This morning my niece and I made a gingerbread house with her kindergarten class. I hadn't thought about it until my drive home, but I had never made a gingerbread house before today. I have no idea how I got to be this age without ever making one, but I'm grateful that my first time doing it was with a bunch of adorable little girls and boys.


It was funny to watch the little boys eagerly eat all the candy while the little girls rushed to decorate their homes! I overheard the dad next to us tell his son, "not bad for a boy!" when they finished their project. Of course in this day and age we have to be careful with stereotyping "boys and girls" but the reality in our little group of five was that the boys were more interested in eating the treats while the girls were certainly more concerned with making the cutest gingerbread home! And trust me, Addy-boo and I took this project very seriously.

We started with just a chocolate milk carton that had graham crackers glued to each side. A container of Betty Crocker vanilla icing and a big tray of colorful candy and treats.


Addy did a wonderful job of decorating every angle of her house and she had a detailed plan for each side. The gumdrops were the chimneys (she had three) and the M&Ms made the front door. The white pretzels along the edge made for the snow that cushioned the house.


The little boy in front of us didn't have a visitor to help him. He kind of latched on to us and I offered to help as I could, but he was enjoying the peppermints and candied pretzels far more than he was interested in any help on his house. I stood up to help Addy go across the cafeteria so we could photograph her finished gingerbread house and I could hear the little boy yelling across the room, "ARE YOU PREGNANT. HEY, ARE YOU PREGNANT?" I was giggling inside, planning to respond to his sweet question once we got back to the table.




When we got back to the table this little boy's eyes were huge with interest about my belly. He asked yet again if I was pregnant. I responded and simply said "yes!" He then went on to tell me that his mom used to be pregnant. It was a bit chaotic in the cafeteria with all the little ones and their chitter chatter. I couldn't really talk to him about it as much as I would have liked. The next thing I know he's pointing at me, I'd describe it as a TRUMP STYLE waving of his arm as he used his pointer finger to direct all the attention to my belly as he yells "YOU ARE SANTA CLAUSE!" At this point I'm having a hard time not laughing, all the while my niece is defending me saying "no she's not, that's a baby girl in there!" The moms around us were trying to tell him to stop, but I truly thought it was the most adorable thing ever. And my hubby just told me I looked like Santa Clause on Sunday so it wasn't a big surprise to be compared to the jolly old man. The little boy stopped giving me his attention for a good 30 seconds. I could tell he was still pondering what to say to me next. He was simply fascinated by my round belly, and I wanted to pick him up, hug him tight, and tell him how much I understand his curiosity. The next question out of his little mouth was, "well do you have a pillow in there then?" Before I could even answer him my niece was yet again there to help with the conversation, she said "no it's a BABY G-I-R-L!" Her tone of voice implied 'I already told you this once.' Things were wrapping up at this point and I was giving Addy kisses goodbye and thanking her for having me. I was walking her to the classroom line when he came up to me again. It was truly one of the most adorable moments of my pregnancy. He stopped right in front of my belly, looked up at me with his big brown eyes, and said "I want to rub her. Can I rub your baby girl?" Then this little soul rubbed my belly with the tiniest and most curious hands. It was such a special moment because his interest was very innocent yet deeply inquisitive. I'm not sure if he's still trying to wrap his brain around how a baby grows inside a mommy, or if he already understood the concept and was simply being cute. Either way it was a moment I want to remember forever. I have a feeling he's going to grow up to be one amazing daddy someday.



This one hour of my life with my precious little niece was a moment I'll cherish forever. I feel grateful to be so close to my nieces and nephew and I definitely look forward to days at the school with our little sweet pea!

Merry Christmas xo
Wen

Good morning!

If you're counting down to Christmas day we've only got 14 more days to go. I often turn to Pinterest for daily inspiration and that is no different for holiday cheer. I've got an entire Christmas board with ideas that I want to do someday, from Christmas lollipops to tabletop decor.

Here are a few of my favorites that definitely make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. You can follow my boards here and my Christmas board here.








I'm thinking about making these lollipops for all the kiddos to enjoy on Christmas day.

If you want make your house smell like Christmas give this idea a whirl. I did a version of this last year and it did smell delightful!

Here are eight stylish Christmas wrapping paper ideas. My favorite is the artsy one with the white splattered paint.

This Christmas song is breathtaking!



Have a weekend of Christmas cheer! xo

Wen

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

I've got all the emotions flowing lately. Saturday morning I read our pregnancy announcement post that I shared back in July. What we went through to get pregnant is always on my mind and in my heart.  I'm always grateful and aware of what a gift she is to us, but it was nice to read what I'd shared all over again. There were so many miracles and signs from above that lead us to our baby girl and I think that I'm really getting back to that spiritual intuitive state again as we get closer and closer to meeting her earth side. I think about our labor and I pray about it often. I hope and dream it to be as miraculous as our wedding day and the day that we did the IVF transfer of our golden embryo that is now our unborn daughter. I think about my grandma that went to Heaven last year, and I think about how her tender loving angelic presence will be with us as we bring our daughter into this world.

The miracle of growing a baby in the womb cannot be put into words. All I can say is that I'm trying my very hardest to bottle up all the moments of awe and inspiration. I'm trying to document with photos and writings so that I can tell our little girl how much we loved & dreamed of her from literally Day One of her life.




On Saturday night Ryan and I took a tour of our hospital maternity ward and we did all the pre-registration paperwork. On the way there Ryan said, "and you're going to have MY baby!" and I remember my heart feeling like it was going to explode with happiness and I reached over for his warm hand and I thanked God. Walking around the hospital and looking in the labor & delivery room made it all feel even more real. There are times this all feels like a dream. Ryan and I have talked about her birthday often, and he knows my dreams and goals for the day. We also know that the ultimate importance is that our daughter and myself are healthy. We plan to pray and go with the flow. It'll be only him and me in the labor and delivery room. We want a quiet and peaceful energy. And just like this pregnancy, I plan to take it all in. I know he'll be amazing and supportive!


This Wednesday I'll be eight months pregnant. And that means only eight more weeks until her due date. Ryan is so cute. He already has a specific day, date, and time that he thinks I'll go into labor, along with a guess for the time she'll be born. On the way home from the hospital he told me to put his guess on the calendar. And so there on our Google calendar is a possible birthday for our daughter. I hope he's right because he's thinking a short labor. Everyone is guessing her size and amount of hair. Of course, with my awful acid reflux the guess is that she'll have a significant layer of dark hair. We shall see if the old wives tale, that was scientifically proven to be true, is accurate in our case.



Sunday morning we hung her adorable mobile above the crib. Then we sat in her nursery and Ryan played songs on his phone and we talked about the playlist we need to get ready for labor & delivery. I said I want a lot of hippie music, along with gospel and classical. I don't know why, but I think the hippie music will help me tune into my inner natural strength.

Sunday night we had our first Christmas party of the season. All my little nieces were rubbing my belly and although Sweet Pea was kicking and moving around before I showed them where to put their little hands, she'd stop. I think she has shy side and wonders who the heck all these people are that like to touch her through my skin. She has a whole gang of cousins anxiously waiting to love on her! She is loved and spoiled already.

Merry Christmas, with much love xo
Wen

p.s. this little snuggle bug must know there's a baby on the way because she's taken her cuteness up a level!