traumatized. I honestly still don't believe the scale. I mean, perhaps the thick sweater I was wearing and belly full of water added 5lbs?? (wishful thinking) lol... Oh well...gotta shake it off.

PREGGY SYMPTOMS: I Am Experiencing These Days:

Weird Dreams - I had a dream about recovering child molesters the other night. Random.
Backache - Ouchy
Insomnia - Its getting uncomfy to sleep. I have been on a really awkward schedule. I fall asleep around 3am, wake up at 6am. Then take a nap around noon.
Heart Burn- bring on the TUMS!! (plus they satisfy my sweet cravings!)
Preggy Gas - lets just say I give the signal and Aaron makes a dash to the nearest exit! lol

That's all for now! See you next Thursday!
Tania W. ♥

23 weeks! :-)

2011-02-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

Hello again friends,

Week 23! Lets see where do I start. Oh! Random Fact: According to my Bro-in-Law Josh, today is Micheal Jordan's birthday. 23 weeks...MJ's # is 23....get it?!? (I tried :-/)

Anyway lets move on shall we..."Yes..lets."

This week has been pretty stable for the most part. But I will take you on my adventure yet again. Here is the topic rundown:

Article of the Week
High's and Low's
Red Light Special aka Valentines Day!

Article of the Week: 5 Worst Food For Pregnant Women

(*courtesy of barycenter.com)

Ok, lets see how I stand up to the list!

1. Packaged ramen noodles - PASS- Haven't eaten these since college!

2. Soda - PASS - not a drop since I found out I was pregnant!

3. Shelf-stable commercial lunches - PASS - I had Lunchable on a road trip once. It made me sick!

4. Too many frozen prepared meals - FAIL - I eat Stouffer's Pot Roast at LEAST once/week! Oops!

5. Iceberg lettuce - PASS - the thought of lettuce makes me queezy..not a good thing. lol

I'm 4 for 5...YESSS!!

(Now had they mentioned ice cream, Buffalo chicken wings, or Chic-fil-a...I'd be singing another song..) This week I have been craving the oddest foods: I ONLY like breakfast and dinner. So I eat breakfast all day (cereal, waffles, bananas, orange juice, wheat toast etc, and then at night I will make dinner) For some reason I can't come up with anything remotely appetizing for lunch.

No thank you Mr. Turkey Sandwhich!

HIGH & LOW's

The High's:

1. Aaron and I celebrated our very first Valentine's Day together as a married couple (oo la la la). Ha-ha...(Story Below) Annnnnd two of my close friends got engaged! So excited for Aisha and Zanrieann!

2. So anyone who knows us knows that we love pictures! Just something about capturing moments in a creative way. Well, what better time to break out the camera then now?? After randomly searching Craiglist, I happened to stumble upon an amazing photographer. Amber Vrai :-) We will be working with her in the next few months to capture my maternity and our newborn baby photos! I am so excited to work with her...(and WILL be duplicating the shots below...lol...Check her out! Amber Vrai Photography!!

ambervraiphotography.com


ambervraiphotography.com

The Low's

1. Just one low to report this week.

So I got a new prenatal fitness DVD: Summer Sander's Prenatal Workout. I was SO excited to see it in the mail because, my friends, pregnancy is no time to slack off. (And a slacker I have been!) Well, I pop the video in, watch a bit of it...and after the first 10 minutes - O...M...G! I think I almost passed out. It wasn't even that intense, I have just been so out of it the past few months, that I forgot how hard it is to get BACK into it! Honestly, I had a momentary lapse of depression. Like ...Wow Tania really? Your tired already? This is sad. Very sad. I even started crying! (Blame it on the preggy hormones I suppose.) I think I felt extremely sensitive because just a few nights before I was up really late - a case of insomnia- watching an episode of "I Used to be Fat" on MTV and I really sympathized with one of the girls. She was crying, and thought she couldn't do it. She wanted desperately to overcome, yet felt so defeated. Fitness is such a mental thing, no matter your size. I keep trying to remind myself that its important to stay healthy for myself, and the life growing within me. So, I think with my husbands encouragement to PUSH, and motivation through prayer and the Word...I think I will get past it. Well I hope.

Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Isaiah 40:29-31
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Hebrews 12:11-13
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.”

Red Light SpecialValentine's Day!!!

So Valentine's day for us was sweet, loving and simple. I think the thing I loved most about it was neither of us had these big ornate plans, you know like the kind you do when your dating and still trying to win the affections of another. (hehe -dating is soo expensive - marriage is CHEAP! - jk)

It's the simplicity of it all that I loved most. Aaron was super excited that I got him a card that said "I love you...despite what my mood swings may indicate." (Pregnancy causes a lot of those) I loved his card that read "The thing I love most of about my day is coming home to you." We watched his favorite movie (a musical might I add), went to Outback SteakHouse Saturday night (our fav. restaurant outing) and I got red velvet cupcakes (a preggy girls dream come true!) He even played along with me like we were food critiques on an episode of Cupcake Wars. Loved it! :-)

But of course....I had to go and break out...the Red Dress. Ha-ha. Story: So my friend Lydia bought this dress as a wedding/honeymoon gift for me, but I had yet to wear it. Now that I am 5 months pregnant, I figured, well I better try to squeeze into it now, before its too late. Soo...after struggle for 30 mins, I managed to zip it up, belly and all...(hold your obnoxious laughter please)...and Aaron loved it! I think it was the shrink wrapped (and suffocating) belly he found most attractive. Ha-Ha.

My friends these are the days that make marriage just fun - unconditional love, mixed with a dose of dorky humor.♥

Ta-Ta for now,

Tania W.♥

22 Weeks!

2011-02-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

Hello a peeps :-) Me again...

Well as of today, I am officially 22 weeks preggers...that is 5+ months, and in 6 more weeks, I will be entering my THIRD and final trimester! I can not believe time is flying by sooo fast! Whew...madness I tell you. Alright I tried to organize the info below..to help you sort through my random collection of thoughts. Enjoy!

Fun Facts About Baby: 22 Weeks
(According to BabyCenter.com)
"At 11 inches and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniture newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily."

This Weeks High's & Low's:

The Highs :-)

I saw snow for the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE last friday! That was truly amazing! I couldn't believe it. I seriously felt like a 5 year old. It was so beautiful, powdery...and then..my hands started to BURN from making snow balls, so I went back inside. lol That was short lived.

My baby boy is kicking SO much now. I looked down a few times and could actually SEE when he kicked. Cindy, one of my bff's, asked me to describe how it felt. I told her (after much thought) it felt like hiccups - in your belly! Or like when you sit still and find your pulse/heartbeat, thats kinda what it feels like..but in the tummy! Pretty awesome...but not abnormal..I think I am getting used to it now.The only problem is, this little boy likes to KICK THE HECK OUTTA ME when he is hungry. I literally have to say..."ok ok, i get it, im gonna feed you! Calm down sheesh!" lol I love him :-)

We are narrowing down our name search...exciting times!!! Stay tuned. Still open for suggestions tho...post your comment below...what do YOU think we should name Baby Woods?

The Lows :-(

I went to Baby's R Us with my hubby over the weekend and since then have been getting a bit overwhelmed with all the things we will soon be accumulating for our child. Car seats, breast pumps, strollers, infant seats, jumperoo's, bumbo's diapers, bibs, playpen, cribs, pacifers, clothes, the list goes ON AND ON AND ON AND ON!!! Seriously...I thought planning a wedding was overwhelming, this is much more! Lord give me strength.

My emotions have been a bit down in the pits for some reason. I kinda started to think about how much I'm going to miss the freedom and alone time with my hubby. I know things will be different - many in an amazing way - but I can't help but to sometimes find myself saying "sigh...only 4 more months with just you and me.." (Call me human I guess.) But I'll shake it off soon. I hope.

MATERNITY CLOTHES!

Omg! So my pants...they dont fit anymore. Period. Like they wont even get up my thighs..and forget past my gynormous booty...lol..Shout out to Ash Gowdy who says "Pregnancy is the only time you can get away with booty-do" When your stomach sticks out more than your "booty do!" lol...hilarious. Love that girl.

Anyway..So I am obsessed with shopping for CUTE (i repeat CUTE) fashion forward, and inexpensive maternity clothes! I refuse to fall apart and become a fashion train-reck simply because I'm sporting a belly! lol

Check out some of my finds to the left! And all these are from FOREVER 21 Maternity! "Yes...black jeggings...I will take you, thank you, skinny distressed jeans...mmhmm thanks...oh cute cocktail dress...I will have you too...Gracias."
Now if only I can convince Aaron to let my buy these...hehe)

And while we are on the topic...I think I am going to have to drop the $50 and go ahead and get a bra that friggin FITS from Victoria Secret. (As much as it pains me to do so...) because it seems I have two more children growing ABOVE my belly if you know what I mean.) It's just out of hand. Anddd...that's all I have to say about that one. *Frustrated* lol

BELLY PICS!

This one's for you Lyds! I promised I would post up my progression belly shots....

So here they are..

November 9,2010 - about 8 weeks

December 13, 2010 - 13 weeks

January 12, 2011 - 18 weeks

January 31, 2011 - 20 weeks

February 9, 2011 (today!) - 22 weeks

Well that is all for this week my friends. Talk to you soon!

Love

Tania,

Aaron

Baby Boy Woods :-)

Oh, Boy...

2011-02-02T21:40:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I have a bit of explaining to do. I know! Its been since September when I made my first post and since then so much has happened! Boy ,what a year it has been since Aaron and I said "I Do!" First we hike cross country to Texas, abandoning our families, jobs, friends to come to a place we have never seen! (Personally I had never even been to Texas prior to our move)....and now...doom doom doom.. WE ARE EXPECTING!

Yep. You heard me right. I am packing a little one. A human life is growing inside my tummy as we..write? (you get the idea) Ouch. (He just kicked me. Rude. ) So that is where we are at! As of today I am 5 months pregnant (or 21 weeks for those of you mommies that can understand the weekly breakdown :-) Last week Wednesday we found out that we were having A BOY!
And he let us know what he was - no denying that one!

(See below - viewer discretion is advised)

Well...this begins my pregnancy journey. (Well in blog that is...) By encouragement of good friends, I am going to document this experience. Every kick, every class, every inspired nursery design...well I am going to make a separate page just for the nursery project to spare those of you who don't quite care for those sorts of details. (Yea right...how could you resist?)

Aaron and I are so excited to meet our little man!! At first we were a bit shocked when the ultrasound lady told us it was a boy! (I even wore pink polka dot panties to the appointment!) Sorry baby. :-( I didn't intend to emasculate you!) You are alllll boy....lol (clearly).

This whole pregnancy adventure has been quite the ride this far for me. We'll emotionally that is. Physically I've been amazing! Everything is going according to textbook, PRAISE GOD! I haven't even so much as experienced morning sickness! I am truly blessed in that regard.

Now, back to the emotional part. I have been telling my friends as of late when they ask "Sooo how is it?? how do you feel?" I'm sure part of you is asking in the "its so soon, seriously how are you handling this?" type of way.... Well, there is so much to say - but everyday I truly become more and more overjoyed! I am at the edge of my seat in anticipation just to see what this little man will look like! When I go to my ultrasound appointments I feel like I am getting to see someone I love that I missed so much since the last time. Literally, I speak to my tummy like "hey you...aww..look at you getting so big...I missed you pumpkin" Ahhh..my heart smiles.

But it wasn't always that way.
DISCLAIMER: This paragraph is for my "I'm excited for her...but Lord please don't let it happen to me!"friends out there. Perhaps your engaged and the idea of having a child just a few months into your marriage just doesn't sound like your cup of tea. I was there. I know how that feels. And honestly, I truly believe its amazing that the Lord gives us 9 months to go through these different emotions, (and planning!) to bear a child. I mean, it IS a big deal!
Ok so (deep breath), here it goes:

Pre-pregnancy I never really considered myself the "mommy" type. You know, that natural nurturer, longing for the day to have my own tribe of children to kiss goodnight. I mean, I love kids - but as I would always say "I especially love the ones you can give back to their rightful owners!..) i.e my nieces and nephews.

So, for the first month or two into my pregnancy, I was in shock. Literally in denial. Then after my first doc appointment, denial just wouldn't cut it any longer. Then came Fear. Coupled with the "it's not fair, why now?, I'm not ready!" feelings. You name it. I felt it.

Thank God for the Secret Place.
The Secret Place is my sanctuary. It's a quiet place, void of distraction; human voices, cell phones, television etc - a place where its just me...and Him. A chance for me to talk with my Creator, my Father, my Best Friend...let out my anger, frustration, disappointment, and fears. Cry as loud or as soft as I want without being questioned, mocked, or misunderstood.
Day after day, I retreated to the Secret Place. He listens...giving me time to sort through my thoughts...and soon enough...He speaks. It's a still quiet voice that reminds me how much He loves me. He tells me that a gift, not a curse is being formed in my womb. This voice begins to speak words of love, joy, peace and comfort. I open my bible, and the Word fills my heart: "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalms 127:3" He says: "The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed I have a beautiful inheritance. Psalms 16:6" Suddenly, I go from simply reading them, to believing them...they begin to penetrate the depths of my heart.

Every time I step into the Lord's presence, my heart gets more filled with love and excitement. And at 5 months, I can officially say, my love for my son is overwhelming. I never knew that I could be soooo in love with somoene I have never met!

" I never considered myself the mommy type"
Yet I can feel the Lord tugging my mommy heart strings and I simply can't resist! I know I'm a sap. :-) The Lord is literally using the pregnancy to TRANSFORM who I am. To build my character as a wife (that's a wholllleeee 'nother blog entry)...and now as a mother.

And if my quest in life is not to strengthen my character, to adapt to change, to love more selflessly tomorrow, than I did today...then what kind of life am I living?

Well anyway...I think this essay fills us in for the last few months. I promise to be more frequent. Maybe every Wednesday???

Tune in...

In Gleeful Anticipation,
Tania

A BitterSweet Trip

2010-09-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

We are back from our trip to ATL, the Tenessee, then back to ATL and now home. It was truly an amazing trip. God always shows up the most in the midst of sorrow. Jonate's funeral - man the Lord breathed ALLL over that place! There was tears of release, tears of sadness, tears of praise, tears of joy in the Lord...there were strong words of encouragement, hilarious stories, and songs of worship like no other. It was very encouraging to see the peace that Brandy and Jonate's parents had. Kind of unbelievable. Yet not really, because that is the God we serve. One that promises to give a peace the surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7)...One that is closest to those who are broken-hearted (Psalms 34:18, Psalms 147:3). Thank you Lord. And as we all said our final farewell around the grave site, the softest rain drops began to fall. I can't explain it, but Father you were certainly standing amongst us all.
The rest of the trip was seriously amazing as well. Just being able to spend time with our good friends Eian and Des and David, seeing some very familiar faces, giving some much needed hugs. The line up: Ivana, Natasha, Carine, George, Lynette, Ryan, Mimose, Jessica. Wow. And of course there was Soleil and her beautiful face. Ahhh...cutest face ever! What a trip indeed. We laughed our deepest laugh, and shed our deepest tears all in one weekend. I think Jonate would of had it no other way. :-)

Rest Peacefully...

2010-09-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

This week was a rough one for us. We lost a dear friend and a brother in Christ. And will be traveling to Tennessee for his home-going this Friday. Jonate Scales, we will all miss you. But we know that although many of us grieve your loss, you have gone home to be with the Lord. And what better place can there be than that? We will miss your friendship, your anointed voice that always challenged us to worship the Lord with everything we have and much more. For those of you reading we ask for prayers for Jonate's family including his wife Brandy and daughter Madison. To Brandy and the Scales family, we love you all and with earnest hearts we will continue to pray for strength, the peace that surpasses human understanding, and joy in the midst of sorrow.

With all our love,
The Woods

The adorable Photobooth pics from our wedding :-)

Texas Here We Come!

2010-06-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
Welll we have been married a little over 2 months now, but it seems like it was just yesterday! I cant believe time is flying by so quickly! Whew! As of right now, I am living at home with my mommy and enjoying my last few days in the house I have pretty much grown up in/ gotten most of my beatins' in. lol. And in about two weeks Aaron and I are leaving and cleaving. That is right! Aaron is about to start grad school at UT so, we are officially moving to TEXAS together..forever! Ok, well I dont know if we will be there forever..but for a little while lol. I can't believe it really....our whole relationship we have been long distance! So this will be the first time we will be together for weeks, months, years at a time. (Start praying from now.) lol. Kidding (kinda). We we are both equally excited, but will miss our family and friends so much. Farewell for now Florida...farewell.

P.S We may be UT Longhorns now, but

we will ALWAYS bleed

ORANGE and BLUE!

GO GATORS!

Introducing...The Newlywoods

2010-06-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

WE'RE MARRIED!

There is more to say, pictures to show, stories to tell...

but for now..well, that is all that is all I have to say....

and of course that...

Jesus is Ah-mah-zing! Always.

Agape,

Mr. & Mrs. W