the giraffe life

Our family expanded earlier this week! Ahh still in shock that I have a baby! She is happy and healthy though and I'm recovering fine :) I chose to have her at a birth center and it was perfect. A relatively short labor and then I delivered her in a giant bathtub. I would definitely have a water birth again! Pushing was the hardest part and crowning was painful for me (though I'd already forgotten how bad it hurt when they put her on my chest) but I'm glad I did it drug free because I could feel everything and giving birth is an incredible feeling. Plus I was super proud of myself afterwards, haha! We love her so much. Just soaking in every minute.   I'm not sure I want to post her name and have it searchable on the blog, so check out  this list - her name is number 8 .  And to think, last November we thought we couldn't have children. Feeling sooo grateful! :) Oh and please excuse my absence around the web these past few weeks . . honestly, I probabl...

Just a quick update (prompts stolen from Olives n Wine ) . . feel free to ask me questions in the comments! Due Date: November 1st How far along? I hit 36 weeks yesterday! Full term at the end of this week :) Maternity clothes:  Yes, I've had to wear them for quite a while now. Looking forward to wearing regular things soon though! Stretch marks:  None yet. Sleep: I sleep soundly from 8pm to my first bathroom break (around midnight or 1am), then I toss and turn til about 5 when it's time to get up. My hips get sore so I have to switch sides every hour or so. Best moment this week: Going to the doctor's and hearing the baby's heartbeat. Always amazing! Miss anything? Sleeping on my stomach and bending over. I have to squat when I drop things on the floor, haha.  Movement: Lots of movement! This baby loves to dance around after I eat and when I'm laying in bed at night. Sometimes it will just push on the sides of my belly and stay there, like a...

Sunrise on Sunday Mr. G and I decided to go on one last little trip before the baby arrives (called a babymoon around here) so we drove to the beach on Saturday morning, stayed the night, and then came home Sunday evening. It was the perfect short break from work and getting things ready around the house. We spent a lot of time walking and talking, and of course ate way too much like we always do on vacation, haha!  The weather was perfect, sunny and in the 70s (about 22-24° C). The ocean was chilly but it felt good to my hot pregnant body (I've never been a warm person until this pregnancy) and I was happy to get another wear out of my maternity swim suit!  A little less than 6 weeks til my due date! Crazy to think that on our next beach trip we'll have a baby in tow! Are babymoons common where you live?

Most of my maternity wardrobe One thing I've really struggled with this pregnancy is getting dressed! Sounds silly, right? It's tough to find blog posts about how much maternity clothing you'll actually need because it's so personal. What one person considers appropriate work attire or "enough" doesn't always match your situation. So I figured I'd throw my experience out there :)  Here's what I've bought and my thoughts!  Oh, and I linked to something similar when I could. Links are not  affiliate - these companies don't even know I exist!   Work Appropriate - 19 items for $298 1 pre-maternity cardigan 2  tank tops - $20 (worn with pre-maternity cardigan) 6 short sleeve  blouses - $70 (1 from a yard sale, 1 from a thrift shop, the others buy 3, get 1 free) 4 long sleeve shirts - $25 (1 from a yard sale, 1 from a thrift shop, 2 from Pink Blush end of season clearance) 1 formal dress  - $88 (worn with  pre-maternity  ...

Mr. G and I aren't finding out early if our baby is a boy or a girl - we're happy to wait until the baby is born. Of course I've heard a lot of predictions (adamant predictions!) so I thought I'd go through some old wives' tales for fun. Morning sickness - nausea = girl, little/no nausea = boy For me:  on/off nausea depending on the day = girl Chinese Gender Chart - a chart matching your age and month of conception For me:   girl Mayan Gender Prediction - add the year of conception and the mother's age. Even number = girl, odd number = boy For me:   girl Baby's heart rate   - over 140 bpm = girl, under 140 bpm = boy For me:  the baby's had a range of heartbeats, so inconclusive ! Besides, our midwife said the heartbeat gradually slows down over the course of the pregnancy anyway. Season of conception - winter = girl, summer = boy, spring and fall = equal chance For me:  conceived in the winter = girl Cravings - craving s...

Some of our baby's first gifts! Sarah commented that she wondered about weird stuff during pregnancy, so here are some of my experiences, as of 20 weeks . .  Food  - I am so HUNGRY. My ramped up appetite was actually one of my first symptoms that made me think,  maybe this isn't just killer PMS . From about week 6 to 13, I felt off (dizzy or weak) much of the time unless I'd JUST eaten. My food aversions were simple: anything sweet (including fruit, candy, and chocolate - very difficult to explain at Easter parties when it was too early to reveal our good news) and Chinese food.  In fact, I mostly lived on carbs and cheese (plus eggs, as long as someone else was preparing them). Vegetables had to be cooked just right but then I could stomach a small portion. By about 14-15 weeks, I could handle most foods (Chinese is still out) and I've learned to eat immediately if I feel hunger coming on. Nosebleeds - I usually get a minor nosebleed or two every winter...

Back in February, I mentioned that Mr. G and I had started considering locations for our anniversary trip in June. In years past, we've vacationed in Daytona Beach and California .  After finding out I was pregnant though, we decided to pick somewhere within driving distance. Not only will it be cheaper, but it's good for peace of mind because the thought of flying makes me a little uneasy. (I had to take a ferry ride for work a few weeks ago and it couldn't end fast enough.)  Coincidently, one of my friends at work was raving about her vacation last year and how she can't wait to go back this year. Of course my ears pricked up and I asked her a million questions, then brought home her suggestion to Mr. G, who loved it. We've booked our stay in June to  St. Michaels, Maryland  - a small town on the bay.  We're excited! They have walking trails along the water, lots of seafood for Mr. G, museums, kayaking tours, and the place we're staying has a pool...

Yes, it's crazy - I'm pregnant. Ahhh! I was feeling off the last week of February. Mr. G and I agreed I'd take a pregnancy test on Saturday morning (our work schedules don't mesh any more so we're only both home and awake at the same time on weekends). I saw that second pink line and immediately sank to floor, head in my heads. It was such a shock! Mr. G was surprised (and I think a little overwhelmed too though he'd never admit it) - he drove to the store for another brand of test, and all told I took 5 that morning. Ha!  We just stared at all those positive tests and each other. Then we moved on to elation + surprise. :) a bump! I still kind of can't believe it. It's hard to wrap your head around! I've toyed with the idea that perhaps our infertility diagnosis was inaccurate but it doesn't really matter. Sometime this fall, we'll have a baby! (I'm officially due November 1st, but not holding my breath.) The first trimeste...