I have a belly button!

I just had to share..
Trenton's umbilical cord fell off yesterday so I sent this pic to Shaun...And Trenton got his first bath last night when daddy got home! He loved the warm water and smells so good and clean. It is sure hard to hold up a slippery newborn!

After the bath, daddy did a little grooming and styling.. Haha!

A big Happy Birthday to My Dad/Trenton's young gpa! Love you!!

TRENTON'S BIRTH STORY!

Trenton's Birth Story.. 

I woke up at 2am on Monday morning (Oct 22) with an odd pain. I waited to feel it again and low and behold it kept coming again and again... I was having contractions! It wasn't anything like i had felt before but my tummy would get tight and i had what felt like a horrible menstrual cramp. It had to be it. I didn't want to wake up Shaun quite yet until I was sure so I laid on the couch and started timing them with my contractions App. It was about 3am now and they were coming about every 2min 30sec and were lasting about 30-40 seconds. I decided i better shower and get comfy because it would be a long day. Shaun woke up and I told him I was in labor. He said, "Are you serious? what can I do?" I told him that a PB&J would be great :) Since I knew I wouldn't be able to eat after we checked into the hospital. I cleaned up, ate my sandwhich and called the Dr. The doc on call said that we should head to the hospital when i told her my stats from the App. Off to the hospital we went... not knowing what we were in for but excited the time had come. It was a surreal moment and we just kept looking at each other like HOLY COW,THIS IS IT!

We checked in, they started monitoring me and decided to admit me. The nurse said that I was having great, regular contractions and that we would definitely be having a baby that day. So hard to comprehend. They gave me the IV and told me to let them know when I wanted the epidural. They checked me and i was only about 1.5 cm dilated. I told them I would wait until the dr came. A couple hours later they checked me and I was a little further along and they said the doc would be coming to break my water and the contractions would get much worse so there was no point to wait and to be in more pain. So, I got the epidural (which wasn't bad at all!). It defiantly relieved the pain but I didn't love the feeling of being paralyzed and numb all day.. that was frustrating to me. Shaun had to lift my dead weight limbs every time I got uncomfortable. I guess it was still better than being in pain though. So I laid there laboring and eating ice chips all day. I was STARVING & so thirsty all day.. that sucked. Later that evening around 4 or 5 I was in the transition part of labor which made me shake uncontrollably. I was freezing and hot at the same time, I spiked a fever and got sick a couple times, it was very uncomfortable.. I was sooo tired, it had already been such a long uncomfortable day with no food in my stomach, I had NO energy by then but I still had to do the hardest part... push him out. 

Around 5:30 the doc came in and asked me to give him a couple of pushes so he could see what would happen. I was almost fully dilated and he wanted to check the position of the baby. The baby was face up, in OP position so he would need to be turned. He tried turning the baby then said that he would send in a nurse with me to start pushing. Well, a nurse didn't come.. for a long time. My mom and sis came in to comfort me with Shaun and check on what was going on. Still no nurse... We waited hours. There was shift changes going on and lots of woman coming in all in labor. The L&D floor was a little crazy... so there I was sitting there in transition with poor Trenton in the birth canal.. just waiting. Finally a couple hours later the nurse came in, set everything up and we started pushing. I could barely feel the pressure or contractions so Shaun was coaching me when to push when he saw them come on the monitor. After pushing for what seemed like forever, still no head. I couldn't believe it. I thought after laboring all day I would push this kid out in 3 pushes. That was not the case. An hour later, the doc came back in and said any progress? Let me see what you've got. I gave it all I had. He said we were progressing but that we needed to get this baby out. He decided to turn off the epidural to give me more feeling so that I would feel the contractions, pressure and get the urge to push. It worked but I was now on a time crunch. I didn't want to feel EVERYTHING so I had to get this baby out by the time it totally wore off. As the head started to appear, he started to turn as we had hoped. It was all going good, just taking FOREVER. Finally the head was out, and after 2 more pushes (and an episiotomy) he was out. It was incredible. Shaun was so pumped up and I think was equally exhausted from literally holding my limbs and pushing with me. In the middle of it I was getting so discouraged, I felt disgusting and was so  frustrated.. I was feeling like the baby would NEVER come out. I was praying that after all that I wouldn't have to get a C section. Shaun made me laugh and eased my nerves. He coached me through it all, watched everything, was so involved, kept my spirits up and even made me laugh in the midst of it all. Thank God I had/have him by my side. 

Trenton came out very quietly so they tried to "rattle his cage".. Shaun cut the cord, they collected the cordblood and Shaun ran to tell the family the good news. Trenton was cleaned up and placed on my chest for our miracle hour skin to skin just the three of us. We couldn't believe he was ours. Shaun's eyes were as big as could be and he had a huge smile plastered on his face. I just started crying but wasn't sure why. It was all over, the baby was beautiful and we were all so happy and healthy. After the miracle hour, all of the family came in to meet him and celebrate. I wasn't "all there"  at that point but it was a very special moment for everyone. My brother brought me In-N-out burger since I had been staving all day. I felt like a new woman after that meal! We are so thankful that everyone waited for so long and was there for us the whole time. Trenton is one spoiled baby to have such a wonderful, loving family! 

We were discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. Life at home was a little challenging at first but we were SO happy to be home without nurses looking over our shoulder and telling us how to do everything. It was so hard letting them take Trenton away constantly to give him shots, assess/test/prod & poke him.  That said, all of our nurses were so wonderful. They were all so sweet, selfless and helpful. We were so amazed at all the paperwork that babies come with in the hospital too.. immunization forms, signatures needed left and right, brochures and info sheets to read, breast feeding and diaper change log that we had to keep up with.. it was unbelievable.  In the hospital and all week at home Shaun was SO busy taking care of me, taking care of Trenton, cooking, cleaning and all while also trying to work a little to not fall too far behind. He was so incredibly helpful, I couldn't have done it without him.  

We had our first pediatrician visit and my milk came in on Friday. Trenton now sleeps very well with a belly full of breast milk. He is in a coma after each feeding. The first few nights he would only sleep on me in the glider. The next couple of nights we got him to sleep between us in the bed. Then finally, last night we tucked him in tight in the cradle after his feedings and he did great. That allowed us to sleep much better rather than never totally falling asleep because we were so conscious about where he was in the bed at all times. He is sleeping in about 4 hour increments now with only one feeding.. usually he will feed at 10pm then he will sleep until 2am or 3am then we feed and change him,  then he will sleep until about 7am. We feel so lucky already. He is a great baby with a mellow disposition. 

6 Days Old

Overall, the birth of our first child was the most intense, incredible experience of our lives. Shaun was in awe of what had just happened and I had no idea what had just happened, haha. I was in my own world.. in a fog. This experience has brought us even closer together, made us fall more in love with each other and has definitely changed our life and perspective on life forever. Life is so good. We are SO in love with this little boy and the love keeps growing each day. We already can't imagine life without him. 

We want to thank you ALL for checking in constantly, sending love & prayers, goodies, flowers, offers to help etc. We love all of you and feel so special to have all of you in our lives and in Trenton's life. We can't wait for everyone to meet our precious boy. 

We will try to update the blog as he grows. It is amazing how much he changes each day/week. We should be getting the keys to our house this week and have his second dr visit! Big week!!

Thanks for going on this ride with us.

Lots of love..  

Tay

Dr Appt Update

Quick update...No progress! Haha. How's that for quick?

I am very swollen all over, fingers are numb, have pelvic pain and pressure and irregular contractions/Braxton hicks but still not dilated or thinned anymore than two weeks ago. This is really hard.. mentally and physically. I can't wait for this part of it to all be over and for us to hold our lil boy!!

So, now the game plan is to see the doc again on Tuesday before the scheduled induction wednesday morning. If I am still the same then he will insert a foley bulb to help my body dilate before the induction.

I am just praying that this is the weekend! We are being optimistic and hoping that he grace us with his presence on his own before Tuesday's appt.

We shall see!! Hope you all are having a good week. Happy Friday!! Thanks for all your advice, kind words, prayers and for checkin in.. We are so thankful for all of you in our lives and to share this special time with y'all.

Hugs, Tay.

TRENTON'S DUE DATE...come and gone

Good Morning All, 
I have already received so many wonderful texts, calls and emails from a lot of you (thank you for thinking of us!) but thought I would do a quick update for everyone since I blew it last week. 

Last Thursday was my last exam and there was no progress from the week before.. I was still 1 cm dilated and about 80% thinned/effaced. I left the dr's office so bummed and discouraged. I was ready. I couldn't believe that after trying EVERYTHING (pineapple, spicy foods, walking, squats among other things ;-)) there was still NO PROGRESS. Shoot!! So, the doc said one of his theories is that if he schedules an induction (really just to get it on the books because it fills up quick) then Trenton will say, "Nope, that's not my bday" and he will come out earlier. The doc also said that he wouldn't let me go much longer than a week after my due date so he requested I be put on the books for OCT 24, 2012 to be induced. That felt weird, having a day planned, but I was a little relieved that the 24th would be the LATEST I would hold my baby. I just hope he decides to come before we "play God" even though we know he is ripe and in his prime :)  On Friday I got a call from the hospital and L&D had scheduled us to come in at 7am on the 24th.. I said, Ok!?! I guess that works... SO WIERD. I wasn't sure if this was something I should like check our schedules for or clear our schedules for, haha. The whole idea of going into the hospital not in pain, getting medicine then having the pain hit you like a ton of bricks doesn't really settle with me but we will see what Trenton decides. 

So, here we are... now Wednesday, Oct 17, 2012. I can't believe the day has come and gone... and still no Trenton! We have been walking... and walking.. and walking. Last night we went on a late stroll and I was having lots of pain and pressure but it subsided as I laid down. False alarm.. but things are happening which is good. 

Well it sure has been quite a journey this last 10 months being pregnant, planning our future, house hunting, shaun getting a new job, family selling the house etc. We are so ready for this next chapter with our son in our new home. It is crazy that it is all just DAYS away now yet still feels so far. 

The next Dr appt is tomorrow, already. I sure hope there is some progress! Wish us luck and send us happy labor vibes.. let's get this show on the road! Common lil' guy.. 

I'll keep ya'll updated! Thanks for all your love & support as always. 

Hugs, Tay. 

9.5 Months (38 Weeks)

Good Evening.. happy almost Friday! 

I hope you all had a great week. I think the heat is finally breaking, thank goodness! We heard the fog horn in the harbor all night last night and it was like music to our ears.  

Just when I think that I/He can't get any bigger.. he does. Apparently I am still measuring about 36 weeks but he has grown. The doc says that they go through growth spurts then stop and by now I should remain about the same weight. Still under 150 which I am happy about.. but barely! I/He is officially a Watermelon! The last fruit/veggie on the chart.. that was a big realization for me.. no more fruit?! OMG... but wait, that means?! Wow. Time sure flies when you are approaching/preparing for two of the biggest life changes.. who woulda thunk :)  

We are now 38 weeks and a couple days pregnant (but who's counting?), about 75-80% effaced and 1 cm dilated!! Progress!! Lil' Trenton could come any day now and we are SO ready for him. I have been so thankful to be on maternity leave during all of this madness and have been able to get so many things done so that I won't be (as big of a) raging lunatic when the lil' one arrives. 

The BIG news this week... WE ARE IN ESCROW and move on halloween (the same week as my parents, might I add)! I have been trying to pack a box whenever I find things that we will not need right away since I won't have much time to help pack in a week or two! That said, I have found it hard to nest, leave things comfortable and readily available yet pack to move all within weeks. Also, I went by the house today to peek at a couple things since it is vacant now and THEY TOOK ALL THE APPLIANCES! I'm talking the range and all.. not very nice.  Crap! Oh well, add it to the (rapidly growing) list of things to buy.. :-( Anyone have an extra stove or oven? I'm kidding... 

Well, until this baby comes we are knees deep in escrow papers, packing my parents house, packing our house, picking out appliances/paints/furniture etc. for our new house, making TO DO lists upon TO DO lists, trying to keep the freezer stocked for after the baby arrives but trying to use up everything in the pantry (less to move), showing our apt, doing inspections and to top it all off, my poor hubby has TONS going on in his territory at work... life is CRAZY. But, its all good stuff and we are so thankful for all that is happening in our life. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with family and friends. Who knows, maybe we will have a baby this weekend? :) If not, I see the doc on Thursday next week, which is only 5 days from my due date and we will go from there! Time to go TRY to sleep. My mind seems to keep me awake these last couple of weeks... i wonder why? G'night! 

Hugs, Tay. 

Week 37

Happy end-of-the-week everyone! 

This week has been a little more difficult than previous. I have been nauseous and have had a lot of indigestion this week. I can only eat little meals now or I am very uncomfortable. At this point, sitting down squishes my innards and doesn't allow me to breathe but when I stand I have a lot of pressure on my pelvic area and it hurts my hips (each step is really painful). Apparently this is all a normal part of end of pregnancy but it is not very fun! I am VERY tired all of the time and I feel like a big lethargic lump. I can't do much before I need to lay down. It is very frustrating and is quite an inconvenience on daily life. Vacuuming or folding the laundry is very difficult and is usually followed up by a nap these days, haha. Shaun says it's good for me to slow down, since I have been just going ever since we got pregnant. He says it is time for me to just chill and let my body do what it needs to. He is probably right.. it is just hard. I am also nesting which has been hard for me because we will be packing at any moment but I have to keep everything as comfortable and as organized as possible to bring home Trenton before that. Good thing is, I only have about 2 weeks and a couple of days to go!! Yahoo!

The Doc said everything is going beautifully and we are both very healthy. He says this baby could come any day now! Trenton is head down still and has "dropped". I was checked at the appt today and I'm 70% effaced.. but not dilated yet. He said he could feel the baby's head.. That was SO crazy to me!! Trenton is a healthy weight, is very active, has hiccups a lot (which the Dr says is a healthy sign because it is a complex reaction), he has a strong heartbeat and we have officially made it to FULL TERM! From here on out, the doc will check me weekly unless something happens before my appt each week. I feel like I should be doing something more to prepare but I think we have bought, built, packed and prepared as much as we can.. I guess there is not really any way to TRUELY prepare for this HUGE life change. So, we are ready and awaiting our son's arrival and couldn't be more excited!! Can't wait to meet him... have I said that enough? ;-) 

I'll try to keep ya'll updated as much as a possible! Thanks as always for sharing this special time with us and for reading! 

Hugs, Tay. 

35 & 36 Weeks!

9 MONTHS!?! I can't believe lil' Trenton is going to grace us with his presence in less than a month. How did we get here?!  

Life has been a little crazy with dr appts, baby showers, getting ready for the baby, buying last minute items, errands, putting together strollers/carseats/cradles, friends and family visiting, organizing before moving, packing my parents house etc... there is just lots going on but it is good because I am keeping busy and not counting down the seconds (just the weeks) until he comes :) 

We had so much fun at all of the baby showers. We feel SO much more prepared now with all of the wonderful gifts. A good friend put it perfectly when she said in Trenton's card, " you are loved by an entire village". It is so true and we have been so overwhelmed with love and support from family and friends. We (AND Trenton) are SO lucky to have all of you in our lives.. 

Still feeling really good considering.. I am not able to eat as much, breathe very easily or sleep but it could be a lot worse haha! OH! And, I have started to feel some Braxton Hicks (I think).. my belly gets really tight but nothing painful yet. My Aunt and mom confirmed that what I was feeling was a contraction. They said they could see the difference in the shape of my belly when it was happening. So bizzare how our body just knows when and how to start the whole process. It is kinda neat because I haven't really felt any new symptoms in a long time, so after feeling a couple of those I felt like I was finally getting somewhere. He still has the hiccups multiple times a day and is VERY active. His movements really hurt now, it is like he is taking my insides and twirling, punching and kicking them. It's quite interesting. It will be weird to not feel him like this anymore since it is such a part of my day now. This heat has been pretty brutal with these extra pounds on me.. I get heat flashes just sitting in air conditioning. I used to LOVE to bathe  in the sun, now I hide from it. This heat wave has to end soon! I can't believe I am saying this, but I am ready for the winter...the holidays, fires in the fireplace, cozy sweats and hot chocolate with our lil guy. 

We are STILL not in escrow on our house. We will now officially close after the due date which sucks because we will have a newborn in boxes.. oh well, such is life! This shall be interesting. I'm just holding on to the fact that God has a plan. Should be any day now.. just trying to not think about it and focus on other things. 

I am now going to doctor appts every week which is exciting. It is so weird not knowing how or when he will come or what labor is like. I am a little anxious about the whole experience but also so excited for it at the same time. I guess there really isn't much else to say... now we just hurry up and wait?! We can't wait for the world to meet our son. We are SO ready to hold him..

Hugs, Tay.

33 Weeks & 34 Weeks

'Ello there!

Trenton now weighs about as much as a Honeydew Melon.. about 5 lbs. The big development the last couple weeks has been his lungs, they are almost fully matured now. His bones are now harder but his skull isn't fully fused to allow room to overlap during birth. He now also pee's about a pint day (so weird!). His skin has plumped up with fat cells and has turned pink and soft now. All of his senses are now functioning in full force annd he can tell the difference from day and night... however, he is quite active at night when I lay down. It takes him a while to settle down and realize its time to SLEEP. I guess he is just preparing me for his arrival, as Shaun is happily snoozing next to us :)

I can definitely tell that he is running out of room as his movements are much sharper and more painful.. not as much fluid cushion anymore. He kicks and punches my bladder, hips and ribs all day. I think he wants out..

LaBarre Family Home Update: Dare I say it.. but it doesn't look like my parents are staying after all. Did I mention it has been a roller coaster of emotions lately?  Pulling out of the deal wasn't as easy as anticipate, which was somewhat expected, so we decided that it was God's way of saying its' time to move on.. get back on track. So, the search for our new home continues and the madness ensues. Shaun and I still haven't opened escrow on our place or heard anything since we signed the counter.. VERY frusterating. My last day at work is this Friday, as in 2 days from now! I am nesting like crazy right now and would love to start packing/organizing when I am on leave.. we will see. This shall be an interesting couple of weeks. As much as we are anxiously awaiting Trenton's arrival.. I do feel like we still need a little time for all of this to settle down so if he came closer to his due date, it wouldn't be the worst thing.

I had my first baby shower with work friends last week before the holiday weekend. It was such a beautiful luncheon overlooking the water in Dana Point. It was a great group of friends, we recieved so many THOUGHTFUL and USEFUL gifts (clothes, the COOLEST binki's with animals hanging off of them, the bobby, sleep sheep, butt paste :) etc.) that we LOVE and the food was wonderful. Couldn't have been a better day and memory that I will have for years to come. Huge thanks for my good friends, Kristin and Lisa at work.. you guys are so good to me. I'm so lucky to have you both in my life.

We also just had our 34 week Dr Appt & Ultrasound this morning which was exciting. The Doc is back from his vaca in Coeur D'Alene (one of our favorite places! Hi Idaho Family! xo) which makes us feel more comfortable should anything happen suddenly. Shaun got to come to this appt too which was fun. In sum, Trenton is a big, healthy boy. The ultrasound tech said he has a big head.. GREAT. All I could think of was OUCH. He is also about 5 lbs already so the doc estimated him to be about 8 lbs+ when he is born.. We knew he wouldn't be small so this wasn't much of a surprise to us. He is also head down and really nudged in there which explains my constant "need to pee!" sensation when I walk & everytime I stand. The lack of sleep, 5 lb kid playing punching bag with my bladder, kicking my ribs and my horribly PAINFUL hips are all really wearing on me. I totally get what woman mean now about the last trimester. I'm looking forward to feeling like normal me again.

That said, here is BIG (not normal- thank goodness) me.. at 34 weeks! Look at how much i've grown since 12 weeks pregnant! Isn't that CRAZYYYY!? Funny thing is, I totally thought it was showing THEN. HA! I'm ready to get skinny again.. please.
**Don't mind the weird faces I make in my photos, focus on the belly :) I promise that I am really VERY happy.. not sad or grumpy haha.. I just don't take great photos. 

                                                     34 Weeks                          12 Weeks

Thanks again for reading.. xo

Hugs, Tay.

8 Months!

Holy moley! 32 weeks.

Babies at this stage in the pregnancy are about 4 lbs and up to 19 inches long.. I'm almost positive Trenton is bigger than that though. "He will gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb (YIKKEESS). He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair. His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth." - babycenter.com

Looking back, I can't believe I am already here.. looking forward, I feel like I have had "2 months left" for the last couple of weeks! Ahhh, I can do this.. the anticipation of finally meeting our son is killing us! 

Apprarently, he will be considered "full term" at 37 weeks, which means he could really come in the next 5-8 weeks.. or, maybe even later if he decides to bake for longer (or heck, he could come tomorrow!). The unknown is so hard for me!! Thus, I have started putting together a hospital bag.  Just having it there in our spare room to makes us feel better about the sudden suprise that could hit anyday. I have washed Trenton's "first outfits" in special baby detergent and packed him a bag for his arrival into the world and departure from the hospital ;-). I randomly throw things in our bags that I think of or read about and don't want to forget in the midst of labor & timing my contractions..

As far as symptoms, how I'm feeling, what I'm eating etc.. I am feeling good overall, just large and in charge. My energy has gone down a little again, by the end of the workday I'm pooped. I miss working out.. I do what I can but it is just not the same. Every movement is so much harder than it used to be. I try to do stretches, kegels, the plank, pelvic tilts, squats and work out my transverse abdominis muscles as much as possible each day. I have read/learned a lot about how those exercises are very important to do to keep those muscles toned, help you during labor and make recovery quicker after the baby.  I have eaten a TON of fruit (strawberries, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, apples, blueberries, mango, nectarines etc.) from day one of this pregnancy.. seems to taste really good to me, fill me up and curb my sweet tooth a little. Otherwise, I would say lots of smoothies, veggies & hummus and obviously ice-cream. I also drink a ton of water and take my fruit and veggie based prenatal everyday :) As far as symptoms go, I am just sleepy and very hungry! I still haven't had any braxton hicks, which I don't mind. I definitely feel him on my bladder all day and have to pee a lot more frequently than before. He is sure an active lil' guy.. if I go 10 minutes without feeling him squirm I start to kind of worry. Some start doing fetal kick counts at this point but as long as I feel him moving consistently throughout the day I know that all is well. Kick counts would just stress me out. Oh, also.. I am getting a little bit of a "mothers line" or " Linea Negra" above my flattened belly button, which is also starting to stick out. Doesn't that mean I'm/He's cooked? 

Other BIG news.. my parents AREN'T MOVING!!! Long story but let's just say, they had a change of heart. Yes, they technically sold our house and bought a new one but...details, details. Ha! Needless to say, the whole family is very happy to call 21 Belaire our home again and to have the stability while we are all going through so many BIG life changes. AND, that means that Trenton will get to "grow up" there like we did! The trampoline, pool, putting green and game room/barn will have a new purpose for the grandchildren/young kids once again! Yay! It was a roller coaster of emotions the last couple of months but sometimes you just don't realize how good you have it until it is slipping through your fingers. That house is more than just a home to all of us.. it is perfect for our family and the comfort that my parents have created there, for friends and family alike, means more to us than anything right now. We are so blessed. It is our family hub/stomping ground/rock and it's here to stay!

Really looking forward to the up-coming baby showers and celebrating with friends and family. This is such a special time for us and we are so lucky to have all of you to share it with! Thanks again for stopping by and reading.. 

Today i'll leave you with this short clip of Trenton swimming around. Turn up the volume and watch the "horizon" of my belly very closely. You might want to enlarge it by clicking on the icon on the right. Its kinda hard to see since i'm wearing black...
Sure felt like he was preforming an acrobatic routine.. crazy kid! :) 

Hugs, Tay.

31 Weeks

Yesterday (8/14) we celebrated our 2 year anniversary AND our 31st week of pregnancy! Our actual anniversary was yesterday but we are going to celebrate by getting away this weekend. Shaun booked a quick trip on Cornado Island in San Diego.. it is one of the places I have been saying for years that I wanted to stay at so I am excited to go relax at the beautiful resort, get some sun, and maybe a spa sesh! I'm really taking advantage of those lately.. can't use pregnancy as a reason for much longer :) 

I can't believe how much has happened in these two short years. That said, I couldn't have done half of it without the amazingly encouraging, supportive, incredible man that I said "I DO" to on Aug 14, 2010. We have been "together" now for 10 years and I still grow more in love with him each day. It is so neat how our love has changed so much since we were 15 :).. but just keeps getting better with each milestone we cross together as we get older, take on more and build our lives together. He is such a special person and knows me better than I know myself. He keeps me laughing, lifts me up, makes me smile, protects me, calms my nerves in stressful times, soothes my aches/pains and is my very best friend. I am SO blessed to have such an incredible husband and to be on this journey called life with him by my side.

All that gushy stuff aside, we are so excited to see our life goals unfolding as we had hoped for. We have always said that by 25 years old we wanted to own a home and have a baby and its all happening! We signed/accepted the counter offer on the house and should be in escrow by next week!!! Who would have known, on our 2nd anniversary we would be signing the papers to our first house.. SO COOL! It's all working out and at this rate we should be moving in right before Trenton graces us with his presence! Yahooo! Life is so crazy..

Ok, back to Trenton.. a little less than 9 weeks to go!

I did have a funny craving the other day.. KFC! haha I think Shaun fell more in love with me.. he loves this new Fat Taylor (I know, I know.. I'm not "fat", I'm making a child). Anyhow, it made for a very romantic date night as you can imagine ;-) Shaun, my brother and sister all said "did you see a commercial or something?" Nope, just sounded amazing at the time. Go figure... fried chicken. Never in my life would I have done that.. but it was pretty unreal.

Besides the KFC, he is really growing.. I can tell I get bigger every couple of days. It's so funny how I just keep growing straight out, although I have noticed that I am carrying lower than I was a couple of weeks ago. I was carrying really high there for awhile. I also feel more pressure on my bladder now, especially when he is head down. I can feel & see him on both sides of me and across my whole belly. Poor lil' guy can't be comfy in there... good thing we don't remember being in the womb. Now that I know what comfort is, I feel for him. In total I think I have gained about 20 lbs.. that is A LOT OF POUNDS on my short body! And, he still needs to grow more!! Good thing is.. no stretch marks and no swelling yet. I don't really use anything special on my belly, just a normal lotion when I get out of the shower most times and, when I remember, I use a belly oil that was given to me that has essential oils in it like lavender which smells amazing. Thanks mom for the great baby makin'/ no stretch mark genes :)

Other news, my parents sold their house and bought a new one. They will be moving around Trenton's due date as well. So on top of our own craziness, my parents are moving, Trevor graduated and will be starting a new job and Paige graduated/is moving out/ starting college in the next two weeks. Life is a little nuts right now for all of us, lots of BIG changes, but it is all very exciting.. a whole new chapter is unfolding for our family and we are so blessed. We are very excited for my parents new beach house, as much as we will miss 21 Belaire. It is crazy to us that Trenton will never know that house that I grew up in and that we have all grown to love, but once my parents get done with this new one it will be just as incredible.. if not more. And, we are so lucky to have our son be able to grow up going to gma & gpa's every week a block or two from the beach.. we really wanted that lifestyle for him. 

Believe it or not, I think that about covers it.. for now. Thanks again for reading (and commenting lately!). 

Hugs, Tay. 

30 Weeks

How's that pic of the real deal right before my prenatal yoga? :)

We've made it to 7.5 months... 10 weeks to go! Yeah baby!! (no pun intended, hehe)

Trenton is about 16 inches and about 3 lbs now... 

His movements are getting bigger and stronger each week as he grows too.

Still feeling pretty good overall... I am getting very tired again  and am back to napping at lunch & after work before Shaun gets home. I am definately still growing and my hips are still an issue. I got another pregnancy massage over the weekend which definately helped. The massage therapist really dug into my hip joints and relieved a lot of the tension and pain. I think I will schedule another one (or two) more of those before lil' Trenton comes..

We chose a pediatrician which is actually the same one I had growing up! Dr. Petty..I remember going to her for SO long.  I actually ended up finding her at the same pediatric group as the Dr. that my best friend uses for her lil guy, Cannon. It worked out great and i'm excited to see her again. Plus, thats another thing to do, OFF the list! yes!

I am still working but will be probably going on leave in about 5-6 weeks. HOPEFULLY we will be moving then becuase I will definately be nesting & wanting to get everything cleaned, set up and organized.

As far as cravings go, nothing too wierd thus far. I do still LOVE me some ice cream and cupcakes, which is funny becuase i'm usually more of a salty person but I have a HUGE sweet tooth right now. I do indulge occasionally but I feel somewhat guilty eating that kind of stuff when my child is trying to develope his brains inside of me right now, no big deal right?.. just his BRAIN. I dunno, call me crazy but if ice-cream grew big brains then I think we would all indulge more often and this will be one smart kid! 

Baby gear update.. we went to a great shop called OC Tykes in San Clemente over the weekend and were able to touch, fold, carry, and try out (with a fake baby) all of the strollers on the market that I have been interested in.. do you remember all of my frustrations? I was finally able to show Shaun that I wasn't crazy and that they are all VERY different. After leaving, the reality of only being able to get one stroller to meet all of our needs was officially crushed... but Shaun LOVED the Bob Jogger (like I knew he would) so that one is still on the must have list and I LOVED the City Mini for everyday use. We ruled out the crazy City Select and others that were 500+ and morphed into vehicles practically that transported your whole family. We figure, we will start with what we need for our first then go from there. As we all know, by the time our next child comes, we will be able to push a button and the PERFECT stroller will pop out of my purse and unfold into a double. Can't wait. We also left there feeling like we needed to patent our idea for a stroller that does it all... Shaun has some great ideas and he realized how expensive strollers are and that there is a huge market. haha, I can see it now.. forget The Bob, get THE ENGLE Ultimate. 

Until next week.. thanks again for reading.  Hump day is over! Have a great end of the week & weekend. 

You are sure a shy audience.. as NO ONE comments around here.. is anyone out there?! :) 

hugs, Tay. 

29 Weeks

76 days to go! Trenton is the size of a butternut squash.. about 2.5 pounds and 15 inches long (well, according to normal babies growth rate/babycenter.com). Check out this neat video about fetal development 28-37 weeks (CLICK HERE). I can't believe I fit into the LAST fetal development video on BabyCenter.com.. that is a real accomplishment, ha! 

Aren't I pointy? Well, my belly that is.. I'm growing straight out it and looks like I'm going to fall forward. It will be interesting to see how much more (further out) I grow in the next 11 weeks. 

My doctors appt last week went really well.. I PASSED the horrid glucose test, was measured and listened to his heartbeat. Whomever decided that pregnant women should fast (as in not eat) for hours then drink a horrible orange sugar syrup (that gives you the shakes and nausea) was not a very smart person.. do they want to be killed? "We" aren't nice without food, not to mention when we are sick to our stomach. But, it's over and I passed thank goodness. After the doc measured me I asked him, "Am I measuring big?" he replied, "why do you feel big?".. I thought that was a wierd response, UMMM YES!? But then he went on to say, "well, I guess by your measurements, yes.. I would say you were about 2 weeks further along then you really are". AH HA! So, this is Shaun's kid :) haha.. Ok, there was never a question there but we KNEW he was big. Our doctor is so funny, he doesnt say much.. I really need to pry to get any further info I want out of him.


The doc is on vaca in the next couple of weeks so my next appt isn't until Sept 5th, at which I will also have an ultrasound (YIPPEE!). By then, I will be 34 weeks so it will be amazing to see Trenton that far along and how close to birth we are. I will also probably be discussing maternity leave at that point since I will be just shy of 9 months. We are really looking forward to that appt..


I feel him EVERY couple of minutes now, he is SO active at this point. I still cant always tell what body parts are sticking out of my stomach but his hiccups lately have been really low in my pelvic area which makes me think he is head down. I think he flips around daily though. It is so funny to be sitting there and see body parts protruding from my belly. We play a little game where I will push the body part back or tap it then he will kick (or punch?) back. It is so incredible. It still is mentally confusing to me that there is a person in me.. feeling him and all of the symptoms are just so normal now I feel like I will always feel this way. I guess in 11 weeks or less it will become suddenly VERY real :) Ready or not!.. 

Other news, I am slowly collecting things/shopping for nursery & baby stuff. I've bought things like diapering products, breast-feeding/pumping products, baby bathing accessories, baby clothes detergent and a couple of little toys etc. I also found an ottoman for our swivel rocker...I scored it at Target on sale and reupholstered it last night to match the crib skirt. It looks and works great, and it has storage inside! I sure love me some storage anywhere I can get it! Here is a horrible picture but you get the idea..

BEFORE                               AFTER

There are so many things to buy, think of, research, plan for but it is all so exciting. 


Quick house update.. none really! ha.. Just still waiting on the bank. We have provided them with a couple forms now though so we know it is "moving along" but still have no idea how much longer or when we will hear. It is so hard to not have control over the HUGE things going on in our lives.. when the baby is actually going to be born, when we will get the keys to our first house.. this is very hard. 


Until next time! Thanks as always for stopping by. Love to you and your families! 


Hugs, Tay. 

7 Months!

Yay! The third trimester officially begins this week (28 weeks). Trenton is about 2 1/4 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches. He is the size of a chinese cabbage or an egg plant. He is blinking his eyes which now have lashes! And, with his eyesight increasingly developing, he may be able to see the light that filters through my womb. 

Ok, now i'm going to vent a little bit. Other friends/acuaintences whom are pregnant have said that it almost disgusts them to read my posts becuase it seems like I am having the perfect pregnancy and that everything is so great when theirs has been pretty rough... truth is it's not all roses but I guess I try to look at the (HUGE) bright side.... I'm making our baby boy!!

Everyone warned me this would be the hardest trimester and i'm already feeling it physically and emotionally. My hips and lower back are so bad now that turning over in bed and each step during the day is painful. I bring a heating pad to work now and try to do yoga/stretches as much as possible to stay warm and not get too tight. I am really looking forward to my body feeling like myself again, when getting off of the couch didn't hurt. I feel pathetic. I am a little worried for the next pregnancy as i'm chasing Trenton around and trying to pick him up with this kind of hip pain. I have always had some hip problems (like my momma) but this is extreme now that all my joints and ligaments are all loosened and spread thanks to the relaxin hormone surging through my body. I have had pain since about 13 weeks and it just keeps getting worse. If any of you have any genius ideas to help get some relief im up to try anything.. I have gotten massages, done yoga, bought tennis balls to roll on, made shaun massage me, ice/hot therapy and the occasional tylenol when it gets unbearable. The more I stand and do things (go to the market/mall, clean the floors, lift things etc.) the worse it is, obviously. But, it is just not my personality to just sit all day ;-/

Making a child is sure hard work! Friends have asked me if I enjoy being pregnant and I have found that to be one of the hardest questions to answer... Of course I love that I am creating our son inside of me and feel so blessed to be able to do so, I love feeling him throughout the day and each milestone we cross together but I don't LOVE feeling like I have gained 300 lbs and not having the energy like my old self. Not being able to work out like I  used to, eat everything that I want (mainly sushi- gosh i miss it), lift anything I need to, have social drinks, wake up one day without pain, bend over normally, see my toes etc. is not easy. Those of you whom have kids know exactly what im talking about. Not to mention all of the other lovely symptoms that comes along with pregnancy. My body is not mine anymore, and for good reason but its not an easy transition mentally and emotionally. In addition, it is a rollercoaster of emotions.. so much excitement, anticipation, love, anxiety, impatience, fear, frustration.. it's crazy. I try to remind myself to count my blessings and not complain becuase overall, compared to some, I know I have had a great pregnancy.. aside from the hip/back pain.

That all said, in about 83 days (hopefully no more) we will have our first son.. and I know all of it will suddenly be SO worth it. I feel like I just complained this whole post but in reality I would do anything for him and will do it all over again to have another child.. and another, and another :) It is such a special thing to be a woman and be able to have children. I don't want to take that for granted for one second. We are so excited, we can hardly stand it.

Thanks again for reading..

hugs, Tay.

Nursery Progress

Good Morning!

Over the weekend we decided to put together the crib and "make" the glider.

We figure, any day now we could get the call from the bank (on the shortsale house we are buying) and could be moving so we want to have it all set up in case we are still in our apartment when the baby is born and if we move before we don't have to build it all too! So, we moved out the "office" and built the "nursery"! After much grumbling and grunting from Papa Engle everything was built and we love it! He grumbles but he is so handy and loves projects.. just wants me to know that it's hard work I think ;-) 

I SO appreciate him and all he does, couldn't do any of this without him (literally, haha).

Here's a couple pics of his masterpieces :)

We love the sleek/modern design of the crib and that it has a drawer for extra storage. I looked high and low for a crib with a drawer that I liked, on most cribs that is just wasted space! Seems crazy to me and I LOVE my storage/organizing. However, most of the cribs with drawers have this awkward space in- between the mattress and the drawer so that you can see into the drawer, it is so wierd. So, I ordered some fabric that will coordinate with the rest of the nursery later, whipped out my hot glue gun and made a quick/no sew crib skirt then velcro'd it to the spring mattress holder (or whatever that thing is called). Turned out great and hides that awkward space, not to mention, gives it a pop of fun color :)

Next, the glider. Long story short, Gliders are rediculously expensive!! I could not for the life of me find one that I liked without paying $600+. With everything else there is to buy for the baby and the new house soon I couldn't get myself to spend that on a chair. Soooo, the search continued and I came across a couple of blogs where the couples had bought regular chairs and made them into gliders (becuase of their same frustration) by purchasing the glider hardware and putting on the chair. GENIUS!!! But then, finding the chair I wanted at a great price was another issue.. until I came across a couple who had modified this Ektorp Jennylund Ikea Chair! (click to see how they did it)

DOUBLE GENIUS. Thats all I wanted.. a simple, white, slipcovered, upholstered chair that rocked and swiveled. So, I bought the chair & the glider parts online.. took a nap and Shaun built it! We love it.. and all for under $300. YES! Done.

Turned out cute didn't it? Would you have ever guessed Ikea? That place has EVERYTHING.

We like to sit in it and pretend we are rocking Trenton :) The rocking motion nearly puts us to sleep, no wonder babies like it.

With the Crib and Glider in the spare room now it all feels so much more real. We just can't wait until there's a cute lil baby boy in there to make it real!

Welp, onto another week.. oh how I really dislike  love Mondays :)

But, that just means another week closer to our baby boy!

Have a good one. TTYL xo 

hugs, Tay.

27 Weeks

Well, I am just now getting around to this weeks' post so I'm actually 27 weeks and 5 days today.  

Ahhh, the second trimester is coming to a close this week! 

YAHOO, let's get this show on the road!

Trenton is just about 2 lbs and 14.5 inches... apparently the size of a large Rutabaga (whatever that is, haha) or a head of Califlower.

It is unbelieveable to me that anything that big could fit in me.. and is still getting bigger. Mind Blowing.

He is sleeping & waking at regular intervals and opening and closing his eyes!!

If we could see him now we would be able to see his hair color and eye color.

The brain is very active now and the lungs are immature but developing rapidly at this stage. He now gets the hiccups as he learns to "breathe" taking in fluids through his lungs. At first I didnt know what "that new feeling" was so I googled it and then I noticed the rythmic patterns and put it all together.. they are hiccups! Too cute.. such a funny feeling. Apparently it is a sign of a healthy baby going through all the proper changes/growth stages. Sure can't hear that enough!

I wanted to get a better picture when we were all dressed up for Blaine Templeton's wedding that was on Friday but let's just say the photo didn't turn out great. I looked like a big purple oompa loompa. Hopefully, I didnt really look that way.. yikkees. Was still such a fun night, so happy for our good friend Blaine and his new beautiful wife, Kacy. Thanks for including us in the celebration, Templetons! I was actually able to get a little jiggy with it :) ... was a great work out. 

We swear each day I get bigger now. He is growing at the rate of about a 1/2 pound a week.. thats a lot! The countdown is on.. I already feel like I'm going to pop so I hope this last trimester flies by! 

I'll leave you with a funny picture of my (what was a) belly button. Now it's as flat as can be.. and sometimes sticks out a little. The little hole above my belly button was where I had a belly button ring once upon a time. It just looks so funny.. doesn't it? 

Happy Sunday Funday!! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the afternoon. 

hugs, Tay. 

6.5 Months (26 weeks)

Hi Ya'll, Sorry i'm slacking on blogging lately..
We are 26 weeks today! Only 98 days to go!.. we have made it under the 100 day mark.. SO CRAZY.

As you can see from the straight belly shot to the right, I have definitely grown since he has started to plump up. He is now about 14.5 inches long and 1 2/3 pounds. He is now inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid which is important for the developement of the lungs.

As far as symptoms go; ichy belly, lower back/hip pain (still), loving cupcakes, milk has started to come in (SO WIERD), feeling lots of movement, not sleeping very well.. all the usual.

The last Dr appointment (24 weeks) went really well. I am gaining weight at the appropriate rate, the heartbeat is strong, he is moving and growing consistently and all looked good & healthy. The next Dr appt is at 28 weeks and I have to do the Glucose test to test for Gestational Diabetes. I have to drink this lovely orange sugar syrup and hour before the appt then get pricked exactly an hour after to see how my body has processed the sugar in my blood. I feel icky just thinking about it but it will be over soon.
I've been collecting more things for the nursery and trying to get organized as much as possible. But, the wait for the bank to approve our offer on the house is getting frusterating. Patience has always been a challenging thing for me :).. The hope is they approve it and we are in just in time for Trenton to grace us with his presence, but we are sure cutting it close! Baby shower stuff is starting to come up too which will be fun. I've been trying to build a registry on Target.com when I see or hear of items that Mom's rave about. So much stuff! Trying not to register for all the little things though.. enough is enough :)

Not much new news.. I feel like we are in waiting mode right now; waiting for the house, waiting for the baby, waiting to put together a nursery, waiting waiting waiting. I'm not good at that.. did I mention Patience isn't my thing? ha.. But, we are getting more and more excited about how close we are to meeting our baby boy.. It gets more real everyday. We cannot wait for the holidays this year :) All in all 2012 has been a BIG year for us and we feel so blessed for everything that has/is happening in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for.

Hope you are all having a wonderful week. Wish we could be in Idaho with my family visiting the rest of the fam and staying on beautiful Hayden Lake! So jealous.. Thinking of you all.. love you xo

Thanks for reading!

Hugs, Tay.

The CRAZY world of Baby Gear..

CALLING ALL MOMMIES.. HELP!


I have been doing research on all of the baby gear out there to start registries and to start buying stuff. There are just WAY too many choices out there now and i find myself going in circles with what i think that i want so i thought i would reach out to the pros. Please comment below!


First Strollers/Joggers...
You have got to be kidding me with how expensive and complicated this subject gets! The Demos last 30 minutes and the consultants often have to refer to the brochures becuase it is so hard to keep all of the new technology straight! It's crazy.. so here are my top three options after extensive research ;-) My mom says it sure didn't used to be this difficult, she had one stroller that reclined back for newborns and grew with your child. Why are they trying to get so crazy now?! Some of them do cool stuff but really? why? not necessary in my opinion..

ok, here it goes..


Baby Jogger City Select 2012
$499+ car seat adapter $69= A WHOOPING $568!

Pro's: can convert into 16 different configurations, becomes a double when/if needed down the road, not very wide so it fits down isles even when converted to a double, seat accomodates up to a 5 year old (extends in places to grow with the child), seat reclines back far enough for a 6 month old to lay in (not far enough for a newborn), great canopy, good construction, huge storage basket

Cons: seat doesnt recline far enough for a newborn so I would use the carseat with it, is NOT a jogger (for tougher terrain trails), have to buy each adapter/extra seat/piece individually on top of the 499 price, expensive, will I need it?, have to buy a cupholder/tray etc seperate, 28 lbs (heavy/bulky), doesn't stand when folded, would probably buy a jogger too.

  

The Bob Revolution 2012

On SALE right now for $395 at Target + Car Seat adapter $55= $450 (can get off of craigslist too!)

Pro's: well built jogger, easy to manuver, great wheels, not really sure but MOMS ALL OVER OC RAVE ABOUT THIS THING as an everyday stroller.

Con's: doesn't convert to a double for later, the Bob Double is a huge/wide side by side double that doesn't fit in isles, have to buy a cupholder/tray etc seperate,  26 lbs heavy/bulky, doesnt lock when folded (have to velcro), snack tray (bought seperately) sits really high and isnt adjustable), top heavy when car seat is on.

Then there is the wonderfully affordable Option... might be worth a try! My Bestie has this one and she likes it but she said she would go the Bob or somthing else if she had to do it over.. hmm..

Baby Trend Expedition Jogger $99 (@ target), $200 w/ Baby Trend Carseat (Travel System)

Pro's: have met moms that do love this stroller as well, price is amazing, comes with cup holders, jogger for rougher terrain trials, good size basket,

Con's: doesn't convert to a double for later, will only accomodate their Baby Trend infant car seat (not Graco or any other brand), their carseat is only really safe until 22 lbs so if you have a big kid they could grow out of this quickly then you cant use this stroller for them (before 6 months) and need a new carseat, my gf used a snap-and-go stroller for her graco carseat then this jogger when he was about 6 months old so still buying/using 2 strollers (cheap though) and the travel system goes out the window if you have a big baby.

 

AHH! See the frusteration?!  And, these are the best options I have seen after LOTS of research, reviews, mom interviews, in-store demos etc... I sure don't feel like I have gotten much closer towards a decision after all of that. Also, my "mom interviews" that I have conducted have been funny becuase mosft of them SWEAR by whatever they have.. partly becuase they don't know the difference. It is hard to know what features will be most important to us then. Also, will we need a double? Im thinking i need to stop worrying about later..but the price of some of these are so crazy that i feel like i should really give it some thought. Bottom line, there just really isn't ONE stroller/jogger that does it all! And, this is just strollers.. don't even get me started with carseats, new technology of bottles, breast pumps, cribs, gliders etc. Ohh, the CRAZY world of baby gear.. I feel like SUCH a rookie :) So much to learn, so little time..

I would love to hear any comments, advice, thoughts from ya'll.. please post comments below. Thanks a bunch!

Hugs, Tay.