Today I'm 27

Today I'm 27.

So, happy birthday to me!

Here's a fun fact: I share this day with my nephew, Liam and my second-cousin, Ara.  I'm pretty sure that by some point in the day, I will also share it with my friend Jayme's new baby boy, Coy.

It's weird to think that I am inching closer and closer to my 30's and further and further away from my 20's, but it doesn't really bother me.  This birthday is actually pretty special for two reasons.

[1] It's my last birthday as a non-Mama*.

*Some may argue that being pregnant makes me a Mama already, but for arguments sake - let's just go with it.

[2] I am turning the same age that my mom was when she had me.

Momma - Pregnant with me in 1985; Lou - Pregnant with baby boy in 2012

Pretty special, eh?

Mom put a sweet little diddy on Facebook about us being the same age with our first babies (amongst other wonderful things) and failed to warn me of it's tear-inducing contents.

Thanks, Mom.

I hope my 27th year will be as special as I think - full of love, laughter, new experiences (and challenges), and a deeper appreciation for the little things.

Take Luck,

LP

Family & Maternity Photos

On our family vacay to Destin, Florida (now over a month ago!) my sister-in-law had the brilliant idea to get some family photos taken as a retirement gift for my mother-in-law.  Then she suggested we get some maternity shots, too and I was even more on board.

Just Wright Photos out of Pensacola met us at a local state park/beach near Destin and did a fantastic job.  It was quick and fun... Except for the biting dog flies.  No joke - these things were biting my booty through my dress.

Here are my favorites.  Enjoy.

Take Luck,

LP

This Weekend...

Linking up with Sar and Syndal for This Weekend I...

This weekend I got an extra day off of work for Columbus Day.  Glorious.

This weekend I plowed through my financial management project that isn't due until finals week in December.  I decided I just couldn't have that hanging over my head any longer.

This weekend I (OK, we) hung the rest of the decor in the nursery.  There is just one piece left that can't go up until we decide on this little dude's name.

This weekend I discovered that our sweet neighbor leaves treats for Brock and Sonny in her newspaper mailbox.

This weekend I hit the 30 week mark in my pregnancy.  Time is flying.  For reals.

This weekend I officially started Christmas shopping.  Like my semester project, I just can't let things like this hang over my head as we get closer and closer to baby time.

Take Luck,

LP

Thursday Thoughts

Linking up with Sar for Thursday Thoughts!

[1] Remember when you would play Monopoly and you would get the Community Chest Card: "Bank Error in Your Favor - Collect $200"?  Well, that sort of happened to me today in the form of "Babies R Us Error in Your Favor - Collect Baby Monitor."  It was sort of awesome.

Source

[2] There is a disturbing sign in a stall of the women's bathroom at work - a vertical banner with the ABC's for Success.  It is totally awkward and I intentionally avoid this stall at all costs so I don't have to read "R - Relax and go with the flow" while trying to pee.  #strangebathroomhumor

  [3] I feel my sleep habits changing and I don't like it. Normally, I fall asleep instantly (anytime and anywhere) and sleep like a rock.  But in the past few weeks I have found myself unable to get comfortable and my mind is just racing.  Racing about school, racing about baby preparation, and racing about the need to stop racing and sleep.  Something tells me this is all just going to get worse.

[4] I have a cruddy cold and am ready for it to vacate.  My attempt to drowned it with lemon ginger tea was a failure.

[5] Not only do I love October for the onset of crisp, fall weather, but it's also the start of MLB postseason play.  The St. Louis Cardinals are in it again this year and I am super pumped about that.  However, I may or may not be ready for some other channel to be displayed on our television.  Really, anything other than MLB Network will do.

Take Luck,

LP  

Doula

Several months ago, we decided to hire a doula to assist us in the labor and delivery of this baby boy.

After talking with a girlfriend who hired a doula for the birth of her second child, I was convinced that it was something I was interested in.  The challenging part would be A) convincing Ryan to jump on board and then B) finding someone who fit well with us and what we wanted out of this experience.  If Ryan had said, "No," then I would have accepted that and moved on, but I was happy when he said we could look into it.

So, who would we bestow this blessed responsibility on?

I take a weekly prenatal yoga class (more on that later) that is taught by a women who is also a doula.  I like her a lot, she is extremely knowledgeable, and while in yoga - there is no topic that is off the table.  I immediately thought about her first, but the more I thought about it - I didn't think it would be the best fit.

At my first prenatal chiropractic appointment, our chiropractor asked if we had considered a doula and offered her "doula services" to us.  I thanked her for the offer and said it was something we were thinking about.  I love my chiropractor and have known her for a long time.  I'm sure she would be an excellent doula, but again, I just didn't think it would be the best fit.

Around this time, a long-time friend of mine, Laura, contacted me over Facebook.  She congratulated us on the pregnancy and asked if I wanted to get together to chat.  I love catching up with old girlfriends, so of course I agreed.

We got together one day after work and just started chatting away like no time had passed.  We weren't even BFF status way back when, but we really and truly clicked while catching up.  She happens to be a doula (and a mama to two wee babes), and we talked a little bit about her services and experiences so far.  I felt no pressure or awkwardness in listening and talking to her, but totally interested and had a feeling of, "This is who I would want and need in there with us."

I told her I would talk to Ryan about our meeting and be in touch.  I did as promised and he agreed to meet with her so he could ask some questions he had.  After our meeting, the deal was sealed.

So, what sealed the deal for us?

[1] Neither of us have done this before.  We need all the help/support/guidance we can get.

[2] Laura is going to help/guide Ryan to maximize the support he gives me during labor and delivery.  She really is there to support us both - not just me.

[3] Her presence will allow Ryan and I to keep our roles as husband/wife and daddy-to-be/mama-to-be instead of birth coach/crazy-in-pain-mama-to-be.  Well, the pain part will probably still hold true.

[4] Obviously, Ryan and I have an intimate relationship.  Laura and I do not.  My hope is that instead of giving into the coddling and insistence for an epidural I will likely get from Ryan when in pain, Laura will firmly remind me that I can do this.  Even though we've known each other for a long time - there isn't an emotional attachment.

[5] Laura will be able to tell me if I reach a point where pain medicine/epidural is necessary for my sanity and the progress of labor.

[6] She's pretty much awesome and we love her.

So far, she's been a wonderful resource for questions and things to think about.  She sat on our couch one night and gave Ryan and I both a lot to think about regarding labor and delivery - a lot of great things to consider and things we may or may not have thought of without her.

My hope is to have a natural child birth.  

However.  And this is a big however.  I am not at all firmly rooted in this hope.  If it gets to the point where I'm over it and just want the juice - I'll take the juice.  The fact that my dear Momma was in labor with me for almost 48 hours keeps flashing in my brain.

I am confident that between spending my entire life in athletics and pushing through physically demanding situations, staying active through my pregnancy, the techniques I've learned in prenatal yoga, and my mental game in general (again, thanks to sports) - I can do it.

On the other hand, I have absolutely no idea what to expect.  So, I may talk a big game and end up crumbling like a blue cheese.

 

Only time (and not much of it!) will tell. 

Take Luck,

LP