Eight Months Today

Let's start with Sweet Pea.
According to all the online information about 32 weeks pregnant, she is about 17 inches long and weighs almost four pounds! Our little blossom is already four pounds. She has started breathing motions to prepare for birth and her immune system is still developing. All five senses are developed and she has started REM (dream cycle) sleep. What could she be dreaming about?
She has certainly developed a sleep-wake pattern now. She responds the most to music and hot sweet drinks like our favorite hot chocolate. I absolutely love when she stretches out her legs and keeps them stretched for a few seconds. I just rub what I believe are her little feet (could be hands, but I think feet) and I just imagine her in my arms doing this. She's had some pretty strong hiccups lately and I know it's normal & healthy, but a part of me just wants to comfort her through them.
Her room is all finished except for one more piece that is currently being made and should be ready around Christmas time. She has so many books and I can't wait to read to her daily.
I have played this Christmas song for her several times, and each time she wiggles and dances around in response. I was at the Lancome counter on Monday and the lady helping me asked when I was due. I told her February first,  she said "oh just imagine next Christmas!" and I smiled HUGE and said "we talk about it often!" And she just looked at me in the sweetest way and said "I just got chills all over!" I've always felt connected to strangers, but this pregnancy has taken the feminine connection up many levels and I'm just grateful for all beautiful souls I get to meet in this world.
We booked our photographer to do our maternity photos at 36 weeks! I'm probably going to be huge by then; we were planning to skip the maternity session until we talked to a photographer that was referred to us and she offers a package that includes it. Now we are on the calendar for the first week of January. I've already started to plan her newborn photos that will be taken at our home a week or so after her birthday.





What's going on with me?
I still feel GREAT, I still feel better than I ever did before I was pregnant and dealing with endometriosis pain. This isn't to say I haven't been dealing with changes, but they've all been noticed and gratefully accepted.
I finally got my acid reflux under control. My doctor suggested I try a new over-the-counter drug that I take only once a day and since I started taking it I've had zero issues! I was very hesitant to take it because I don't like the idea of taking drugs while growing a baby, but since he suggested it and it's helped tremendously I'm going to stick with it until she's born.
My belly button is still in and I'm starting to think it won't be popping out. The only stretch marks I have are from high school when I went through a growth spurt in height and hips. If only I would have been using Vitamin E oil or lotion then I probably wouldn't have them. I've read articles saying that lotions and oils don't help prevent stretch marks, that it's genetic and if a woman is going to get them there is nothing she can do about it, and I completely disagree with them. I've been using Burt's Bee Mama Bee Vitamin E oil since I got pregnant and I know it's helping my skin stretch without stretch marks. I also know I'm capable of getting stretch marks because I got them in high school. I'll be teaching our baby girl about the benefits of taking care of her skin very early on.
My ankles get a little swollen at the end of the day (especially if I've been in heels) and my wedding ring is usually pretty tight when I go to take it off before bed. I drink water all day long and I know its helping.
I drink Citrucel almost daily to keep regular in the bathroom. And my boobs are leaking, that actually started months ago, but it's way more frequent now. I get excited about it and I find it beautifully natural.
All that I just shared wasn't the most glamorous, but quite honestly I've never felt more beautiful and blessed in my entire life. I feel so very comfortable in my skin now and I've waited a very long time to experience this. I can't help but love all that my body is doing to grow our daughter.
I've watched some YouTube videos by Ina May and about hypno-birthing. I've also read that women with endometriosis have an easier time dealing with the pain of contractions. They've developed coping skills for the pain that some women have never experienced in their life before pregnancy. Some women have even said that endometriosis pain is worse than contractions (up until the transition period) and that labor is better because you know you'll get a break between contractions and there is a great reward at the end. I pray about our labor and delivery often and I also pray that my endometriosis is healing during this pregnancy as I've read it can.






Ryan got me a new bag for Christmas that I'll pack for the hospital at the end of this month. I'm going to get our baby girl's bag and Ryan's all ready too. I keep thinking about everything we need to take and it's going to look like we are going to Hawaii if I keep adding items to the list to pack!


Ryan is going to be the best daddy, well he already is. I just adore his excitement and connection to us as we await our daughter's arrival. He travels often for work and after next week he'll be home until her arrival. We don't want to risk him being across the country when I go into labor and it gives me a whole lot of peace of mind knowing he'll be here for the end of this third trimester. He'll also be home for the first few weeks after we get home from the hospital. I've already assigned him diaper duty for those two weeks and he happily accepted the role. He said he got butterflies in his stomach when I was talking about it. Our little girl is very lucky to have him for her daddy, I know how lucky I am to call him my husband, and I cannot wait to witness their father-daughter bond.


Thanks for following along on our journey to our daughter. With just eight more weeks until her due date I'm starting to cherish every hour of the day and while I'm so excited to hold her in my arms, I know I'm going to miss this bump.

I'm going to close this post with some of my favorite baby Etsy shops.

I ordered a set of bows from here.
The dolls from this shop are simply beautiful.
My sister just discovered this whimsical shop with handcrafted PASTEL wooden toys.
This shop has the best floral boppy covers.

Merry Christmas, with love xo
Wen