Thought of the day.

parents to be

William's aunties

When I count my blessings, I count you twice.

They say a picture says a thousand words. I hope these do. I woke up today feeling a tremendous amount of love for the people in these photo's, including myself =) Our relationships all have a story, a definitive beginning and a middle, which we are still creating every day. So thank you fabulous people for being a part of this life of mine. My cup runneth over with love for you. (and very soon this cup will runneth over with wine, which I will also count as one of my blessings!)

Pregnancy musts!

Lately, I find myself wanting to remember every part of my pregnancy. It could be the fact that we have entered the 8th month and William's time in my belly is getting shorter and shorter. I am very excited to meet him but I will miss having him tucked away in there and feeling him move around, knowing that he is safe and warm. So, for future reference or for any mommy's to be looking for guidance (as I was!) here are some key things that I could not live without during my pregnancy! I only included the healthy stuff because let's face it, the chocolate and french fry cravings are not helpful. =) 

1) my yoga ball- this thing has been a saving grace for my back and for stretches since it is hard to get all the way down onto the floor. I just lay across it and stretch out my spine and it feels really good. It also feels great to sit on it and reach for my toes, stretching out my legs and stuff. Supposedly it is also helpful to induce labor but more on that later! 

2) my Nike Free's- or probably any good pair of tennies. These are nice because they are made of some sort of stretchy material so they are super comfy when your feet start growing. They almost feel like you are bare foot, but offer enough cushion to keep your foot comfy. On days when my feet hurt and my flip flops aren't cutting it, these are my go-to. 

3) Leggings- I have always been a fan but I am living in them now. They are just so comfy and I love how you can dress them up with a cute top, wear them for work-outs or just to lounge in. They are also light enough where I don't feel hot.

4)Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy- Nick calls it my bible and it has been. Offers really practical, helpful advice and covers EVERYTHING. I enjoy reading the weekly updates and how my body is changing along with baby's. During my first couple weeks, it was like a god send. I was flooded with information from the internet and from friends, I didn't know what to believe! It was nice to have a one go-to source for all my questions. 

5) Cocoa Butter- I haven't been as good as I should be about applying it daily (or nightly, I should say... before bed) but when my skin starts to feel like it is really stretching, this stuff gives it the moisture it needs to feel better. It also leaves my belly shiny and glowing, which I love. I am sure I will start to use it more as my belly seems to really be growing now! 

6) fruit! - I can't get enough. I don't know if it is the h2o in it or what, but I crave it. And the juicier, the better. I love, love, love oranges and pineapple. It has also been really helpful in place of sweets. 

7) La Croix sparkling water- I am addicted. So is Nick. I have tried almost every flavor and I like the lemon the best. The carbonation seems to help me burp which is helpful for indigestion. I drink mostly water throughout the day, but this stuff is definitely yummy and not too expensive like some sparkling waters.

8) Epsom salt- Warm bath + epsom salt + quiet house = woosahhhhh. I started reading about epsom salt baths when the muscles in my back really started hurting. I put about a cup of it in my bath and it really helps to soothe those aching muscles in your back, hips, feet, neck, whatever! You will read mixed reviews about baths when you are pregnant, but my belly doesn't even get all the way submerged, so I think it's fine (and necessary). So, light a candle, put on some relaxing music and have yourself a much deserved warm bath. William likes it too =)

9) yoga- I found a really great prenatal class when I was about 6 months along. It has been really helpful. It is a nice time to just breathe and connect with baby. The stretches feel so good. Some days, I swear I am too tired to go, but I am always really glad when I do. I like being around other expectant mommy's too. It is such a nice thing to do for myself and a great, relaxing space to be in. I was a lover of yoga even before I was pregnant, but I feel like this pre-natal class is helping me to understand the practice and concept of yoga even more as I am having to be very gentle and really listen to my body. 

So, here you have it! I hope that someone else can find this helpful. I always did a ton of research before accepting something as part of my pregnancy routine so I feel confident in sharing this with you.  Plus, I have two nurses in the fam who are very tolerant of random texts and phone calls about what I can/can't do. Good luck and happy baby days!

Why I love being pregnant =)

sitting on top of the world!

There are so many wonderful things about being pregnant with my first child, but never did I think I would enjoy this experience as much as I am! This has by no means been a walk in the park for me. My first 10 weeks were filled with morning sickness that lasted ALL day, complete exhaustion ( I could barely get out of bed), and the worry and apprehension that comes with this life changing event. I am now in my third trimester and despite kicks to the ribs, midnight trips to the bathroom (at least one), some serious indigestion and a recent episode of him hanging out on my sciatic nerve, causing jolting pains up and down my right side, this still has to be the most wonderful, amazing gift. I am the co-creator of a life! How awesome is that! Sometimes, it is too crazy to even wrap my head around. To think that my body is naturally doing what is necessary to form another human being, it just blows my mind. I think of how it has formed life, lungs, kidneys, and a heart! All from things that were inside of me. I could go on and on about this, it's just SO COOL! 

I really feel that even though William was unplanned, the timing could not have been more perfect. I can feel him influencing all of us and he isn't even here yet. He brings joy to so many already! I love every moment of carrying him in my belly, feeling him move, daydreaming about things that we will do together and that precious moment when we first lay eyes on each other. I love dressing my baby bump and how my body is becoming so much more my own. I love watching Nick sing him his ABC's and play music for him (he dances to Bob Marley!). I love people touching my belly and the love that comes our way from friends and strangers alike. I love talking about William! I love hearing his heartbeat. I love taking care of myself and being motivated to do so because it's not only about me anymore. I love taking him with me. I love being a "we" instead of just an "I". I love loving him with all of my heart and knowing that he was created out of pure love. It's such a crazy, beautiful experience and I love that this is only the beginning! 

William's Baby Shower

A Picture Perfect Day to Last a Whole Lifetime

Yesterday was Williams baby shower (aka his pre-birthday party) and I think he had a really good time! I know I did! The party was held at the historic Hemingway House and we were surrounded by family, friends, good food, pretty trees, live music and PRESENTS! All of our favorite things! It was a day to be remembered, even  though I feel like it went by too fast for me to even take it all in. Lucky for me, Nick took awesome pictures and captured some of my favorite moments. My mom put this whole day together for me, with the help of my "adopted family" - the Pita's. Words cannot express how much it all meant to me. Looking back at the pictures, especially where I am opening gifts with Ashli and Jess, I truly feel a sense of sisterhood. I was very happy to have time with Jessica (who is newly engaged!!) and to be able to feel the comfort that only a best friend can bring. She always makes me laugh and this is one of the reasons why I love her so. I also got to see my beautiful, free-spirited, friend Analise off before she heads out to road trip to California. The last picture is one of my faves, as it is capturing a special moment between Evelyn and I that I will never forget. She is a  mommy and strong, sexy female who I very much adore. My favorite gift came from my Emmaly, who was so excited for weeks to give it to me! It came from Etsy and it is a crochet lion outfit, complete with a mane and a tail. William will have his first photos in this outfit. It is out of this world adorable. Everyone there holds a special place in my heart and played their own role in helping me get to this point in my life. 

Leading up to the baby shower day, Key West was getting it's own showers, complete with a gray sky hanging over us and cold weather. So, I was very anxious about how the whole day would turn out since I knew we would be outside. Lucky for us, we had the morning free of rain and towards the end, the sun even started to poke its head out =) Must of been all the heart warming! More pictures to come!

Photos + Love = Fun

Almost 8 months pregnant with William

A sneak peak of the photos that Nick and I took for my photo baby shower book. I think the best part of doing the photos was the time that Nick and I got to spend together. At times, it felt like quite an adventure. It was 3 days worth of squeezing in pictures after work, before sunset, during low tide. The pictures came out awesome and I am so glad to have them and the memories that go with them.

This photo was taken off of Split Rock, which is an island that Nick knows about as a fishing spot. We were trying to make it to the island on our little boat (it was a glass calm, beautiful ride out there!) before the sunset and back home before dark, so we were very pressed for time! The water was about 6 inches deep and the sun was setting when we finally decided to scratch our original plan to avoid running a ground and losing out on sunset photos. So, I hopped in the water and this is the final outcome! We made it back with seconds to spare and celebrated with Mexican food. =)

truth.

Boat day

"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came." -JFK

Play time with Hayden Grace

We got to spend some time with our little miss Hayden Grace over the past week. It was a fun and interesting sneak peak into what our lives will soon be like! Nonstop! Hayden is two and absolutely adores Nick and I. The feeling is very mutual! So, we were excited at the chance to watch her for a few hours while her mommy went out. She is the sweetest little girl with quite a large personality. It was fun to watch Nick with her. She knows that Nick (aka Nit) is fun and full of energy so she didn't waste any time climbing all over him and having him lift her up in the air. I think it made us even more excited for our little William to be here, even though by the end of the day, I was exhausted! It was so cute when her mommy picked her up and asked her what she ate for lunch, her answer... "cookies". Haha! Sorry mom! Some things my be a little different with William =)

William was his name-o!

6 months pregnant with William

Here I am in our backyard for a photo shoot for Nicks mom's birthday, so she could see how we are coming along. We found out on January 2nd (at 7:30 in the morning! all sleepy eyed) that it was a boy and could not have been more overjoyed. The look on Nick's face was priceless. He was all giggly and even had the doctor smiling =) Nick got to see a lot of the baby because he was facing the ultrasound screen. I think that was really cool for him. It was also the first time he heard the heartbeat, my favorite part. Now, we are in full baby shower planning mode. My mom is making me nuts, but it will all pay off and it will be a day to remember. So, baby William is on his way, only a couple of months left!