Last Preggie Days - Living It Up!

I'm 29 weeks today - and, coincidently, it's the last week until I'm 29 years old! (Sunday) So what better way to celebrate it than to dive into my craziest nesting mode?? :)

I started on Friday, in a childbirth class at the hospital (wanted to freshen up my memory since I'm hoping for VBAC next time). They had 3 door prizes, and since we were one of the only 3 couples, we all grabbed something. Now you'll never guess what we got: a CAR SEAT!! I mean, true, it is sort of boyish, but hey, you can't have it all. This was a major item on our list, so I can't believe it's already taken care of! The only thing is, we'd actually thought of just having Holly use Andrew's and get him a new one (he's comfortable, but could already fit in a bigger one). So now I guess these plans have been postponed lol. Well who cares, we got a freaking car seat!!!! :)

At home, we put the kids down for a nap and David surprised me with the idea of him going to check out one of the minivans he saw online. We'd been a one-car family since right after Melissa was born, and our cozy (nice word for TIGHT) compact served us well until recently. Not only Holly coming brings the need of a bigger one, but also the fact that the kids are growing and we can't all just be cooped up inside the house every single day until Dad comes home. 

So the incredible happened: after months and months and MONTHS of talking about this like a huge, complicated task, we decided to just do it. Now we have a minivan!!!! I love it so much I could cry. I'm even a better driver in it lol, because it makes me feel safer, and it's a million times more comfortable than our other car. We'll just have to be extra careful with our budget (a challenge now that I can go anywhere anytime I want :). 

Now, the weekend progresses didn't stop there - Holly's room FINALLY got started!! It's not done yet (still need to fix some wall paper/paint edges), but will post a picture when it's finished. Now my next challenge is to wash and organize the LOADS of Melissa's baby clothes (and some sort of gender-neutral from Andrew). With at least 4 or 5 trash bags full, we might never have to buy clothes for Holly at all!

It's such a HUGE relief to see things moving along for her arrival - it means she really does exists lol. Because you know, even with kicks inside my belly, it's still surreal to think of having a 3rd kiddo. Another thing we did this weekend was hang door signs on the kids' bedrooms, and whenever I see all 3 of them I'm like, "wow, we have so many kids!" It's daunting but not in a real bad way - kinda like the feeling you get when you're about to ride on a roller coaster :).

Melissa's sign is a lot like her - girly yet spunky

Our only true Texan kid (so far) has SO much the adventurous cowboy personality

Holly's door :)

Stay tuned for belly shot + possible nursery shots + HOLLY'S 4D ULTRASOUND PICS later this week!!

Family Pics & Nesting Drama

Ever wish there were more hours in the day (or at least more energy at the end of the it)?? I've been like that for awhile now. The bigger Holly gets, the more desperate I feel to prepare for her, at the same rate that my time seems to be shrinking.

Still, we're getting there, slowly but surely. Like by ordering wall art for Melissa's room, Andrew's room and their playroom:

It had to be wall stickers - Melissa jumps so much in her room that anything 

hanging would fall off! (like the ceiling lamp once did - THANK GOD no one was hurt)

Celebrating our only boy

Those two NEED this one

Cute, right?? If only we ever had a chance to put these up. We've gotten stuff for Holly's room over 2 weeks ago, and haven't even come close to starting it! Life's just been crazy. Not only the usual keep-the-kids-alive crazy, but busier with both mine and hubby's work. Yep, you read that right - I work now! Well, sort of. I've written a few articles for a local magazine, and while I LOVE it, it does take up a lot of the little free time I had. Then, when hubby comes home, I'm wiped out and hope he'll nest for me lol. Which of course never happens, not because he doesn't want to, but his schedule has also been tough, so he's wiped out himself.

It can make me so depressed thinking of ALL we still need to accomplish in LESS THAN 3 MONTHS before Holly comes. But today I'm deciding not to let it get me down, as it doesn't help my energy level one bit. Instead, I should celebrate the fact that life has filled up (being paid to write is awesomeness). I keep telling myself, "we'll get to it, we'll get to it." Because we WILL. Or my name isn't "super-nesting pregzilla" :).

On a more relaxed note, guess what will happen in a week and a half?? We'll have a 4D ULTRASOUND!!!!!!! I'm so excited, but trying not to think much about it or else the anticipation will drive me crazy (noticed yet how I'm not the most patient person in the world?). Can't wait to post the pictures here!

But while those don't come, check out our latest family pics:

27 weeks and 4 days! In a dress that kinda makes me look like a monk

The girls (all 3 of us)

My huge little guy

A parent's life - trying to have a moment, until a kid's head shows up lol

We give up - let's just grab everybody :)

The Silliest, Yet BEST Stress Relief Tip

As a mother of 3 kids (although one still in the belly), stress can be my middle name, so I should know! :) Of course this tip isn't a magical solution if you're going through serious problems, but I can attest that for sure it helps you get through the day if you're just in a funk. 

This is where my blog is gonna sound like Polyanna lol...but I don't care because it's true! And I never hesitate to promote cheesiness when it works :).

So here we go! My number 1 tip for long, long days full of little stressful moments is...

Surround yourself with things that make you smile. 

What I mean is, leave little pick-me-ups here and there that will make life's tedious routines seem a little more interesting. A couple of examples of how I've been doing this:

I have "a cup of Johan" every morning.
Ever watched a commercial for Gevalia coffee? If not, here's one:


This would always make me laugh, while hubby rolled his eyes. Then when the sight of it made me smile again during a stressful grocery shopping trip, I decided I needed that chuckle every morning. Why not give it a try? Hubby's like, "I can't believe I'm allowing this in my house" lol. 

My new cheaper phone is WAY cuter - and sillier.  
So in order to save money (preparing for third kid and all that), we changed our phone plans and got ourselves less sophisticated ones. I know, this idea used to make me hurl, but 2 weeks in Brazil (where my cell didn't work) totally cured me! I discovered it's possible to live happy without checking email and facebook 24/7, imagine that. And besides, at home I'm already attached to my Mac Air, so really, how long did I have to stay online??

With this new revelation, my heart was open to the lovely T-Mobile Concord, and then I found this ADORABLE cover for it:

It's another little reminder for me not to take my day too seriously. I mean, how can you when you're talking on a phone that looks like Dorothy the Dinosaur? (which is NOT reason the why I bought it lol - I noticed the resemblance after the purchase). Another silly thing - my new alarm clock is the sound of a rooster :).

Again, these make ME smile. If what rocks your world is a much classier cover or whatever, go for it! The important thing is, surround yourself with things that cheer you up.

I don't mean for this post to become one big advertisement, but just wanted to make a point that as mothers, we can get so busy trying to make our children (and the rest of the world) happy that we forget to provide little treats for ourselves along the way. Like, I used to just roll out of bed and go tackle the children, but I noticed that spending a few minutes fixing myself up a bit (concealer and lipstick can do the trick) REALLY makes a difference. Turns out it's easier not to feel like a zombie when you don't look like one :).

What about you? What makes you tick throughout the day? Remember, especially if you're a stay-at-home mom - you matter too! Now go think of something silly and unnecessary for the sole purpose of adding a smile to your day. 

What Not to Say to a 3rd Time Preggo On Her 3rd Trimester

25 weeks and looking much nicer than I am in real life :)

If you read the last post, you know I'm a little out of it, so bear with me. Things that used to bother me just a little bit or even amuse me now annoys me a LOT. In fact, I think I spent most of this pregnancy so far pretty cool headed, as far as preggos go. I kind of knew what to expect from people's reactions, so didn't waste time thinking about it.

But now, that I'm on full-blown nesting frenzy, my patience is thinner. Which is not to say I'll automatically associate such annoyances to their perpetrators - if I love them, it doesn't make me love/trust them any less. I understand people have no way of knowing how I'm feeling and I've been guilty of making careless comments to preggos as well. So I'm not angry at anybody in particular, I'm just ANNOYED (and will prob continue to be so until this baby comes out).

So here we go...3 things to never say to a woman pregnant with her 3rd child, especially on her 3rd trimester:

You're pregnant AGAIN?? How can you possibly handle ALL these children?? Ok, maybe people don't say this with every word, but every REALLY surprised reaction, followed by a comment on how I'll have SO many kids, sounds like that to me. Without meaning to (I hope), you're offending my abilities as a mother. And just as well, my ability to decide what's best for my family. If you can't see yourself going beyond 1 or 2, good for you. It doesn't make me crazy to want more! Think about it - wouldn't it be annoying if I came to you like, "I can't believe you're NOT pregnant"??

You THINK this is your last?? I actually heard this from a lady who was just passing by me on the way out of the nail salon. She asked (like EVERYBODY does) if it's my first (since I look like a teenager), and expressed the usual shock I get whenever I explain that it's my third, and yes, I do think I'm done. After gasping at my lack of 100% certainty, she went on to warn me that they're a lot of work (as if I've never had a child). Listen lady, if I have 10 kids, it isn't any of your business.

WHY are they so close in age?? Oh my gosh, if I have to come up with an explanation for this again, I'll shoot myself (or somebody). Because we WANTED to. Stop looking at me like I'm a freak. I'm not making YOU change the diapers.

I know these questions are all pretty much a variation of the same one, but I have to hear them over, and over, and over again. In the first months, I even laughed at this subject, calling myself a "baby making machine", but now I'm kind of tired of the joke. YES, I am about to have 3 little ones, and it feels just about right, thank you. If you act like this is the end of the world as we know it, then you have not known the wrath of a nesting, hormonal and swelled up pregnant woman.

Nesting Pregzilla

I've been meaning to blog for days but can't seem to think straight enough to compose a post. I mean, not that my brain has been top notch throughout this pregnancy, but lately I've reached new shades of crazy. 

For starters, I cry for EVERYTHING. If I can't find something I'm looking for and desperately need, if Andrew throws his toothbrush in an unreachable place for the millionth time, or if the lady on "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" talks about how she really didn't know she was pregnant :). In other words, I'm a mess.

But there's a silver lining to this mess. It's like, the reason for my breakdowns is that I'm hyper sensitive, which makes good moments that much more wonderful. I can cry out of happiness and then out of desperation within a matter of hours (or minutes). The thought even crossed my mind that I might be bipolar, but one look down my bulging belly reminds me of the culprit :). 

An example - after waiting FOREVER to be seen at the eye doctor, I grabbed my prescription for now triple-vision glasses (gosh, I feel like an old lady) and headed to the store next door. There, they took another eternity, and then after everything was finally ready to go, I was reminded that it'll take a WHOLE WEEK before I can see straight again. I'd forgotten I've been spoiled by those "glasses in 2 hours" kind of stores, and that literally broke my heart. Having waited now about 2 hours total, I decided to just bite the bullet and do it. But this was enough to excuse myself to the restroom and just cry my eyes out. You'd think they'd just shot my puppy.

Now, interesting thing is, I had a GREAT rest of the night lol. Of course I didn't bounce back immediately, but dinner at Johnny Carino's, followed by 2 Cadbury eggs in front of the TV was all I needed. The world was nice again :). I even had a good night of sleep and woke up feeling better than I had in awhile. I guess at this point my brain is starting to figure out that my usual impression that the world is ending shouldn't be taken all that seriously.

I called this post "Nesting Pregzilla" because I think the core reason for my craziness (aside from fluctuating hormones) is that I REALLY want to get ready for this baby. I wish I had unlimited money to just go on a shopping spree. The possibilities of what I could want/need once Holly comes makes me feel ADD - like, there's always something else to do, something else I should be taking care of. 

And it annoys me that the world isn't as crazy! :) That no one is seeing the urgent, life-or-death need for me to decorate the nursery right now. Or keep the house spotless and the kids behaving perfectly so I'll know for sure I'm ready for Holly. I realize this doesn't make too much sense (I mean, WHEN are the house and the kids going to be perfect??), but even that rationalization annoys me too lol.

So in the spirit of my nesting hunger, here's the wallpaper and paint to go on Holly's room (only one wall will have wallpaper, the rest will be painted):

As you can sort of tell, they haven't been purchased yet. I chose them before going to Brazil, and now that I'm back I can't wait to start this thing already! Life's just been too busy, and we still need to measure the room's walls. But at least I know what's chosen. If I hadn't, who knows, I might've been even crazier, and that's not good for anybody :).