Hey it's me, V.!

Well, my cousin Evan sends out emails to all his family and friends so I decided I want to blog to everyone! Hello, my name is Virginia Grace and I'm 2 months old today! I am hitting a growth spurt and can no longer wear some of my newborn clothes...yay, I'm a big girl now in 0-3 months clothes!

So far life has been wonderful!!! I like to wiggle around alot and play under my rainforest. I have also started mimicking Mommy and Daddy's faces, trying to talk to them. I must say I make the cutest ahhh's and ohhh's. Mommy and Daddy's faces just light up when I talk to them. I also love to look at lights and shadows. Car rides and strolls are fun too!

I have made a lot of friends so far! William lives next door and he came and brought me some cute clothes. I also met my new friend Elizabeth at a Halloween Party. We hung out together and she was very excited to meet me. I also have some of the coolest cousins: Shelby, Joshua and Evan! They are so much fun and I can't wait to see them at Christmas!

Next week I go for my first immunizations! Mommy says I'm a strong gal, so I should do just fine! :)

Love,
Virginia Grace

A Natural Baby

My Mother would probably say it's fitting that I had a natural childbirth. She refers to me as her "natural" child. I buy organic foods when I can, I like to be outdoors and go hiking and I was even a veggie head for a while before I got pregnant. So, I guess it was only "natural" that I have a natural childbirth! It was really the best decision I could have made. I know it's not for everyone, but it was best for me.

Was it painful? Of course. Was it so horrible that I'd go for drugs next time? Of course NOT! I think I'd be more nervous of having an epidural or pitocin and being chained to the bed, not being able to feel anything than of feeling the contractions without drugs. I will say I probably couldn't have done it without the Bradley classes and me practicing relaxation daily. At the hospital I had my music and really just tuned everything out. Joel was wonderful: holding my hand, walking the halls with me, letting me hang on him and rubbing my back. My friend, Michelle, was there also, getting cool rags for my face and rubbing my back when I needed it.

Really, I just stayed focused and never once looked at the clock. I got to where I could tell when a contraction was coming on. A lot of the pain I felt was in my back, but I would also feel an extreme tightness in my belly at times. It was much easier to get through as long as I kept my breathing nice and slow. There was a time or two when I started to breathe faster and the pain was so much worse. Funny, I just had to let the contraction take over and not try to fight it...let my body do it's thing.

I was in labor over 12 hours. While it did seem long, I wouldn't have guessed it was that long. Miss Virginia was born at 133am and she was very alert and wiggly already! I like to think she didn't have that sleepy baby syndrome because she was drug-free. Also, she was hungry and went right for the breast.

If any of you are thinking about natural childbirth, I say don't listen to those that say you're crazy. Women have been giving birth without drugs and intervention for hundreds of years. Find what works best for you and trust your body! While I was prepared for medical intervention in case of emergency, I am glad everything went great and I got to experience labor in it's most real form...naturally!

Virginia Grace

Hopefully everyone that reads this already knows that Virginia Grace is here! She was born at 1:33am on Sunday, September 14th. She weighed in at 8 lbs. 9 oz. and was 20.5 inches long with a head full of brown hair. She has her Daddy's mouth and my nose! I must say she's the cutest baby I've ever seen! :)

Motherhood is lots of fun, but definitely tiring at times too. We're very lucky though because Miss Virginia is quite a good baby. She loves to snuggle-bug on your shoulder, go for car rides and stroll around the neighborhood. She sleeps with her arms over her head and is the biggest wiggle worm I've ever seen. My family thinks she's so active because she's used to the exercise I did while she was in my belly. She has her alert time every day where her eyes get as big as saucers and she takes in the world around her. She loves to look at mine and her Daddy's faces and study them. She has just recently started to mimic the faces and sounds we make. She tries really hard and sometimes a little "aahhh" comes out...so cute!

At her one month appointment she weighed in at 9 lbs. 5 oz., so she's a growing gal!

Hope my next post won't take a month! :)

39 Weeks: 1 week to go...we hope!

Miss V. is now about the size of a mini watermelon! She's still quite comfy in my belly, but we'll keep everyone posted on when the time comes! The walk-a-thons have started, as I try to walk 2-3 times every day. I feel her lower, but then I look at my belly in the mirror and she still looks fairly high. Who knows, maybe she is just playing games with me. She definitely has a mind of her own and will come when she's ready! :)

I'm getting loads of comments from strangers, family and friends alike- "wow, when are you gonna have that baby already?" or "are you having twins?" or "goodness you are huge; you've really filled out!" Gosh, everyone knows just how to make a preggo lady feel beautiful! At 39 weeks pregnant, all a preggo lady like myself wants to hear is "you're beautiful and you've done such a great job taking care of yourself and baby!" Well, my husband tells me these things; so maybe I should just listen to him! He says I look so big just because I haven't gained a lot of weight elsewhere. I know he has to say it, but I chose to believe his words, true or not! :)

Everything is packed for the hospital and Joel assures me that he has his cell phone on him at all times! Now, we just wait! Patience is not always my best trait, but I know that Virginia will be worth all the waiting! :)

V's Room

Virginia's room is ready and waiting for her! :)

Showered with Love!

Saturday my girlfriends threw a baby shower for Miss V. and me. I have some AWESOME friends; thanks Michelle, Kristy and Kerri Beth! It was at Victoria's; a luncheon spot that has yummy chicken salad and strawberry pretzel salad! It was such a good time and I was very overwhelmed by all the gifts for Virginia! She's loved sooo much already and I know everyone is excited to meet her, as are her Daddy and I! :)

V. got lots of cute clothes, blankets, a baby bjorn, personalized blanket and burp cloth, bottles, monogrammed bag, boppy, baby book, hand-painted china, a cross necklace, thermometer, toys, an umbrella stroller and more! I spent most of the weekend washing everything and organizing the closet and dresser...shew!

Our hospital bag is mostly packed, except for the camera and last minute items. Other than that, we'll be making a few more trips to Babies R Us I'm sure to stock up on baby care items.

Love to All! :)

Surprise, Surprise. Pretty Surprise!

My sister-in-law recently wrote about surprises on her blog, so I thought I'd steal her topic!!! Thanks Kate! :)

So, my office at work planned to all go to lunch this past Thursday for Nicole's birthday! Of course I was in for a birthday lunch celebration! Little did I know that they had been scheming for weeks behind my back to plan a surprise baby shower. I walk into the restaurant and first see one person I recognize. I think to myself..."What a coincidence, Dee's here for lunch too!" Then I look around further and notice that I recognize everyone around me! Of course being the preggo lady, I got choked up! Also, I'm not used to having all eyes on me, so I was very overwhelmed! They had a cupcake cake that was made in the shape of an umbrella; it was so cute! It was nice to see everyone and they were all way too generous! Virginia got lots of cute clothes, toys, a baby monitor and a pack n' play!!! The ladies in my office did an AWESOME job being devious behind my back. They even got in touch with my Moma, so she was there too!

How nice to work with such wonderful and caring people! Guess with Miss V. coming I need to get used to surprises! I'm sure she'll have a lot of those for me and Joel!

:)

Ramble On

Thought I would just do a little ramblin' this Monday morning!

Baby News: We have switched OBs and are VERY happy with our decision! The practice I was in had 7 doctors where you rotate through them. So when it's the big day you just get whoever is on call. Not really my cup of tea. Also, this big practice was a little too move 'em in and herd 'em out kind of place. I never felt like I could really ask questions; always felt rushed. They were nice, but I want to feel comfortable with my OB! So, after some online research and talking with various childbirth educators and doulas around town I decided to have a consultation with Dr. Aguayo, who is the chief of OB at one of the local hospitals. Joel and I met with her and she was so nice and open to my wanting to try for a natural childbirth! She's also very caring and doesn't have her hand on the doorknob waiting to leave! So, we've seen her twice now and are so glad we switched! I think we will both feel more comfortable having her as our doc on V.'s birth day!

Summer Fun: Well, I do my relaxation practice daily and like to pretend I'm on the beach or sailing on the ocean! I can't wait to take V. to experience the water!!! Anyway, since we aren't actually taking any big trips these days, we're finding fun around town. Friday we went to a concert at the botanical garden and it was very beautiful and fun! The band was Mambo Gris Gris, a latin-inspired band. Goodness, V. was dancing all over the place; she liked it a lot! For lunch on Saturday, we ventured out and found a spot called Another Broken Egg and it was delicious! Tonight we are going to a concert at the park to hear a popular local band, Band of Moose. So, nothing too exciting, but fun enough for me! :)

Yes, I said Natural Childbirth!

Saturday morning we spent at our Bradley Childbirth Class, which I am finding very informative and helpful!!! So many people give me that crazy look when I tell them I'm going to try to have a natural childbirth. Are you serious, they say??? YES, I'm gonna try, so don't be so negative. I am prepared for intervention if there is a medical need, otherwise I want to give my body the opportunity to do what nature intended, no pitocin, no c-section, no epidural.

I have faith in my body; I was made to give birth. I've been reading about the mind/body connection and it is quite amazing how much our minds can affect our bodies. If our minds are fearful, our bodies will follow. You are probably thinking, oh, Tonya, come on. I am strong and I at least have the right to try!!! I might change my mind, but I just might surprise you!!!

Sunday afternoon I tried a Yoga for Pregnancy & Childbirth Class at The Yoga Center of Huntsville. I have attempted Yoga in the past and not stuck with it. I tend to favor more "active" type exercises like running or circuit training where you can play loud music, move around a lot and work up a healthy sweat. I decided to give Yoga another try to help me with relaxation and focusing for childbirth. I went and the first few minutes, I was thinking, ok, not coming back. But, by the end of the class I was hooked. I found I have to be in the right mindset- breathe slowly, let go and listen to your body.

So, I am staying positive and practicing my relaxation and exercises daily. In the end a healthy baby is what we want, but there's no harm in trying for a natural childbirth! :)

So, in a nutshell I am trying to say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"! :)

Birthdays & Summer!

We went to St. Louis last weekend for Mom's (my grandmother) 95th birthday party and it was so much fun! The party was awesome and I got choked up a couple times just thinking about how amazing she is...I hope Miss V. has some of her Great Grandma Virginia in her! We also hung out a lot at Aunt Carole's house- the kids played at the park, the men drug out the old Atari and the women chatted! Of course I ate too much, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Ted Drewes frozen custard and birthday cake...yumo! It was a nice visit and hopefully we'll get to see everyone again at Christmas! Oh, I almost forgot- the book was a big hit...shew, pressure off! :)

Joel also had a birthday this week; the BIG 32! It was really three days of celebratory eating: Monday we went out for Italian with my parents. Tuesday Joel and I went to Monte Sano (our engagement spot) and had a nice picnic and then went for a short hike. We came home and I made fruit & pudding parfaits at the birthday boy's request...they were quite tastey I must say! Wednesday Joel's parents came up and we went out for Seafood. Shew, a girl can only eat so much sometimes. :) Needless to say, we ate a small dinner at home last night.

In other thoughts, I am so glad that summertime is here, although in another month I may be cussing myself for saying that...haha! I haven't gotten too hot and swollen yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time. Tonight we are getting together with some of Joel's friends from college. We are going to eat at Sam & Greg's, a little place downtown that serves homemade pizza and gelato! After that we are headed to the movie in the park! We already have our chairs and blanket packed in the car so we will be ready to go.

Ah, I love outdoor events! We are hoping to do a lot of fun activities this summer since we won't be traveling very far anymore. I've been looking and there are concerts in the park, movies in the park, concerts on the mountain and concerts at the gardens...I want to do all of them this summer!!! :)

The 4 Door Sedan and Other News

Thought I'd give an update. We bought a new car this weekend; it's a new Toyota Corolla! We traded in Hubby's truck for 4 doors and fuel economy! It's gonna be our city car to cat around town in...big enough to put baby and stroller in it, but not too big that it sucks down the gas. We are both used to big cars, so it's a nice change to zip, zip around town. I'm sure our wallets will thank us too!

In other news, my Grandmother's 95th Birthday Party is this weekend and all the family is heading up to STL for the weekend! I made a book for her through blurb.com with photos and letters from the family, but it hasn't come in the mail yet so I'm a little nervous. I hope to get it today though. The party should be fun! Hopefully we'll get to see some relatives we haven't seen in a while. I'm sure I'll eat too much at the party and then go to Ted Drewes for their famous frozen custard. Like I used to tell my Moma, my dessert stomach is bigger than my meat stomach! :)

In preparation for "The Big Day", we have signed up for Bradley Method classes starting in a couple weeks. I'm very excited about this, as I plan to have a natural childbirth...that is if everything proceeds normal. So, Hubby will be coaching me through all the "discomfort"! :)

Other than that, Daddy-to-be, V. and I are all doing well. Daddy is playing ultimate frisbee this summer...staying fit to keep up with Miss V. when she gets here. If she's anything like she is in my tummy, she's gonna be a busy one! I'm walking some and doing prenatal water aerobics...watch out, I just got my preggo lady swim dress...haha! :)

One more thing, Miss V. leaves you with a kick! She must have liked the strawberries and blueberries I just ate!

Preparation Mode

Baby preparation mode has begun! We recently had a yard sale to get rid of all the random stuff from the guest bedroom; what a great feeling to let go of the clutter! Now Baby V.'s room is mostly cleared accept for a pile of college books and pictures. The Sally the Seahorse bedding came in and it's so cute; definitely a keeper! We picked up sample paint colors from Home Depot and can't decide between the 50 shades of light green??? I think I'll just pick one out of a hat.

Other than that, I've been researching baby products and I think we've decided on most everything from stroller to crib and everything in between! Birthing and Parenting classes start in July, so we are on the ball. We've started reading to Miss V. everynight and then listening to Mozart before bed...I think she likes it! She seems to kick more when Daddy reads; she likes her Daddy!

I still get choked up thinking this is really happening, that we are so lucky to be parents soon! I went to BabiesRUs the other day and pulled into the Expectant Mothers parking and got a frog in my throat...wow that's really me, I thought to myself! :)

Sugar and Spice...

...and all things nice! It's a GIRL! We had our ultrasound yesterday and found out our precious baby is a girl! The ultrasound tech said there was no denying it! The u/s results were good with baby measuring about 15oz (she's almost 1 lb!) with a healthy heart beat of 151. It was such an overwhelming experience to see her moving; we could see arms, legs, lips, spine and all! She is quite the active little girl these days, dancing in my belly at all times of the day. I don't mind one bit though; it's a wonderful feeling! Just this weekend Joel put his hand on my belly and could feel her for the first time. We have also just recently seen her kicks poke out my belly just the smallest amount!

After our wonderful morning yesterday, we went out to lunch and then on to Target and Babies R Us to the wonderful world of baby gear!!! Shew, that will wear you out. So, we've picked out Sally the Seahorse as the bedding/theme of the room. It's now getting to the time where we'll be decorating and painting soon! I've got to get in gear with all my preparations...watch out Joel, I might be nesting early. teehee!

Halfway

Halfway??? Goodness, it sounds crazy to say that we are halfway there! We are starting to look more at baby gear and nursery colors/themes and will be able to decide more next week once we find out boy or girl! We are both very excited and have no preference...a healthy baby is what we are hoping for!!! Our families have already placed their bets. We got a message last night from Uncle Steven and Aunt Kate; he is hoping boy and she is hoping girl! My sister is predicting girl while Aunt Kat predicts boy. My brother on the other hand, gave me an inquisitive look, but said he couldn't pinpoint me? I really don't have any strong "feelings", although I have had two dreams early on where the baby was a girl. I am so excited either way! I'll definitely keep everyone posted!

In other baby news...we have a precious new nephew! He was born on 4/22 and is so cute and sweet! Both Uncle Joel and I got to hold him...I think he's partial to Unlce J. for some reason though??? :) It moves me to see him with his Mommy and Daddy...you can feel the love they have for him...ok, can't get too sappy...better go! :)

Take Care!

16 Weeks

Well, it's hard to believe that in 4 more weeks I'll be halfway there??? Just since Easter my belly has started to pop out and I'm wearing those elastic-waistband preggo pants! I've gotten a few stares at my belly, but people don't dare say anything...guess it will be really obvious in another month or so. I am feeling much better and love the springy weather too...nothing like a little sunshine to get you going.

This past weekend I went to brunch with two girlfriends. We met at this cute place, Shae's Express, at 10am. Goodness gracious, who knew we had so much to talk about because we didn't leave until about 230pm! We saw numerous people come and go from the restaurant, but we chatted on. Then we got hungry for lunch and made our way to Jason's Deli! haha! I didn't get home until 5pm...talk about an all day brunch! It was a lot of fun though; I always enjoy talking with the girls! There's just a special connection between women and I am so glad to have some good gal friends!

Today I went for a walk outside and it was beautiful and so re-fueling for me and baby (baby likes walks in the springtime)! I passed a big cherry tree and blossoms had fallen all over the ground, almost making it look like springtime snow on the ground. I could hear the birdies chirping, while the sun was taking me far away from work! What good a short walk can do for the soul!

Weekend Getaways!

The last couple weekends we have been on the go! Even though we went to New Zealand last year (our trip of a lifetime before kids), I think we are still trying to do as much as we can before Sept! Two weekends ago was our 5th anniversary and we went up to a quaint BnB in Monteagle, TN. We got snow and it actually stuck, which was a beautiful sight. Mornings we slept in until 7am (ha) and then had a scrumpious breakie at our BnB. In the afternoons we went hiking at the Stone Door Trail and also visited the Natural Bridge, which was cool, cool! Both had some great photo opps and looked beautiful with the snow still lingering. After our afternoon jaunts, we'd come back to the inn and read with our hot cocoa and cookies! It was a great Anniversary weekend! My hubby gave me a pearl necklace which got me all choked up! He went to Japan back in the fall for work and bought it while over there. So, he's been hiding it since then! I have a great hubby!

This past weekend was a completely different trip...instead of mountains and snow, we headed for ocean and sun! It was the start of spring break for our niece and nephew, so we headed to Orange Beach!!! My parents were there as well as my sister. My brother and his wife couldn't come due to her being so far along in her pregnancy, which is another blog in itself! Anyway, we always stay in this condo right by "the pass" because we can watch the fisherman and all the boats going out to the gulf...we are definitely water babies, so this is a great perk!

Saturday was foggy, but we still went out on the beach and watched as the kids splashed and screamed in the cold, cold water! Sunday was beautiful, although still breezy. We went walking on the beach, found some unique shells and napped on the balcony in the sun...what a perfect day! We also went to this adventure park with the kids and played way to many games to win tickets: ski ball, air hockey, race car and deal or no deal! Shew, that place will give you a headache with all the lights and sounds going. Each night my hubby and I would be ready for bed by 9pm...we've got to practice this kids thing...they'll wear you out! :) We also went to the Naval Museum one day, which was really cool. There were soo many planes, I couldn't keep up with them all. Well, hopefully pics will be coming soon! :)

Pavlov's Dog?

So, it's March and the weather is feeling nice and springy! I tend to wake up before the alarm goes off each day to birds singing their sweet morning songs. The sun feels invigorating on my face with a slight wind blowing through my hair...gosh, I love this weather!!! Hubby and I are going to the beach for a long weekend with my parents, sister and her kids.

It's Thursday and we are leaving tomorrow after lunch. I find myself like a school kid counting down the hours and minutes. I can almost hear the sounds of the ocean calling my name!!! I am practically salivating like one of Pavlov's dogs...salivating for the water, the walks on the beach, the wind in my hair, the boat rides, the dolphins, the sun thawing me out from winter! :)

The Circle of Life

Well, we have recently had good and bad news!

The good news is that Joel and I are expecting our first child in September! We found out in January and got to see a little baby heart beat. Of course, I teared up at the doctor's office. I was just so overwhelmed, I couldn't help it! At first I didn't believe it, but now everything is starting to feel real as I go through morning sickness and growing a very small pooch! I constantly think about this miracle growing inside me and again, I start to get choked up! Ah, guess I can blame it all on the pregnancy hormones.


It took us 9 months to get pregnant. I know in the grand scheme of things it's not long at all, but every one of those unsuccessful months, I would blame myself. I felt like my body's purpose in life was to bear children and I felt like I had failed...failed at being a woman. I know for many couples it takes much longer and some never experience the joy of having their own child. So, I feel blessed beyond belief and hope that I can be the best mother for our child! It's amazing (and scary) to think about bringing a brand new life into the world!

With that being said, I must tell the bad news. Joel's aunt passed away recently. She was only in her 50s and it was very unexpected. We found out the news on a Saturday morning. We were actually getting ready to go see Joel's parents to tell them our good news! Well, needless to say when we found out, we didn't tell Joel's family our news. Instead a few days later we went to the visitation and funeral service. It was an unsettling feeling being at the funeral. Here I was carrying new life, yet another life had ended. I was upset thinking about this. How unfair! Can't we all live long, healthy lives until we are 100? But, in life there are no guarantees and we must cherish the time God gives us on earth until he calls us Home.

In the midst of the good and bad of life, I hope to live it all...experience it all! I know God has a plan for each one of us and for our growing baby. We are all on a journey and don't know when it will begin or end...the circle of life!