Just a Spectacular Weekend

We were blessed to have my mom and her husband come down Friday through Sunday. They're promising to move here in 3 years (quit playing games with my heart, Mom. Nothing's stopping you from moving sooner! Well maybe my brother graduating in 3 years, but that's just a minor detail.) Anna loved spending time with her Mami and Paul-Paul and I loved seeing them love on our little girl. There's something special about your own Mom loving on your daughter. It reminded me that the love I have for Anna is the same love my mom has for me. I can't even imagine the love I'll have for this girl when she's my age now. Wow! That's a lot of love going around! And then a grandma's love is just something else, there's nothing like it. Three years can't come soon enough!

not the best quality but it'll do :)

We had Monday to just the three of us and it was glorious! While we LOVE having guests, especially family, it was nice to just have a day to ourselves. We decided to spend Memorial Day hiking at Crowders Mountain State Park. This was my third time to Crowders (first and second) and Anna's second hiking experience. We knew it'd be better than my second time considering I'm not 5+ months pregnant but with Anna not sleeping like she was at 8 weeks old hiking in Yosemite, we weren't sure how the day was going to pane out. We should've had an idea what kind of day it was going to look like knowing Anna hates being in her ergo carrier. I guess I was hoping for just one day she'd have a change of heart and enjoy being strapped onto me or her father. Nope.

This is how it started. She didn't seem to mind hanging on Daddy's back.

Yeah, that lasted about 2.5 seconds. Five minutes in and she was not having it. Travis even said, "it's not too late to turn back now." Seriously? No, we are making it to the top of this mountain even if we have a screaming baby! So a screaming baby in an ergo turned into this:

We made it to the top with Travis either carrying Anna on his shoulders or on her stomach in his arms, but most importantly she was smiling and not crying! Mommy and Daddy were happy too (relieved is more like it!)

At one point on the way down I had to put Anna back in the ergo because Travis and I both needed our hands free to climb off of some pretty big rocks. She fussed at first but then it turned into a hum--not a get me out of here hum, more like an I want to hear myself hum. I started quietly singing "she'll be coming around the mountain when she comes"; not sure why, it just seemed fitting being up on a mountain and all. And wouldn't you know it, this happened:

Break out the Hallelujah chorus!!! But only in a whisper because we've got a light sleeper on our hands (or in the carrier, rather).  

Would you just look at those eyelashes? Just look at them! 

She stayed like this for most of the way down before she awoke and then didn't want to have anything to do with the ergo once again. With about a half a mile to spare Travis took her on his shoulders or in his arms after his shoulders started throbbing until we finally reached our car. Phew, what a day! A spectacular day really. It's our life now, to tote around a child. We're not as free as we used to be--not that it's taken me 8 months to realize, I realized it much sooner. I'm constantly reminded of how our lives have changed whenever we do anything that seemed so easy before Anna came. But it's a good GREAT life, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Hiking as a family of three beats hiking just the two of us any day!

Ruta-whata? and Father's Day Surprises

Have I mentioned that my sister, Emily, will be attending college at UNC-Charlotte come this fall, which is less than 20 minutes away from us?! This is such exciting news! Besides the fact that she'll be so close to us while the rest of my family lives 7 hours away, I now get to have another sister live by me while she attends college--Stefanie lived less than a mile from me while she attended Anderson University in Indiana. This makes my heart so happy! And having a very special aunt who will love her and spoil her makes Juice Drop very happy too :) I'm so excited that my family is here in Charlotte this week while Emily attends orientation! On Thursday we'll all head down to our old vacation spot in Ft. Myers, Florida for some much needed family time and sprucing up Grandma's house to rent out. Here's to hoping 11 hours in a car will all be worth it!

How far along? 27 weeks 

Total weight gain: last week's appointment was 19 lbs but I'm SURE I've gained a few more pounds since then

Maternity clothes? Most of the time

Stretch marks? No :)

Sleep: Good, not great 

Best moment this week: Celebrating Father's Day with my baby's Daddy :) even though it led to major Braxton Hicks--see below, and my family getting into town and being able to feel Juice Drop!

Miss Anything? Being able to hike 5 miles with ease

Movement: Yep! And she did this crazy move the other day where I felt like my stomach was having a seizure--read that it was hiccups :)

Food cravings: Junk, junk, and more junk!

Anything making you queasy or sick: No

Gender: GIRL!!!

Labor Signs: Crazy Braxton Hicks! see below

Symptoms: Rib pain after eating and when sitting too long, heartburn, back pain started up this week and it's not fun at all, have I mentioned Braxton Hicks? 

Belly Button in or out? Outie 

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Very Happy! 

Looking forward to: Spending the week with my family in Florida! This will be the first time I've visited where I grew up going on vacation in 8 years and I'm so happy Travis gets to go and experience the Vinsel family traditions :)

Father's Day was very special this year. Even though our Juice Drop isn't here just yet, we still celebrated Travis being a first time Daddy. I planned out the whole day full of surprises complete with a french toast breakfast, a hike at Crowders Mountain State Park, and finally a fancy dinner at Basil Thai Cuisine--Travis' new love is pad thai :)

Eye spy with my little eye something camouflaged with the branch! Do you see it?

Let me just say, going on a 5 mile hike at 6 1/2 months pregnant is probably not the best idea. I thought I would be fine, you know, drink plenty of water, take my time, stop to pee if I had to--there was no chance of that with all the traffic along the trails, so I ended up having to hold my pee for 4 hours!

About half way through we took another trail back because we heard it was about a mile shorter--thank God!

Above: this is my face when I had to go to pee within the first mile of the hike
Below: this is my face when I thought about all the steps I was going to have to climb at our half way point--about 3 hours in

Can we just talk for a minute about Braxton Hicks and the fact that I thought I was going to go into pre-term labor right there in the middle of the forest? So after researching I learned that I pretty much did everything I could to bring on these wonderful false labor contractions. This is what I found from thebump.com:

How did I get Braxton Hicks contractions?

They’re just a normal part of pregnancy. The tightness you feel in your uterus during a Braxton Hicks contraction comes from the tensing of the muscles in your uterus. Being really active, a full bladder, sex and dehydration can all trigger Braxton Hicks contractions.

Ok, so check, check, check, and uh, yep, check...I wasn't too concerned until I was still having these quite frequently on Monday as well. I thought about calling my doctor but after I took a chill pill, put my feet up, and drank about a gallon of water the contractions started to mellow out. I would have to say I learned my lesson and will not be taking any strenuous hikes until after Juice Drop arrives! Phew!

We were almost too pooped after the hike to go to dinner. Travis later told me if it wouldn't have been a surprise he would've rather stayed home but after finding out where we were going and that this restaurant offered his new favorite delicacy he was all in. What a great ending to a perfect rousing day!  

Next week I venture into the 3rd Trimester!!!

P.S. What's a rutabega?! ;)

Orange you glad I posted again?!

Ok, a little lame but how could I not resist having the title be something that involved the Knock, Knock joke when my little Juice Drop is the size of an orange this week?! 

How far along? 15 Weeks 

Total weight gain: still don't have a scale so I have no idea...mission this week: to buy a scale!

Maternity clothes? just my leggings so far, hopefully I can get started on those dresses soon though, with these 80 degree days the leggings are not going to cut it for much longer

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep: crazy dreams--they're either half awake/half asleep dreams or dreams within a dream...Inception!

Best moment this week: getting to have Stef and Zak (sis and bro) visit before Stef takes off for her 6 month excursion and mission work with YWAM--hopefully she'll be back just in time to see Juice Drop come 

Miss Anything? my other sister Emily not being able to visit this time around :(

Movement: not yet, hopefully soon though!

Food cravings: candy...Easter's killing me! Travis and I agree Easter is better than Halloween for us with the Starburst jelly beans, Reese's eggs, Robin's Eggs, and PEEPS! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: nope

Gender: don’t know yet--everyone thinks it's a girl, but Travis and I really believe it's a boy

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: super tired! I feel like I've done a trimester reversal--I had all the energy in the world my first trimester and since last week I can't keep my eyes open by the afternoon! 

Belly Button in or out? In--it's starting to stretch though :)

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY! 
Looking forward to: spending the rest of the week with Stef and Zak :) 

Nothing's better than spending time with family with a beautiful scenery as your backdrop! When we have family visit we love taking them to see the sights of the Carolinas especially since us mid-westerns are only used to seeing cornfields and cows. While Travis finished his last day on the men's retreat for the Charlotte Eagles soccer team I took Stef and Zak to the closest mountain to Charlotte and surprisingly it was an amazing hike and had a beautiful look out! Check out our Wednesday at Crowder's Mountain State Park!

Stef decided it was the perfect setting to do yoga

Beautiful sister, beautiful view

He has found his throne :)

Oh sisters! We're missing one more, we love you Emi! 

Zak being the gentleman and standing at the bottom to catch me

Triple decker Peanut Butter Sangie

Plain Jane PBJ :)

Have a great week everybody! We sure will!