Saturday, May 21, 2016
May 10th, 2016 -- 30 Weeks!!! OMG ALREADY?!!?
Best takes ... but little did you know that these shots are usually a result of the below :D
It absolutely shocks me that I am already at 30 weeks. Time has seriously FLOWN by!!
..and I still don't feel that pregnant -
Let's recount the Pregnant 'things' I haven't felt yet:
- My sense of smell is normal (which if you know me means I dont have one..)
- I have not been eating more/less then expected.. sometimes I get hungry out of no-where, but full way faster
- I can still tie my shoes
- I still somehow end up sleeping on my back
- I don't have swollen feet.. or anything
- I can still SEE my feet
- I fit into most of my same clothes - though I admit this is likely the last week of this
- No veiny legs
- No crampy legs
- No stretch marks
- My boobs are bigger.. but not.. huge (which I prefer! we'll see how long that lasts)
- I can still do all my yoga moves in class - besides inversion.. I dont try it. Too risky
- I'm still squatting a good 95-100lbs :)
Yeah!! I pretty much feel normal!
It's awkward when I get in the car and realize dang this belly is really close to the steering wheel. And when I put on a cute dress that fits well except for the fact that my belly in front hikes it about 5 inches shorter than normal - - no longer work appropriate :(
Some little things are really funny actually :)
Like seeing my frontal view in a black skirt and then slowly turning sideways - its like a real life Magic TRICK!!
ANYWAYS, I AM LOVING BEING PREGNANT. I feel like .. the same .. but extra SPECIAL every time I feel a kick and remember --
Oh Yeah! There's a Human a-brewin' in there! "Hello there, my lil' baby girrrl!" <3
She gets extra excited when I lay down to bed, and starts jumping like crazy. Nobie thinks it's because she enjoys finally being able to move when she wants and not being tossed around with every bump and jump my uber-active self still puts her through, ahah! Maybe :P
Either way, I am sooooo excited to meet you little Olive!!
But now I'm starting to stress out about ... not enjoyyyying my pregnancy enough. I have 7-10 weeks left. I have only 3 weeks left of work. Time to plan what I'll do with my ZEN pre-baby-biggg-belly time.
The schedule will be included in the next post ;)
The schedule will be included in the next post ;)
Diana's Baby Shower - April 23rd, 2016 (28 weeks!)
Thank you to my wonderful sisters, Jenny and Sandra, for hosting the most beautiful, unforgettable baby shower to celebrate baby Olive. I feel overwhelmingly blessed to have such a amazing family and to have had the opportunity to celebrate and be "showered" by so many wonderful people back in Chicago.
The party was one to remember and the pictures were gorgeously captured by Nobie's sister Bridget* (thank yoU!!). I am soooo tremendously thankful to everyone who attended!! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it all and appreciated everything. Thank you for your smiles, kisses, hugs, and enormous amounts of love!!
Thursday, May 12, 2016
April 8th - Baby Preppin' Ain't EASY!! Week 27
After our adventure in Alaska.. I had about a week to recover (and do a bit of work.. ) before heading out to Chicago for A LOT of Family & Baby shower time.
This is just about how much energy I had...
The GREAT ALASKAN **BABYMOON** ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!!! @ 26 weeks!!!!!!!
March 31st - April 4th 2016
Nobie & Diana's Babymoon in Alaska!
At 25 weeks Nobie and I decided to take a break from the Silicon Valley world and enjoy pre-baby adventure to remember.
We had originally planned to take the typical 'babymoon- rest&relaxation vacation"... but that just isn't our style!
As Pregnant as I was, am, I feel more agile than ever!! I feel like I could seriously kick some butt if I wanted to - so why not take on the rocky terrains, glaciery peaks, and star filled skies of North America's "Last Frontier"?
We headed out on our adventure on May 31st - April 4th. A whole five days in the tundras!!
Originally we had the hope to possibly catch the famous, bucket-list-kicking, aurora borealis northern lights -- but a-las. They are very rare to see ;/ .. so instead we set out with no expectations on the green skies and decided rather to focus our trip on finding a little piece of paradise, nestling in with the locals to hear stories of life in the Arctic Circle, eat some game meat and a whole lot of Alaskan wild caught salmon, and maybe just maybeee find some MOOSE!!
We did all this and MORE!!!!
Day #1. Fairbanks, Alaska -
Car Rental:
The first of many series of "wins" (as Nobie and I like to call them) on this adventure was a HUGE and 100% satisfactory FREE upgrade on our rental vehicle at the airport. The Alamo clerk asked if we wouldn't mind the in-convenience of a truck instead of our scheduled compact car...
Moose Manor Bed & Breakfast:
We settled in truthfully the best bed and breakfast in not just Fairbanks, but I would argue all of Alaska. The hosts at Moose Manor were exceptionally hospitable, tremendously friendly, knowledgeable, and their home was a delightfully cozy Alaskan gem. Fairbanks is the northern most populated city where we hoped to catch the aurora. Since Nobie and my intention on traveling to Alaska was try out an adventure outside the typical beach/big city vacation, we spent a ton of time with host Tammie and her husband who welcomed us as family and fascinated us with stories of Alaska's history and culture. They were eager to share of local life and wilderness encounters with bears and moose!! It was called Moose Manor, after all.
We loved it! Their accommodations were hotel-grade and the breakfast was sensational!!
Hilariously enough, the night we settled in we caught a Moose in the backyard of the manor!
The Aurora viewing from this house could've been spectacular-- as seen here from another guest who captured it on his fancy camera:
Truly a one-of-a-kind find :) We will definitely visit them again!
Day #2. Fairbanks, Alaska -
North Pole, Alaska - Santaland!
I bet you didn't know that there exists a city called "The North Pole".
I also bet you wouldn't guess that a man by the name of Santa Clause lives there with a whole batch of reindeer outside of his snow-covered house.
It was a total touristy thing, but of course we went!!
Who wouldn't want to see Santa and his reindeer!
Chena Hot Springs Resort:
So the Alaska trip was a testament to how I was not going to be your average, cough American cough, pregnant woman. I went on a 27 mile hike at 13 weeks didn't I? And in Alaska there is nothing but adventure. So we weren't going to say no to these natural, magical, mineral-filled, dream waters. People come from VERY far away to bathe in the miracle waters of Chena Hot Springs.
Don't worry I definitely did my research before hiking up the hour long drive to this place. The resort carefully measures the water temperature and I stayed clear from any areas above 100degrees :).
But it was so wonderful being in the chilly cold outside air and in the steamy wilderness waters.
Fairbanks Visiter's Center:
At the recommendation of our wonderful hosts, Nobie and I ventured to the visitors center to learn a little more about our Alaskan surroundings.
Wouldn't you know that the very same day at the very same hour that we walked in, little old Fairbanks was hosting a LIVE owl exhibition on the owls of Alaska! (meant for little kids.. but Nobie is OBSESSED with owls!!! - it's his spirit animal. Mine is the Crow, apparently)
WINs #2
Day #3. Palmer, Alaska -
We left Fairbanks very very early on day #3 and arrived in Anchorage. As soon as we landed, we ventured into the beautiful snow-covered peaks surrounding the gorgeous city - though, in a vastly incomparable nissan sedan.... missing our massive 4x4 Toyota truck dearly :(
Stop #1 for Anchorage was a pre-scheduled Alaskan Horseback riding adventure at 2pm. With plenty of time to spare we headed on out to explore where the wind would take us on such a beautiful, sunny, clear day.
Vagabond Cafe - Palmer, Alaska:
We arrived in the cutest, dream-like town of Palmer, Alaska. Talk about paradise. I could imagine myself retiring here.
We very much enjoyed Vagabond Blues cafe! It was like one of the hidden gems that you remember when thinking back on a weekend in Alaska. Nobie and I just happened to drive through Palmer, found it so cute and delightful, and the ambiance was warm, casual, and very much what we were looking for.
We stayed there for lunch. I was very surprised by the variety of food they offered, and they carried a huge selection of gluten free baked goods which Nobie was thankful for.
Livery Stables Horseback Adventure:
Win #3 was by far the most unexpected -
1. Turns out the owner of the stables accidentally scheduled us for the next day, so he wasn't even planning to come to the stables, but agreed to honor our schedule and allow us to ride.
2. The moment we arrived, wouldn't you know that one of his 2 pregnant horses decides... hmmm. I think now that Diana and Nobie are around, I think it's time for me to have my baby :)
Had we not asked him to ride on this particular Sunday, he would have missed it!! Witnessing baby horse births are apparently very rare! Mothers like to do it in complete private and this would be his first time as an owner being present for a birth! (us too!!)
3. We got to be the 3rd and 4th humans this little creature met on this Earth!! How wonderful :)
4. After all was done we got to enjoy the epic views of the snow capped surrounding mountains on a clear blue sky, sunny day in Alaska! Talk about a treat!
F-Street Station Bar - Late-night eating:
Ravenous!! We scavenged the streets of Anchorage downtown trying to find ANYTHING that was serving food close to 11pm on a Sunday. To our amazing rescue came THIS BAR! It probably was the only thing open, BUT it 100% did not disappoint. I enjoyed it so much I would've come back on any day of the week.
The crowd was fun, the waitresses and bar staff were gritty, rude, but surprisingly great chefs! The food was fantastic! Sadly I didnt catch a photo of it! All that I did manage to capture was the very awkward block of CHEESE sitting at the door begging people to eat but warning no one to attempt.
The atmosphere was what we were looking for and we ended up going again the following day for our last-night-in-Alaska good time :)
Day #4. Anchorage, Alaska -
Matanuska Glacier walking tour - Salmon Berry Tours:
We booked this tour on a whim to see if we could pack in a full day Alaskan adventure into our short 2 day stay in Anchorage. Booking with Salmon Berry Tours, our guide was tremendously hospitable, delightfully friendly, knowledgeable, and the full 2 hour drive to our destination was complete with fascinating stories of Alaska's history, culture, and detailed background on how the glacier filled terrain came to be. Our host also entertained us with endless stories of local life and wildlife encounters.
The van picked us up at our hotel in Anchorage at 8:30am. When we arrived to the glacier we were joined by 8 other tourists for the glacier walk. I felt like an absolute badass on the glacier.. you know 26 weeks pregnant and all! The tour definitely required climbing ability. At points you needed to be agile enough to climb steep ice hills. It helped that they fixed our shows with super cool ice hook clasps to keep us from falling ;).
Th views were spectacular and we caught enough awe inspiring photos to last an Alaskan adventure of a life time - before baby!
After the 4-5 hour glacier walk, our tour guide drove us to back up the low peak to dine at a restaurant nestled with the most amazing view of the glacier we just climbed. We were able to enjoy a delicious bison burger and wild salmon salad -- AND the best blueberry pie - ala mode of my life!
Nobie & Diana's Babymoon in Alaska!
At 25 weeks Nobie and I decided to take a break from the Silicon Valley world and enjoy pre-baby adventure to remember.
We had originally planned to take the typical 'babymoon- rest&relaxation vacation"... but that just isn't our style!
As Pregnant as I was, am, I feel more agile than ever!! I feel like I could seriously kick some butt if I wanted to - so why not take on the rocky terrains, glaciery peaks, and star filled skies of North America's "Last Frontier"?
We headed out on our adventure on May 31st - April 4th. A whole five days in the tundras!!
Originally we had the hope to possibly catch the famous, bucket-list-kicking, aurora borealis northern lights -- but a-las. They are very rare to see ;/ .. so instead we set out with no expectations on the green skies and decided rather to focus our trip on finding a little piece of paradise, nestling in with the locals to hear stories of life in the Arctic Circle, eat some game meat and a whole lot of Alaskan wild caught salmon, and maybe just maybeee find some MOOSE!!
We did all this and MORE!!!!
Day #1. Fairbanks, Alaska -
Car Rental:
The first of many series of "wins" (as Nobie and I like to call them) on this adventure was a HUGE and 100% satisfactory FREE upgrade on our rental vehicle at the airport. The Alamo clerk asked if we wouldn't mind the in-convenience of a truck instead of our scheduled compact car...
Look at the MAN!!!!! Nobie was absolutely beaming!! :D
What Nobie dooooesn't want you to know.. is that maybe 20 minutes after driving it out of the lot, it got a flat tire. Perhaps a coincidence? Maybe just bad luck? Maybe Nobie just sucks at driving??Ego killer- per say.. perhaps?
Either way I had a good laugh - and we just drove it back to the airport.. only to get it replaced (free) for an even NEWER, LARGER, more badass truck.
Pahh - I can't even make this up.
It was ok though. We quickly got distracted by the beautiful views and the delicious wild smoked salmon jerky we bought by the arm full :)
Moose Manor Bed & Breakfast:
We settled in truthfully the best bed and breakfast in not just Fairbanks, but I would argue all of Alaska. The hosts at Moose Manor were exceptionally hospitable, tremendously friendly, knowledgeable, and their home was a delightfully cozy Alaskan gem. Fairbanks is the northern most populated city where we hoped to catch the aurora. Since Nobie and my intention on traveling to Alaska was try out an adventure outside the typical beach/big city vacation, we spent a ton of time with host Tammie and her husband who welcomed us as family and fascinated us with stories of Alaska's history and culture. They were eager to share of local life and wilderness encounters with bears and moose!! It was called Moose Manor, after all.
We loved it! Their accommodations were hotel-grade and the breakfast was sensational!!
Hilariously enough, the night we settled in we caught a Moose in the backyard of the manor!
Picture and video here:
The Aurora viewing from this house could've been spectacular-- as seen here from another guest who captured it on his fancy camera:
Truly a one-of-a-kind find :) We will definitely visit them again!
Day #2. Fairbanks, Alaska -
North Pole, Alaska - Santaland!
I bet you didn't know that there exists a city called "The North Pole".
I also bet you wouldn't guess that a man by the name of Santa Clause lives there with a whole batch of reindeer outside of his snow-covered house.
It was a total touristy thing, but of course we went!!
Who wouldn't want to see Santa and his reindeer!
Chena Hot Springs Resort:
So the Alaska trip was a testament to how I was not going to be your average, cough American cough, pregnant woman. I went on a 27 mile hike at 13 weeks didn't I? And in Alaska there is nothing but adventure. So we weren't going to say no to these natural, magical, mineral-filled, dream waters. People come from VERY far away to bathe in the miracle waters of Chena Hot Springs.
Don't worry I definitely did my research before hiking up the hour long drive to this place. The resort carefully measures the water temperature and I stayed clear from any areas above 100degrees :).
But it was so wonderful being in the chilly cold outside air and in the steamy wilderness waters.
Fairbanks Visiter's Center:
At the recommendation of our wonderful hosts, Nobie and I ventured to the visitors center to learn a little more about our Alaskan surroundings.
Wouldn't you know that the very same day at the very same hour that we walked in, little old Fairbanks was hosting a LIVE owl exhibition on the owls of Alaska! (meant for little kids.. but Nobie is OBSESSED with owls!!! - it's his spirit animal. Mine is the Crow, apparently)
WINs #2
The visitors center was fantastic! It included a very nice museum that detailed Alaskan history and Native cultures. I loved it and took photos of everything, of course. Nobie stayed by the owls :P
Day #3. Palmer, Alaska -
We left Fairbanks very very early on day #3 and arrived in Anchorage. As soon as we landed, we ventured into the beautiful snow-covered peaks surrounding the gorgeous city - though, in a vastly incomparable nissan sedan.... missing our massive 4x4 Toyota truck dearly :(
Stop #1 for Anchorage was a pre-scheduled Alaskan Horseback riding adventure at 2pm. With plenty of time to spare we headed on out to explore where the wind would take us on such a beautiful, sunny, clear day.
Vagabond Cafe - Palmer, Alaska:
We arrived in the cutest, dream-like town of Palmer, Alaska. Talk about paradise. I could imagine myself retiring here.
We very much enjoyed Vagabond Blues cafe! It was like one of the hidden gems that you remember when thinking back on a weekend in Alaska. Nobie and I just happened to drive through Palmer, found it so cute and delightful, and the ambiance was warm, casual, and very much what we were looking for.
We stayed there for lunch. I was very surprised by the variety of food they offered, and they carried a huge selection of gluten free baked goods which Nobie was thankful for.
Livery Stables Horseback Adventure:
Win #3 was by far the most unexpected -
1. Turns out the owner of the stables accidentally scheduled us for the next day, so he wasn't even planning to come to the stables, but agreed to honor our schedule and allow us to ride.
2. The moment we arrived, wouldn't you know that one of his 2 pregnant horses decides... hmmm. I think now that Diana and Nobie are around, I think it's time for me to have my baby :)
Had we not asked him to ride on this particular Sunday, he would have missed it!! Witnessing baby horse births are apparently very rare! Mothers like to do it in complete private and this would be his first time as an owner being present for a birth! (us too!!)
3. We got to be the 3rd and 4th humans this little creature met on this Earth!! How wonderful :)
4. After all was done we got to enjoy the epic views of the snow capped surrounding mountains on a clear blue sky, sunny day in Alaska! Talk about a treat!
F-Street Station Bar - Late-night eating:
Ravenous!! We scavenged the streets of Anchorage downtown trying to find ANYTHING that was serving food close to 11pm on a Sunday. To our amazing rescue came THIS BAR! It probably was the only thing open, BUT it 100% did not disappoint. I enjoyed it so much I would've come back on any day of the week.
The crowd was fun, the waitresses and bar staff were gritty, rude, but surprisingly great chefs! The food was fantastic! Sadly I didnt catch a photo of it! All that I did manage to capture was the very awkward block of CHEESE sitting at the door begging people to eat but warning no one to attempt.
Day #4. Anchorage, Alaska -
Matanuska Glacier walking tour - Salmon Berry Tours:
We booked this tour on a whim to see if we could pack in a full day Alaskan adventure into our short 2 day stay in Anchorage. Booking with Salmon Berry Tours, our guide was tremendously hospitable, delightfully friendly, knowledgeable, and the full 2 hour drive to our destination was complete with fascinating stories of Alaska's history, culture, and detailed background on how the glacier filled terrain came to be. Our host also entertained us with endless stories of local life and wildlife encounters.
The van picked us up at our hotel in Anchorage at 8:30am. When we arrived to the glacier we were joined by 8 other tourists for the glacier walk. I felt like an absolute badass on the glacier.. you know 26 weeks pregnant and all! The tour definitely required climbing ability. At points you needed to be agile enough to climb steep ice hills. It helped that they fixed our shows with super cool ice hook clasps to keep us from falling ;).
Th views were spectacular and we caught enough awe inspiring photos to last an Alaskan adventure of a life time - before baby!
ALL in ALL
ALASKA WAS THE ADVENTURE OF A pre-baby LIFETIME!!
We are so happy to have experienced it.. and..
Can't wait to go - HUNTING some ELK, learning to fly PLANES, picking mountains of WILD BERRIES, Chasing down MOOSE, and FISHING to catch WILD RIVER JUMPing SALMON
**ALL with our precious little gem sweetheart baby girl :)**
Can't wait to experience THIS LIFE with you little baby!!!!
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