Celebrate!

February supplied us with lots and lots to celebrate.

First on the agenda: Aging! I celebrated my 24th birthday this month and for the first time actually felt a little 'blah' about getting older. When you think about it, most birthdays up to this point have some level of excitement attached: 16, 18, 21... But 24 was kind of an eye-opener. I remember turning to Taylor and saying "This means I'm almost 25. Which means I'm almost 30! Gross!" So, how does one counteract the effects of realizing she's getting older? Why, celebrate like a kid, of course! My amazing husband took me to Disney's Polynesian Resort where they host a daily character breakfast complete with yummy food and huggable characters. It was bliss.

My birthday card signed by Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, and Mickey. :)

Mickey loved the belly. 

Hubby and his kindred spirit: Stitch.

Waiting for our table at 'Ohana.

Immediately following my birthday is, of course, Valentine's Day! This was our first Valentine's as a married couple and it did not disappoint. Taylor came home from work with a wonderful card and beautiful flowers and I spent the majority of the day/night preparing what was nothing short of a feast for my wonderful hubby. We had sparkling cider and spinach & artichoke puffs for an appetizer; followed by a salad (complete with heart-shaped tomatoes). We then dove into chicken parmigiana with capellini; all topped off with some yummy cheesecake for dessert. I was definitely proud of my work and by the look on his face and the gratuitous belching that followed, I think Taylor enjoyed himself too.

Cute card and roses from my Valentine. <3 

So while everyone else's February celebrations may have ended there, mine did not. The wonderful ladies in my ward threw me a Baby Shower! For those of you who know about the debacle that became the original baby shower I was planning on, this was such a huge blessing. I apologize that I didn't take more/better pictures. There was tons of yummy food, blue-frosted cookies, and all kinds of baby boy cuteness. B got TONS of cute outfits and some much-needed necessities like a bath tub and lots of diapers. I'm so grateful to these awesome women who barely know me but are so generous and loving (and, not to mention, SO excited to meet our little man!)

Knee-deep in gifts, getting ready to start the marathon of unwrapping.

We got so much cute sports stuff for our future all-star.

I know I look insane, but the faux Harley bottle was just too cute not to post. 

And last, but certainly not least, perhaps the biggest reason for celebration brought about by these last few weeks comes with two magical words:

FULL      TERM!

That's right! I have hit the 37 week mark of my pregnancy and Baby B now has full medical clearance to show up on the scene whenever he darn well pleases. I can't believe it! Now, keep in mind, that he has been very sternly told not to arrive until after March 7th (reasoning for which will be made clear in the next post) but, as far as his physical faculties are concerned, he is ripe and ready to go! I seriously cannot wrap my head around the fact that he's going to be here so soon... or that I've been pregnant for THIS long... but I am so excited. I'm excited to have my body back to only having one person inside of it and to not have to pee or chew a Tums every 10 minutes. But, more than anything, I'm so excited to finally share him with Taylor. He has been so attentive and so patient through my entire pregnancy and I feel like I get all the reward up to this point. I'm so excited to see him hold his little boy and to finally feel the fact that he's real. He's already proven to be such an amazing daddy as he reads a bedtime story to my belly every single night and talks & sings to B every chance he gets. It brings tears to my eyes when he lays down next to me and gives the baby a play-by-play of the latest sporting event and tells him all about how he's going to be such a great missionary someday and get married in the temple to a great girl like his mama. I really am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man and I hope my children will someday be as grateful as I am that I chose him to be their dad. 

And, don't worry, I didn't forget to include a pic of me and the basketball I'm currently hauling around under my dress.

Here's 37 weeks in all her glory!

Time Flies When You're A Planet

If there's one thing I'm learning whilst being pregnant it's how to prioritize. 

While I used to be the type of person that had to do every single thing on my to-do list or the day felt like a total waste, I've mellowed out a little bit. (I said a little bit) I told Taylor just last night that my goal between now and when baby comes is to learn to live by the mantra "Let it go." Like only getting 3 out of 4 loads of laundry done yesterday. When we came home from childbirth class at 9:45pm, I had every intention of putting the last load in and staying up until it was done. But an amazing thing happened when I realized that the basket of dirty clothes was not going to get up and walk away (with the exception of some of Taylor's socks) if I didn't wash them that very moment. So they remained in their basket prison until this morning when I very leisurely plopped them into the washer with a grande feeling of accomplishment.

It may not sound like much to you, but it's a big step for this control freak. 

I bring up this goofy laundry anecdote because I realize that it's been almost 2 months since my last post. And while it bothers me that I am not nearly as diligent as some of my fellow bloggers at getting regulars postings up here, I realize that it's one more thing for me to learn to let go of. So, on that note, here's the last 6 weeks in a nutshell:

December/January was family-paloozza for Mr. Smith and I. It started with my grandparents' visit in early December. Then, the coolest people I know--my mom and dad--came to visit for a few days following Christmas. I was so grateful to have my twinnie here to share in my maternity madness. See, I had been living in my sweats and Taylor's t-shirts for most of the latter part of my pregnancy because I was SO not shelling out mucho dinero for maternity clothes. But, my mother (being the fashionista that she is) found this utterly unacceptable and came to my rescue. I now have a fully stocked maternity wardrobe to get me through these last couple months and for future bambinos to come. We really enjoyed spending time with my parents while they were here, especially getting to celebrate my mom's birthday with her, too. Well, the same day my parents left Orlando, we received a phone call from my father-in-law at about 10:30 pm informing us that we should quickly pack a bag and head down to their house because we were going to Texas for New Years! So, scramble we did, and 20 hours later we were in Dallas with Taylor's brother Josh and his family. We had a blast kicking back with them in their new house and Josh had even planned a very elaborate murder mystery party for New Years Eve that was a lot of fun. Then we packed up the puppies and drove back to sunny Florida to start off 2012. Fear not, I'm not finished... The very next week, Taylor's sister BreAnne and her family came to Orlando from Idaho for a week-long Disney adventure! So we spent that week going to the parks with them and playing a lot of board games. It was awesome.

But, needless to say, the pregnant girl was pooped! By the time all was said and done, I spent 2 days in bed with sore muscles and lack-of-sleep-crankiness just trying to recuperate from all the family fun. haha I'm glad to have things calmed down a little bit now and just spending time trying to get myself together and get ready for baby's impending arrival. 

On that note, here's the obligatory belly pic:

32 weeks

The picture's a little out-dated since I'm now almost 34 weeks along, but you get the point: I'm round. haha Baby B has been very active and we went to the doctor yesterday for yet another run-of-the-mill appointment. I love being one of my OB's most boring patients because that means nothing's wrong. :) B's heart rate is strong in the 160's and I'm measuring right where I should be. I only gained 1 lb. in the last 2 weeks, which I think brings me to a whopping 7 lbs. for my whole pregnancy so far. (Don't get too jealous, it's mostly as a result of the ridiculous amont of weight I lost from being so sick during the 1st trimester) But, so far, everything looks good. I have near-chronic heartburn and have to pee every hour, on the hour, but compared to what I hear some women go through, I think I've been pretty blessed. 

On the horizon: house/puppy-sitting for my in-laws all weekend while they fly to Idaho for our nephew's baptism, my birthday!, Valentine's Day, my baby shower, and I'm sure much more. February is shaping up to be an exciting month, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't so so anxious for it to be March. :)

Feeling Festive

It's that time of year!

Although you'd never know it around here with the 80* weather and the palm trees. But I'm doing all I can on a newlywed budget to make things feel Christmas-y around the Smith household. :)

This is our blessed little Christmas tree.

Can I say how, once again, I am so thankful for Wal-Mart?! This pre-lit 6.5' Christmas tree was only $40!! I can't tell you how much it lifts my Christmas spirit having a legit looking Christmas tree in our home... and know I didn't spend a million dollars on it. :)

Stockings & garland!

No fireplaces in Florida apartments... Must IMPROVISE! This is the counter between the kitchen & the living room. I really wanted to make a 'paper fireplace' on the wall behind the stockings, but I haven't had the time. We'll see...

Too cute to pass up!

By way of presents, we're all over the place. I bought Taylor's present last month and have been blissfully sitting back ever since. I'm pretty sure he still has no idea what to get me. But buying gifts for B is something we both do very well. :) After touring Winnie Palmer hospital last night (I'll get into that in a minute) we took a quick gander into the gift shop and found this adorable little set. I couldn't resist!

And speaking of the little stinker...

Here I am at 25 weeks.

Can you tell it was the end of the night and I was exhausted with a capital E? haha I'm now 26 weeks along and everyone's doing well. B's been pretty active lately. He does a grateful little backflip every time I eat something he likes (he was going nuts after the Frosty I ate last night  lol) and particularly right before I go to bed. I've been feeling more 'pregnant' lately (if that makes sense). My back gets pretty sore by the end of the night every night and the heartburn sets in pretty regularly not long before dinner. 

B's arrival is feeling more and more real as the time approaches. Taylor & I toured Winnie Palmer Hospital last night which is where I'll be bringing our little rockstar into the world. And in true rockstar style, I might add. The hospital is specifically for women & babies and they deliver more than 43 babies PER DAY! They're one of the top Labor & Delivery hospitals in the country. But, more than that, they built the hospital with the express desire of having it feel more like a hotel than a hospital and boy, did they succeed! The entire facility is very inviting to both patients & visitors and from labor/delivery to recovery--all the facilities are very homey & not at all sterile or hospital-like. Taylor even gets a real bed to sleep in that pops right out of the wall in our room! There's cable, a DVD player, and wi-fi access in our stay room; in addition to room service, in-room massage, and the most beautiful bathroom I've ever seen in a hospital OR a hotel! Needless to say, I am not complaining at all about having to spend 2 days here with my new little family. :) 

All in all, we're doing well and just getting excited for all the upcoming excitement! My grandparents were here this week for a Disney vacay and we got to spend a couple nights hanging out with them and my mom & dad will be here in 2 weeks for a visit. I can't wait! Also... I GET TO GO HOME IN JANUARY! I have the best mom ever and she is flying me out to NJ to throw me a baby shower!! I still get a little choked up when I think about it. I'm so excited to see my friends & family. That's definitely been one of the hardest parts of pregnancy--not being near my support system. But Taylor has been the most wonderful, kind, & doting husband. I can honestly count on one hand how many times I've done the dishes since I've been pregnant. I am so lucky.

I Always Keep My Promises

So, here it is. Finally. A new post.

I can't tell you how many times I've looked at this blessed thing and made up some lame excuse as to why I couldn't post yet. "The apartment isn't done enough." "I haven't uploaded the pictures off my camera yet." "My ankles are too swollen." Whatever. But here it is in all it's glory: the last 2 months in a nutshell.

Apartment

Our little apartment here in Orlando is finally starting to feel "homey" for Taylor and I. We've hung up pictures, put together furniture, and have spent a little bit of time each weekend making little improvements here and there. Let's take a look at what I'm currently most proud of:

Photo Collage in the Living Room/Entryway

Close-up of photos

Our cute little living room!

The bookshelves that took us FoReVeR to finally put up..

My favorite shelf. tee-hee

Family photo collage between bookshelves.

This is the cute shower curtain for the bathroom in the baby's room. :)

And the adorable painting hanging in the bathroom. 

This is baby's room all cleaned out & ready to be furnished! FINALLY!

It has taken a lot of time & energy on mine & Taylor's part just to get the baby's room cleaned out finally and it is seriously our greatest accomplishment since moving in here. Our bedroom walls are still bare, but who cares. As long as that room is ready for my little man, I'll be one happy momma. :)

Baby

Speaking of our little man, he's not so little anymore... and neither am I!

Halloween-20 weeks along.

I'm even bigger now at 23 weeks, if you can believe it. But this is the best picture I have of 'the bump'. My nausea has finally decided to let up and I'm starting to put back on some of the 20ish pounds that I lost in the 1st Trimester. I only have a handful of clothes that still fit me, so hopefully Santa shops at the maternity store. :) But, overall things are going well. Little man has become more and more active as the weeks progress and I can feel him kicking around pretty regularly. He finally gave a good swift kick strong enough that Taylor could feel it from the outside and I have never seen his face light up so much! It was fantastic. :)

Does is get much better than baby Nike high-tops?!

I'm getting more and more excited about having a little boy. A girl at work brought me a huge bag of hand-me-downs from her son (including the absolute treasures shown above) and I have to say that I am loving the idea of having the little guy running around. I'm stoked to be the crazy mom yelling at the refs... helping him paint his Pinewood Derby car... and sending him on a mission to who-knows-where.  It still doesn't seem real, but I'm definitely getting more excited as the time gets closer. And, in case you're wondering... and I know that you are... We have chosen a name for our little guy but will not be sharing until he's born. But, for now, we'll call him B. ;)

And speaking of babies, MY NIECE ARRIVED!! Madison Marie Pizza was born on 11/10/11, 5 lb. 12 oz, 18". She is such a doll! I hate that I can't afford to go meet her in person, but my mom and sister-in-law keep the photos coming regularly, so that'll hold me over for now. 

I still can't believe my big brother's a Daddy! So cute!

Well, I think that pretty much colors me caught up. Taylor & I are just working hard, saving up as much as we can. I'm excited for the upcoming holidays, even though I won't be able to be with my family. But, my in-laws and my FL family are just wonderful and I'm sure will make the season just as bright. :)

Until next time... ciao!

Promises, Promises

I'm gonna kinda give you an 'Obama' post here and promise you all the stuff that I'm going to be updating in the near future. (But, there's also a promise for actual delivery on those promises... unlike some people I know *cough cough*)

1. I promise to upload pictures of the new apartment as soon as it reaches a standard of presentable-ness that I find satisfactory. You know very well that that could mean months, but I'm trying to push it along, I promise.
2. I promise to upload at least one photo of my baby bump as soon as I remember to do it when I'm not lounging around in my scrubby clothes and I actually look cute. This occurs almost more rarely than a unicorn sighting, so I'll do my best, but that's as good as it gets. 
3. I promise to be a better blogger once I actually feel settled here. And by "here" I mean the apartment, Florida, marriage... etc... I am still really struggling with this incredible up-rooted feeling. So, as soon as I can manage to feel like my feet are somewhat planted on the ground, I will be far more regular in my updates.

So... with all that said, I know you'll all be waiting by your personal computing devices, just drooling for my next post... which will come as soon as I can manage. As promised. :)