The Day Before....

It's 7am on the Friday before my shower and I'm up. I've actually been awake since about 3am , which is starting to be the norm. Little Miss starts her exercise routine quite early in the morning. I suppose it's all rehearsal for when she's here and its time for feedings and/or changings. No complaining, just amazement actually. I just can't believe I'm less than 40 days away from being a mother and having a daughter. That really blows my mind. The months have truly flown by.

But today I have a few things to do in preparation for my BIG DAY tomorrow! I took a personal day of vacation so that I could run a few errands and prepare for my guests who are coming into town today. My mama, brother, cousin and a few friends are coming in today at various times. Honestly, I'm just excited that they are all coming here to see me and the fact that my baby shower is tomorrow with even more of our family and friends is the cherry on top. I'm BIG on family and all of my friends are like siblings to me. I feel all giddy like a little kid!

I'm looking forward to some pampering in the form of a manicure and pedicure and perhaps even a facial. It's the small things. I still haven't decided which dress I'm wearing to the shower, nor what accessories. I'm having my make-up done by M-A-C an hour before the shower, so that I don't have to concern myself with. Also, I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do with my hair. I have locs and unfortunately I waited until the last minute to contact my stylist to see if she had availability to style me today. I just had my locs maintained (shampooed, conditioned, retwisted and styled) two weeks ago so it wouldn't be a full out appt, just something fly for the shower. She's pretty popular and great with locs so she's already booked up for the day. It's ok, I'll just have to be creative on my own head like I was prior to pregnancy when I stopped doing my locs myself. It's been sooo nice having someone else do my hair for me. I wonder if I'll ever go back to doing them myself? IDK.

Today is not all play, we need groceries....bad! At some point today G and I or G or I will head to get some goodies for the house. We've been really bad about eating out a lot. We keep the staples on deck, but cooking just doesn't happen much here. I for one, never know what it is that I want to eat, much less cooking it. G has really stepped up and been the chef in our household and I think even he has gotten tired of eating the same things over and over again. That's kinda where I am, just tired of everything. Hopefully my normal taste buds will return after Miss Olivia is born and we normalize our lives.

Back to today.....so I'm getting up to do some laundry and a little bit of cleaning and I'll prepare some breakfast for myself. G is having the brakes fixed on his truck this morning so he won't be home until late morning. Today is going to be fun and tomorrow even funner!! (Legally Blonde) LOL

Yes please....

I'm always excited and looking forward to the days that I have a doctor's appt. Not only do I get to hear my baby's heartbeat and learn how well my pregnancy is progressing, on these days I work from home in the morning and then go into the office. Well now, I'm working from home in the bed. How wonderful is that? My manager provided me with a laptop so that I wouldn't have to sit in front of my home desktop which is as horrible as sitting at my desk at work. In addition to the comforts of working more comfortably from home. On Dr. appt days G always brings me in something yummy for breakfast b/c he's sweet and just getting off from work at 7am. In fact, he called about 30 minutes ago asking me what I wanted to eat for breakfast. So I'm expecting a hot, buttery Chick-fil-a chicken biscuit, fruit cup and lemonade! Yes indeedy, I could get used to this!

**G enters w/my food**

Oh, please excuse me as I jelly my biscuit! LOL

Daddys-to-be Nest?

I'll admit that I wasn't even so sure that I believed in the "nesting" phenomenon. For those of you wondering what Nesting is, here's the definition courtesty of Women's Healthcare Topics.com:

There is a phenomenon commonly seen in pregnant women which involves a need and motivation to prepare baby's environment just prior to delivery day which is similar to the way a mother bird will prepare a nest just before laying her eggs. Like a mother bird who will not let anything stop her from building as perfect an environment as possible for her soon-to-be-hatched babies, human mothers (even disorganized ones or those who are usually unconcerned with domestic activity) often feel compelled to get their homes in order.

Now I'm a relatively organized person. No, my house probably won't pass the white glove test but you also won't come into my home unexpectedly and find me apologizing in advance for the mess. Nope, my home environment is maintained at a certain level, one that we can live with and are not shameful of. I digress, so when I arrived home on yesterday evening I found that G had completely rearranged a bedroom. I don't know what prompted this, but I like the new look and wish to do something similar for my bedroom. However, I don't know that I'll be able to pull it off nearly as successfully. I have so much stuff. Seriously, two walk-in closets in my bedroom that are both at capacity and running over. I don't know how that happens b/c every year I give away bags of clothes to the Salvation Army. In any event, I've accumulated a lot of stuff. Actually the both of us have a lot of things in our home. Add to that all the things that will come with having a new baby, whose walk-in closet is already nearing capacity and somethings gotta give!

I've been very meticulous about her things. Its probably a good idea to have a system in place so as gifts come in it won't all seem so overwhelming. I've washed a few onesies, socks, blankets, bath towels and wash clothes. Things that I know we'll need to use out the gate. Her outfits are all hanging in her closet arranged by size (i.e 0-3 mos, 3 mos, 6-9 etc). Really I would love to have some sort of California Closet organization going on in her room but that's just not in the budget. I think we're good so far, but shower #2 is this Saturday with one more following on March 11th. I know we're going to get a lot of gifts, which is such a HUGE blessing, but I don't want stuff sitting around. It will drive me insane. Yes, I'm a tad bit anal and no G and I don't clean at the same rate or pace. But we both want our home to be a safe, clean and welcoming environment for our daughter.

The carpet in the entire house was cleaned over a month ago and now I think we need to have an exterminator out b/c I've seen some pretty sizable black spiders downstairs. Having been bit by a spider and subsequently having a nasty infection that only a surgeon could manage (imagine that....YUCK!) I'm leery of those things. Yes, they're small but that do a whole lot of damage. My skin crawls just at the thought of spiders......EWWW. Ok, moving on....

In a perfect world, I would have someone come out to the house twice a month and do the cleaning. She wouldn't have much to do b/c I wouldn't allow her to do our laundry, just mop, vacuum, dust and clean the bathrooms. Maybe I'll look into this while out on maternity leave, it certainly couldn't hurt. I seriously doubt that my Mama will put the child down long enough to assist with those tasks. She's not coming to help clean, she's coming to spoil her grandbaby before having to return to AL. Ah cleaning...a necessary evil of life.

Childbirth Class-Saturday

I'm so excited about Saturday! We're attending our all-day childbirth class from 9am-5pm followed by a maternity center tour!!!! When I scheduled this class it seemed like it was sooo far in the distance, yet here it is upon us. A full day of learning and I love learning. Especially about anything that will aid me in having a great birth experience. According to the hospital's website here's what we can expect:

An 8 hour childbirth education class that teaches mom and her partner what to expect during labor and birth. We will discuss the stages of labor, relaxation, breathing techniques, common concerns, comfort measures and much more. Plan to bring 2 pillows. Light refreshments will be served.

I'm starting to realize now that I have a lot to do between now and the arrival of my sweet little girl. I need to start shopping for all the things I'll need for the hospital. I'm going to take one large suitcase that will accommodate my things, G's and baby girls. Plus whatever the hospital gives me b/c I plan to take it all! I need maternity bras, nipple cream, heavy-duty pads, a few gowns and a list of other things. Once the bag is packed, next we'll install the car seat. My Mama purchased the Chicco travel system today!!! I can't wait until next weekend to get it. I also need to get my Thank You cards out to my Sorors from the shower that they gave me. I definitely don't want to get behind on things like that. I've written them all out, they just need to be delivered. Originally, I wanted to hand deliver them, but since now I don't know when I'll see them all again I suppose mailing them will be the best route.

In addition to stocking up and packing the hospital bag, I also need to find gifts for my 10 hostesses. My shower is next Saturday and I have a lot of family and friends coming in town to celebrate with us. These are truly exciting times.

From The Hips

From The Hips by new moms, Rebecca Odes and Ceridwen Morris came recommended by another Blogger. I decided to see if it was worth the investment by borrowing it first from the library. Its a GREAT book and I will definitely make the purchase. It discusses so many relevant topics; honestly, openly and unbiased. I highly recommend it as a personal reference for new moms and moms-to-be. It would also make a great shower gift :-)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Frozen precipitation

Or a phenomenon in the South known as snow. Yeah, we get it from time to time but never to the degree in which we prepare. So we're allegedly due to have a couple of inches of snow to come through the city starting around 12 noon and schools started announcing their closures on Thursday. I don't know, but this is so funny to me. Maybe b/c I'm not a parent just yet I can't appreciate the schools haste to shut down. While I do understand the precaution of it all, it just seems a tad bit immature in my opinion.

Dare we even consider what the local supermarkets and Walmarts look like this morning? Well me, I'm at work, at my desk going about my day as usual. If and when it snows, it snows. It's not raining nor is it below freezing so at best, I expect the pillowy beauty of the fresh fallen to cover the otherwise void landscapes and then disappear just as quickly as it came. Yes, its beautiful and kids enjoy playing in it, as they should. But adults are hyperventilating over snow that's suppose to be gone before the clock strikes midnight tonight. My goodness people, let's get a grip!

Besides, I have a hair appointment after work today and she BET NOT call me to reschedule over impending snow! It's never as bad as they say. We may get the 2" they are forecasting or it may end up being a mild dusting....who knows...only God knows. What I do know is that I have things to do this weekend, starting w/my much needed and anticipated hair appointment tonight, and snow will not wreck my flow!

To all of the northerners experiencing real snow and still keeping it moving...SALUTE! I know you look at us and just shake your heads. One of my co-workers who's originally from Philly has already been overheard saying, "Y'all (yeah, she's Southern now) don't know nothing about snow, this ain't snow." To which I must agree. The metro Atlanta area is shutting down b/c of snow that's not even suppose to stick. Personally, I'm just ready for Spring! Bring on Spring!! Spring means that my beautiful daughter will be here or here shortly. I'm ready for my favorite season and my favorite little lady :)

Sleep angels where art thou?

Today has been a pretty miserable day for me. Monday in and of itself is rough, but I just couldn't get with it at work. I was uncomfortable at my desk for most of the day which made me annoyed, which made me unproductive. This at only 32 weeks. Lord help me!

I got home from work and went straight into my bedroom to lay down, which I did and mastered maybe an hour or so nap. Now it's nearly midnight and I cannot get comfortable, my nose is stopped up, I'm hot and cold and of course now irritated. Baby girl was kicking for a while so I talked to her and that seemingly lulled her to sleep so at least one of us is getting some rest now. OMG, am I suppose to be able to work tomorrow with no sleep today? Luckily, I have my 32 week appt tomorrow at 2pm, so at best, it'll be a half-day of trying to work. I just don't know how I'm going to make it through the next several weeks.

I'm not even that big, why am I so uncomfortable? Maybe this is just one of those pregnancy things that I didn't anticipate since everything has been stellar to this point. Oh, did I mention my fat left foot/ankle that constantly swells? I can always gauge when it's time for me to get somewhere and saddown by how swollen that foot/ankle is. Yes, it's only the left one and it doesn't hurt but it looks like it should hurt. Thank God it doesn't. If it did, I suppose I would just deal. Ok, vent over. I guess I'll go back to watching Roseanne reruns...

My Sisters and Me.....

I know I am blessed and I say it all the time. God has truly surrounded me with some AMAZING women. Women who are like sisters to me and whom I love dearly. My Dynamic Sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. hosted a shower for me at one of my favorite Mexican eateries. As always, we enjoyed one anothers company, ate good, laughed and took tons of pictures.

The love was evident not only in gifts, but by the very fact that they were there to share in this joyous time with me. My heart was full of gratitude b/c these women, my sisters, love me and my baby. Olivia is already sooo loved and that is truly the blessing! She has more aunties than she can even begin to count! It's a blessing to have such a supportive network of family and friends. I've always wanted a sister, but being the oldest child and only girl prevented that from happening. But God, in His infinite wisdom gave me more than I could ask or even think in the sisterhood of Delta. I so love my Sorority and all of my wonderful Sorors.

Here are a few pics from the celebration!

Then I tried to talk and was COMPLETELY overcome with emotion. My heart was so full! When people tell you that they love you its one thing. But when they show up and show you, Wow...it's amazing. My sisters extend their love for me to my baby and I was just so thankful because I know they didn't have to do it. It was such a beautiful celebration for which I am eternally grateful.

Mini Me!

Thanks to the amazing technology of our day, we were able to get a glimpse inside the womb to see our darling little girl. This time she was full of cooperation....or annoyance...either way, we captured the images we were after. We have both video and still pics of every possible angle of our child. She's soooo pretty!! (nope, no modesty here). She looks just like my newborn baby picture. It's uncanny. Olivia made her father and I so proud last night as she vogued for her photo ops. I would encourage anyone who's even remotely curious about either finding out the sex or just who your little one resembles to visit Stork Vision. Shannan is the best! She's patient and has very good energy. I enjoyed every session with her, even when the kid would not cooperate. Below are a few of our images.

Olivia kept her arms near her face for the longest time. She has long fingers. I think she may be tall like her father. Now that those arms are out of the way, she sticks out her tongue a little and we can see her pretty little face and her left ear.

More tongue out, fat cheeks and a round belly. She's a Doll!

Olivia was soo sleep! This is one of my favorites b/c she looks just like I did as a newborn. Amazing! I'm soooo in love with my child!

3D/4D...No Thank Thee!

That's pretty much what the little one thought about her 3D/4D pics today. She was not with it. She showed us her arms, legs and even her feet but she did not want her face photographed. The sonographer had me laying on my left, then back, then right, then back and my child would not budge. She was totally unphased by all the movements, shakes and numerous failed attempts to get her to turn even the slightest bit. Olivia is her Mother's child! I can't help but laugh, and I wasn't too disappointed although I would have loved to have gotten a view of her full face in 4D, we did get a glimpse into her personality:) We were fortunate enough to get a good view of her profile, and even if I must say so myself,(and I do) my child is beautiful. She has a cute little nose, full lips and fat cheeks....she's a DOLL!!!

Bless Shannan's heart (the sonographer) she's such a sweet lady. She tried everything to get baby girl to turn but she just would not cooperate. I drank a Mountain Dew prior to the appointment hoping that would stir her a bit and it seemed to have lulled her into an even deeper sleep. Like me, she's unphased by caffeine. If I'm sleepy, nothing will keep me awake, not even soda. My baby was sleeping and would not be disturbed. I hope she sleeps that sound outside the womb..LOL

We're going back on Thursday for a "do-over" and hopefully she will cooperate and give us the full face shot. If not, we'll just have to wait for another couple months to see her precious little face.