Jenny over at Let’s Talk Mommy is hosting a blog hop for fellow bloggers out there. I shared my brand new Birth Story Of Baby #2 and met some new bloggers too! A huge thank you to Jenny for this great opportunity to share my stories and read some new ones too!
And then there were four. We’re officially now a family of four, still not quite used to saying that but it couldn’t bring a bigger smile to my face when I do. We’ve grown by one beautiful little angel who has made it hard to remember what life was like before her arrival. But, seeing as today is our newest little one’s 1 month birthday I thought it would be fitting to reveal just how she made her way into this world.
If you’ve been following me through this pregnancy you might remember that we were hoping for a successful vbac this time around as opposed to another c-section. With all of our doctor approvals in line and a healthy 37 week ultrasound in the books it was just a waiting game to see when the big day would arrive. With lots of early labor symptoms and Braxton Hicks contractions from my 35th week on, I for one couldn’t have been more ready for our little girl to make her grand debut. All along I had a sneaking suspicion that she’d make her appearance a little early and that she did, as I went into labor around 12 am on Father’s Day, the timing couldn’t have been more fitting.
After a couple excruciating hours at home we decided to make the trip to the hospital while Nanny and Pop Pop watched our big sister to be. We were officially checked in and started painfully waiting for the big finale. Despite the contractions picking up speed and the complete and utter exhaustion, thanks to a pick me up video from an excited big sister and some welcomed company from my mom and sister I managed to make it through the day’s toughest moments with a small smile on my face. After 16 hours in labor and dilation to only 2 cm, my doctor decided we should go ahead with the epidural to help me relax and hopefully rest a bit.
What seemed like an eternity later, finally the anesthesiologist arrived and it was time for my epidural. I dreaded this part ever since our consultation a few months back but I knew with my slowly progressing labor and my venous angioma that the epidural was a must and hopefully this time it would work better than it had with my first c-section. With the epidural in, they slowly started my pain meds so they could closely watch my pressure, a must with the venous angioma, and after a little while I finally started feeling some relief. The painless moments though were short lived as there was clearly an issue with my epidural. It turns out the space between my vertebrae is smaller than normal making it tougher for the epidural to be placed well and work so the anesthesiologist pulled it out and repositioned it to hopefully get it working properly, sadly this didn’t work either. That was it, with an epidural that wasn’t working I prayed that I had made some significant progress so the end would be near. Soon after the epidural fiasco, my OB checked me again only to find I was still only 2 cm which meant it could be a very long, unmedicated road to the finish line, not ideal given my health precautions.
So after 25 hours in labor, a worn off 2nd epidural, and very little progression we had finally arrived to the c-section discussion. Honestly, my heart was broken, I knew at that point that we were headed straight to the c-section that we had fought so hard to avoid. And after a tearful and emotional discussion with my OB, who advised me that while I still could have my little girl vaginally it would be a long and unmedicated road until that moment may arrive, there were no more questions in my mind, I knew that the c-section was the right choice, I was ready to meet our little one without anymore delay. And that was it, c-section time, that is after one more obstacle.
Since I had so many problems with the epidural my anesthesiologist informed me that he wanted to put me under general anesthesia, two words that literally sent me into a full blown emotional breakdown. I always knew that general anesthesia was a possibility if there was an emergency and it was needed but we weren’t there. Both me and my baby were doing well and despite the epidural not working I knew that the spinal was next up on the agenda and the thought of being put to sleep, missing her first cry, holding her skin to skin, and sharing those first moments of her life together was just out of the question. With our plan being thrown out the window so quickly I just started panicking, pleading with my husband to remind everyone of our consultation a few months back. While I was a tearful mess only repeating that I refused to have my baby that way, my husband stepped up trying to communicate our plan with everyone finally convincing the anesthesiologist to do the spinal for our c-section. And with that we were added to the schedule for a 4 am c-section, a long 3 hours away.
Those last few hours of contractions and no sleep were excruciating mostly because I was so nervous and anxious to see our baby girl. But thankfully while our biggest baby girl, who I now hadn’t seen for over 24 hours was being watched by my sister, my parents were both by our side while we endured the last leg of the waiting game we had been playing for so long. Even though it was four weeks ago already, those last few hours of being pregnant seem so fresh in my mind. I remember just laying there, overwhelmed with physical and emotional pain from the events of the day before along with so much anxiety for the hours to come, and then all of the sudden I felt my little girl give the biggest kicks. Just for a moment I found peace, rubbing my belly for the last time and feeling my baby girl happy and safe inside, my little one reminded me that we were in this together.
After a lengthy wait it was finally surgery time, we said goodbye to my parents and I quickly found myself alone in the operating room hunched over and getting my spinal, praying constantly that it would work and that I wouldn’t miss a second of my baby being born. Thankfully I was numbed up in no time, covered in sterile drapes and warm blankets to help with my uncontrollable shaking (thanks to the freezing operating room and meds), and ready to have my husband back by my side. Soon enough I heard his voice next to my head reminding me that this was it, the moment we waited so long for and that our precious baby girl would be here any second. It was a long road and we were finally there staring at the finish line, about to meet the little girl that stole our hearts months before when she was just a little jellybean in my belly.
Minutes later and I finally heard the most perfect sound to a mother’s ears, that beautiful, healthy cry that I waited so long for. As they pulled down the drape and showed me my newest angel tears filled my eyes and I couldn’t help but start balling, my heart was just aching to hold her and kiss her for the very first time. For the first time in 9 months we were apart so as soon as he could Dan went over to be with her while I patiently waited, listening to each and every cry as the nurses thoroughly checked my baby over. What seemed like an eternity later and I finally caught my first up close glimpse of my precious baby. After some rearranging, the nurses set her on me for the skin to skin time that I had wanted so badly but was worried I wouldn’t have with the c-section. Feeling her breathe on top of me, feeling her skin against mine, and kissing every bit of her face I could reach, I just counted down the minutes until my arms were free to hug her the way I wanted.
Finally the moment I had been waiting for for so long was here, I was wheeled to recovery and finally able to wrap both of my arms around my brand new baby girl. The nurses left us while we enjoyed our new little one and took every bit of her in. She looked just like her big sister with dark hair and chubby cheeks and I couldn’t help but feel anxious for our girls to meet for the first time. Until then though we enjoyed our alone time, watching our baby get her footprints done, her first bath, just all of the moments that I missed a few short years ago when we were in the same place with her big sister. I realized then just how lucky we were this time around and even though the birth hadn’t gone exactly how we had hoped it would it was still just as beautiful and peaceful as I had prayed that it would be. Without any of the worry and fear like in our first c-section I was able to have all of those special moments that we had dreamed of from Dan cutting the cord to me being able to do skin to skin as soon as I could and most importantly some very special alone time so we could get to know our beautiful brand new baby girl. They were moments that I’ll never forget and I’m so grateful that we were able to have.
After such an eventful 24 hours, we spent some much needed relaxing time in the recovery with our baby girl and were finally ready to be moved to our room. Once we were settled in, my parents brought up a very excited big sister and left us to share some of the most special moments I’ll never forget. As my big girl marched in with her curly pigtails, Big Sis t-shirt, and the biggest smile, I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms again, seeing as this was the longest we’d ever been apart. I managed to squeeze in a few kisses and hugs but a little someone couldn’t take her eyes off of the brand new baby in the room. She patted her belly, touched her hair, and kissed her baby sister over and over, bringing tears to this new Mommy and Daddy’s eyes. And then she told her new sister Happy Birthday and that she loved her which sent both of us over the edge. In that moment we realized that we’d given both of them the greatest gift, each other. They’ll always have each other to love and enjoy no matter where life will take them and I hope that they’ll always share a bond as special as the one I saw forming in their first few minutes together.
One of the major downsides of the c-section was being in the hospital longer and away from a special little someone, but thankfully she was in good hands with her Nanny and Pop Pop who made sure she had lots of fun with her cousins, tons of pampering, and plenty of phone calls and visits with Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Sister. I think the separation was a bit harder on me seeing as I’d never been away from our little one but knowing that she was well taken care of and loved exactly how I would love her made me feel so much better, along with the pictures and videos that they sent along. Thankfully, after some requests we were discharged a day early so I could rest and heal at home with my entire family around me.
As we celebrate our littlest baby girl’s 1 month birthday it’s hard to believe that all of these moments were so long ago already. Everyone tells you when you have kids that the time flies by but it’s so true and you realize just how quickly it does when you yourself have children. I cannot believe that my first baby girl is 2 1/2 years old already and is herself a big sister, a fantastic one at that. It’s been the greatest joy to watch my girls grow, my only wish is that they would just slow down a little. But no matter how much older they get I’ll always remember each of their births, clear as the day that they happened. Each one so different but both filled with plenty of worry and fear, tears and excitement, and love. I look forward to one day telling them both how they entered this world and I hope that they too will both experience these miracles for themselves and all of the love that they add to life.
So to my beautiful and loving biggest baby girl, you’ve been a blessing since day 1, sharing your love with everyone around you and making us the luckiest parents in the world. I’m so excited to watch you take your sister lovingly under your wing and show her the world.
And to our littlest baby girl, you remind us in so many ways of your big sister but in so many others you are certainly your own person. We love every bit of you and cannot wait to experience all of your firsts. I love you my little one, thank you for choosing me to be your Mommy.
To both of my girls, no matter how old you are Mommy will always look at you as my baby girls, the ones who lived in Mommy’s belly for so long listening to my heart and kicking me from the inside. God blessed me with two little miracles that I love more than life itself and I’m so lucky to call you my daughters.
Sincerely,
Lindsay
We’re almost there! Officially 37 weeks and I couldn’t be more ready to see this little girl. But before then, we’re headed for a last minute ultrasound to get an estimate of little girl’s size and I can’t wait to catch a glimpse of her all grown up in my belly. Even though this isn’t super accurate, hopefully it’ll give us a good idea of where we are now and where we might be in a few weeks to make sure the vbac is safe until then, fingers crossed. Can’t wait to see my little girl again live on camera!
So this past weekend we’ve pretty much been scrambling around finishing the mini kitchen renovation that’s been taking place on top of a few more odds and ends for baby. Number one on the list was packing those hospital bags, not as fun as packing for vacation but a necessary evil. On top of the regular hospital essentials I also make sure that I have a couple gluten free musts in there too, so what’s in my gluten free hospital bag?
Baby’s on her way so what’s in my gluten free hospital bag?
Okay so our bags are packed, and when the moment arrives we’ll be ready but what about eating gluten free when you’re actually staying in the hospital? Haven’t really thought about it? Or you have and you’re really worried about surviving those first days without something to eat except your snacks? Honestly the thought didn’t even cross my mind last delivery time, but since last time we had more of an extended stay in the hospital for about four days, I’m well versed on eating gluten free as a patient and I thought I could shed some light for you on this one.
Post-delivery you may or may not be focusing so much on eating but trust me at some point you’re going to come out of your euphoric state and realize just how hungry you are thanks to the c-section starvation diet or the no food allowed labor and delivery rules. Either way, with a new baby in your arms you will find yourself at some point starving and ready to order a meal from the dreaded hospital cafeteria. First of all buzz your nurses in and request a gluten free menu, yup that’s right at our hospital they had menus for all different kinds of dietary restrictions so you more than likely will have a designated menu to choose from. Next up, choose away! My hospital actually had gluten free bread, a good one at that, so every meal I pretty much chose a sandwich of some sort since my tummy was super sensitive after my surgery but make sure you go with anything and everything you’re in the mood for because this is your chance to get some gluten free treatment. And now just wait, sometimes the wait is pretty long for food delivery at the hospital but when those trays arrived I was one happy new mommy especially since they actually held some pretty tasty gluten free breakfast and lunch/dinner sandwiches. If you’re hospital doesn’t offer a specific menu, always make sure you ask about gluten free options, and if you’re still out of luck, but I would really be shocked about that seeing as you’re in a medical mecca where food allergies shouldn’t be a surprise, you can always enlist some visitors to bring in some take out meals for you while you’re stuck in the hospital.
And there you have it, my tips to packing and staying in the hospital for your baby’s big arrival! It’s true, when you live a gluten free lifestyle it’s just that, a lifestyle and you can never forget about the challenges that may or may not exist in every situation, even delivery day. As always though doing your best to prepare ahead of time will always guarantee some comfort the day of, and thankfully for me I’ve already pointed out to my husband just how close our hospital is to an all gluten free bakery, how convenient right?!?!
So even though we’re not sure when baby will come, how she’ll arrive, and how long we’ll be in the hospital this time, we’re all packed and ready to go for the big day! So stay tuned for any baby announcements in the days or weeks to come because this Gluten Free Mom To Be is about to be a mommy of two very soon!
Sincerely,
Lindsay (37 weeks)
As much as this pregnancy seems to have chugged along, now staring at the finish line in clear view I can’t believe I’m midway through my 36th week. We’ve reached the point where it could be days or it could be weeks until our little one wants to make her arrival but as of now the plan still stands for a vbac. And while I couldn’t be more nervous about the unknown of what’s to come, I am more than ready to give birth to this little girl. So for now it’s a waiting game with lots of anticipation, nerves, and excitement for all.
While we wait for Baby #2 to make her grand debut, our hot early summer days are mostly filled with some cool movie and puzzle time inside, occasional walks, and water play in any form. And with so much change in store for all of us I can’t help but admire my little girl for really stepping into her big sister role. She’s become Mommy’s biggest helper these days especially as my belly grows and I’m not quite as limber as I once was. But some of my favorite big sister/ big girl moments are when she eagerly helps in the nursery getting things ready, reminds Mommy that she has to go to the doctor again to get the baby checked or the little doctor herself steps in to do it, and how she proudly shows off her big girl status in every way from being potty trained to fully embracing the move to her big girl room. We’re certainly lucky to be able to call this little girl our baby and it’s just unimaginable how much sweeter life will get in just a short while.
For now though, I thought I’d show off all of a certain little girl’s big girl room that she’s so proud of. Not too long ago when the official move happened I gave you a glimpse into this labor of love, which you should check out again for all of the details, but now with all of the finishing touches up I thought I’d share a finished product. So with a little drum roll I’d like to present our little girl’s big girl room with all of the finishing touches!
A white, tufted big girl bed dressed up in lilac bedding and special shape pillows (don’t worry the toddler rails are hidden on the sides of the bed, with this mover and shaker we needed them)!
A light aqua wall was a perfect alternative to your typical girly colors especially with the grey Moroccan rug.
Ah, one of my favorites! This Ikea dresser is a great piece of furniture in and of itself with its perfect size and tons of space, but thanks to some gold spray paint and these special overlays we turned this already great dresser into a one of a kind piece of furniture fit for a big girl!
A beautiful, miniature white chandelier equipped with crystals and flowers.
One of my favorite personal touches were her purple painted letters with scrapbooking flowers that the big girl herself picked out to be attached.
White, gold, and purple frames add just the right touch to the aqua walls.
Everyone that knows me knows that I love pictures. I take a million every vacation and thousands in-between so we always have tons to choose from when it comes time to decorate our walls. So when decorating time rolled around for this special bedroom I knew that I wanted to add some very special moments to our little one’s walls. One do it yourself item I created special just for her where these sparkly, gold princess silhouettes of three of her favorite Disney characters, Snow White, Ariel, and Tinker Bell. After picking out the perfect image, I simply traced each of them on scrapbooking paper, cut, and then pasted on a pretty, purple paisley scrapbooking page that I then cut down to size for the frames. And voila, a little special Disney accent for our very own princess! When it came time for all of the frames, well I turned immediately to Kohls since they had a great sale going on and a huge selection of the white, gold, purple, and grey color scheme I was looking for. Without too much trouble, I picked out my favorites, arranged them in these gallery style arrangements, and added just the right pictures that remind our little one of some very special memories!
A floral, lilac canopy, perfect for a little reading/napping nook or for now, a tea table to play with friends.
I LOVE this canopy! I knew before we even started working on the room that I wanted to get either a tent or canopy to add a little special touch that would be right up her alley and let me say RH Baby & Child did not disappoint in this department. This canopy is easily mounted from the ceiling and its delicately draped fabric and light floral pattern makes for the perfect addition to this big girl room.
White, floral floor length curtains hanging from gold curtain rods were just the right touch.
Curtains are by far the bane of my existence, usually being the last piece that I worry about in our rooms mostly because they’re the most irritating for me to purchase. Okay, so my biggest gripe is that everywhere sells curtains as a single panel which for one window usually means you can just take that price and multiply by two since typically you need two panels per window. Putting that aside though I struck gold when we made our big trip up to Ikea for the dresser and I found these white curtains that were sold for a great price, and as a pair too, imagine that! Before we hung these beauties, we decided to take the rods that we already had in the room and spray them gold to match the dresser overlays and handles which really added a finishing touch!
A tiny tea table that will host many a tea party with our little girl and her friends!
And this was our yard sale find! We picked up this table which was a dark cherry color for only $35, a far cry from my favorites on Pottery Barn that will cost you a good $400 or so, and after quite a few coats of white paint we had a delicate little play table that fits nicely under her canopy. I contemplated adding a little gold or lilac accent which may or may not come down the road but for now the crisp, white table as is is a nice addition to the big girl room!
To say our little girl is happy in her new room would probably be a massive understatement. It makes me so happy that our little one has truly fallen in love with her new room and shows it off with such pride. I think I accomplished exactly what I wanted, while staying well within budget I’d like to add, in that we were able to create a new space that made our little girl feel just as special during this huge time of change and also give her that big girl feeling. And even though in our many ventures back into the nursery or “tiny bedroom” as she calls it I see her peering with some confusion back into her once toddler bed that now is converted back into the crib, I know that she loves the fun and freedom that she has in her big girl bed, especially the jumping that makes Mommy very nervous.
So for the days and maybe weeks until Baby #2 arrives we’ll keep enjoying our growing girl and watching her become more and more aware of her impending big sister status. With her understanding being just that of a 2 1/2 year old she may not quite get all that is going to come along with this new arrival but I have no doubt in my mind that our big girl, that has grown so much in such a short time who loves everyone around her and doesn’t hesitate to show it, will do just the same with her little sister. I know that she’ll be just as lovingly helpful with her little sister as she is with her Mommy and will walk away from every task with the prideful smile from ear to ear just as a big sister should.
Sincerely,
Lindsay (36 weeks)
Along with growing our family, 2015 is a big year for us as we’re celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary just about the same time Baby #2 is due to arrive. Everyone says it but time really does fly by, it’s hard to believe just 5 years ago that we were exchanging our vows and becoming husband and wife. And even though I look back on our wedding day and wish we could be there again just for a second to experience the joy, love, and fun that we did that day, now five years later and two little girls in hand (well almost) our lives couldn’t be better and it all started with just our love.
I always tell Dan that life with him has been a true fairy tale, filled with tons of adventures, love, laughter, some challenges too, but always a happily ever after. I’m a firm believer in fate and destiny and I truly believe that Dan and I were made for each other in every way. We squeezed so much into just five years of marriage from exploring the world to growing our family and imagining what 5, 10, and 15 more years will look like is just a dream. I love Dan more than I could ever explain and sharing a life with him is the biggest gift God could’ve ever given me (on top of my precious little girls of course).
So to honor our five year anniversary this month, which happens to land just a week or so before our due date, we decided to push up the celebration just in case baby makes an early arrival. Dan treated me to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants that we’ve been to ever since our dating days and now offers the most excellent gluten free meal. We’ve become regulars here over the years, spending most romantic occasions and date nights surrounded by familiar faces. And while spending our five year anniversary at Toscano’s Ristorante was perfectly appropriate in every way, this gluten free mommy-to-be couldn’t have been happier for the food seeing as I could enjoy my favorite gluten free dishes, vodka rigatoni and an antipasto salad.
Let’s just say the meal was superb! Creamy gluten free vodka rigatoni followed a perfect chopped antipasto salad, and Dan, well he was in heaven too with a seafood galore entree following a special meatball appetizer. Seeing as I’m a creature of habit and I just know what I like I’ve reviewed this meal before so check out the deliciousness in my review here.
As part of my gift to Dan for our five year anniversary I went to our favorite bakery, Classic Cake Company, that just so happens to have made our wedding cake and a few of little one’s birthday cakes and requested a gluten free recreation of our wedding cake topper. They were certainly up for the challenge and delivered beyond my expectations. The cake was beautiful, covered with sugar flowers and shimmery buttercream, but the inside was my highlight seeing as it was filled with gluten free chocolate chip cake with chocolate buttercream filling. So after our wonderful dinner at Toscano’s we treated ourselves to some wedding cake that both of us could enjoy to commemorate the occasion.
Now with our five year anniversary celebration passed, we’re left staring at the baby finish line as I’m now 36 weeks. I’m beyond ready to meet our little girl and judging by her humongous turnovers she too is getting ready to meet us as life in Mommy’s belly is probably getting a little too snug. I’m so excited to hold and kiss her for the first time, have her meet her big sister who loves her more than she’ll ever know already, and just begin our lives as a family of four. For now though it’s a waiting game, but as of right now we’re still on track for a VBAC and an ultrasound next week to see her estimated size to make sure that that would be safe for mommy. Stay tuned for more updates!
Sincerely,
Lindsay (36 weeks)
Jenny over at Let’s Talk Mommy is hosting a blog hop for fellow bloggers out there. I just shared two of my favorite posts and met some new bloggers too! Check out the beauty in maternity pictures and my confessions on having baby #2. A huge thank you to Jenny for this great opportunity to share my stories and read some new ones too!
With a summeresque morning at the beach under our belts, we decided to top off our day with an early dinner out. In just a few weeks our dinners out will be numbered for a little while so we figured we’d take advantage of the gorgeous weather and head over to Peddler’s Village which offers tons of charm and lots of gardens, shops, and dining. One of their most popular restaurants, Cock n’ Bull, offers a gluten free menu for both lunch and dinner that goes a step beyond your typical meat offerings, actually including some sandwich options. Gluten free sandwiches? No need to ask me twice then, without any hesitation we headed out to sneak in for an early dinner/ really late lunch at the heart of Peddler’s Village.
We were seated right in the middle of a huge window overlooking all of the action in the village, a perfect spot for our toddler who chose to sit in a big girl seat for the very first time. While Dan and little one decided between their food options I knew exactly what my choice would be, a Gluten Free Whole Grain Sandwich with Grilled Turkey, Fontina Cheese, Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper, and Pesto Mayo with a side of gluten free chips. Mouth watering yet? Yup, well rightfully so because this sandwich was delicious!
For starters the bread itself was delicious, held up with all of the sandwich fillings and had a fantastic flavor and texture. The roasted turkey on the inside was so juicy and flavorful and matched perfectly with the melted cheese and spinach and roasted red peppers. As far as the size goes, as we all know gluten free bread can be on the smaller side, this portion was pretty decent and filled this mommy-to-be with no problem. Needless to say I enjoyed every single bite of this sandwich, as evidenced by the empty plate that was left behind. So if you’re ever in the area of Peddler’s Village in Lahaska, PA make sure you check out Cock n’ Bull and request this amazing gluten free sandwich!
All together it was a great weekend filled with lots of smiles, laughs, and new memories that’ll last a lifetime. I couldn’t have thought of a better way to ring in my 35th week then with the two loves of my life at the beach and with a perfect gluten free dinner that made both baby and Mommy happy.
Sincerely,
Lindsay (35 weeks)
We’re almost there! As the weeks roll by and the appointments become more frequent it couldn’t feel more real that a new little baby will be gracing us with her presence in what could be just a few weeks. Among a few mini house renovations and baby prep we’re trying to take advantage of the clear and warm weekend days getting ourselves and our little girl out before baby arrives. Sure this makes for busy weekends and an exhausted Mommy but these moments with my little girl are so special and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
So in my 34th week we signed ourselves up for a lot of work around the house, some cleaning and washing of the baby gear that’s been stored in our basement, planting flowers and our vegetable garden, swimming in our blow up pool (well this one was really only for our smallest family member), and best of all a trip to the Popcorn Zoo. My little girl LOVES animals so we always know a great day trip idea is a trip to the zoo and as season pass holders for our local big zoo we try to make these trips as frequent as possible. With Mommy larger now and getting more and more uncomfortable with quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions creeping in though, we decided to take it easy on the walking and went with a smaller but just as fun option that week. The Popcorn Zoo is filled with rescue animals that you can see up close, some of which are even fans of popcorn that you can feed to them, a huge win for my little one. So thankfully we picked a mild morning that wasn’t too unseasonably warm like the rest of our days have been and headed down to the Popcorn Zoo. Our little one couldn’t have loved the adventure more and it was right up my alley too without too much walking but certainly not short on the fun.
We decided to start off my 35th week with possibly one of our last beach visits for a little while. Traveling too far and really taking it easy are must dos on my agenda these days so some of these trips are going to become fewer and fewer as the weeks pass so we wanted to take advantage of one of my better days and hit the beach for some fun. The weather was perfect for this mommy-to-be without it being hot at all, especially since the water is a chilly 58 degrees still and off limits for cooling off if needed. It was really a perfect morning for some sand castle building, sea shell searching, and crab scavenging, all of which are favorite activities of my little girl. So we headed out early and made our way down to one of our favorite beaches and while Mommy trudged through the sand carrying an almost 20 extra pounds with a little one gripping my hand, Daddy made his way down resembling a pack mule with all of our beach equipment. It was a fantastic morning, especially for our miniature beach lover who can’t get enough of the sand and eventually the water too when it’s warm enough. So after some successful digging in the sand, building some sand castles, finding some perfect sea shells, and one of the highlights, digging up some tiny crabs that our little one couldn’t help but tell us were “so cute,” we wrapped up our morning with lunch on the beach, a stop at a torturous bakery that offers the most delicious looking non-gluten free treats that are perfect for Dan and little one, and a little afternoon nap before a pre-baby dinner out that I’ll share later.
We’ve had so much fun this pregnancy with our little girl, packing it full with adventure after adventure and watching her blossom and grow into the fantastic big sister that we know she’ll be very soon. She’s got the biggest heart we’ve ever seen and shares all of her love with everyone around her, a feature I can’t wait to see put into action when her little sister arrives. But one of my favorite features that kind of shakes me into reality that our little girl is growing up is her growing personality and vocabulary. She’s a chatterbox that’s for sure, always asking questions, counting everything around her, and being Mommy’s biggest helper always offering “here, help Mommy.” She’s the love of my life, next to Dan and our furry baby of course, that’s for sure and I can’t wait to share our love with our little one coming along very soon.
Sincerely,
Lindsay (35 weeks)
Pregnant or not I am huge fan of gluten free bagels. Over the years I’ve admittedly had some doozies but fortunately it seems like many a gluten free company is catching on and putting out some decent bagel substitutes. One of my favorite gluten free bread companies by far is Canyon Bakehouse, you know the ones that make that fantastic Deli Rye Style Gluten Free Bread that I raved about along with their amazing Gluten Free Focaccia that I used in my appetizer bites. Well, I’m happy to report that they’ve done it again. They’ve given us more fantastic gluten free bread items that we can add to our pantries/freezers that not only live up to the taste but also the texture of what bread items should be.
My most favorite addition to their gluten free product line are these delectable Everything Bagels. They come pre-sliced in a four pack for $5 on their website and are good at room temperature for about a week and then in the freezer for as long as necessary. On top of the great value that you get with these, the product itself is phenomenal. They’re flavored with garlic and onion along with poppy and sunflower seeds giving that perfect everything flavor. You can enjoy them fresh out of the bag or if frozen, a quick defrost and toast later and you have yourself a tasty breakfast or lunch. I personally always toast my gluten free bagels and then add a layer of fat free cream cheese to them, and for these I have to admit that I dusted them with a little Kosher salt for a little extra flavor, hey I’m pregnant don’t judge.
Along with the amazing flavor of the bagels, their texture is pretty on point as well. While they still have more of a bread feeling, they certainly have accomplished a slight chewiness factor resembling the classic bagel we all might remember. Even though cream cheese is my favorite topping for any kind of bagel, I can imagine many a delicious bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with this little number in my future. Now, if only my local grocery stores would catch on and sell any if not all of Canyon Bakehouse’s products then I’d really be in business!
Sincerely,
Lindsay (34 weeks)
And the moment is finally here! No not delivery day, that’s still a good month or so away, but today’s the day I get to see my final maternity pictures! I got a little sneak preview right after and I couldn’t believe how beautiful they were turning out. I was a bit hesitant taking maternity pictures this round mostly because I’d rather be the photographer than the subject but ultimately we decided it would be a nice treat for us as well as our newest little one to see what she looked like in Mommy’s belly. So without further ado, I’d like to share a glimpse into our maternity photo shoot!
We are absolutely thrilled with how beautiful our photos came out. We captured each moment I wanted from family of three (plus one in the belly) and Mommy/Daddy and little one photos to just Mommy and baby on the way and my favorites, some big sister love. We had a gorgeous Spring day at a local garden, the perfect venue for my nature loving little girl who gave some wonderful memories both with her Mommy and Daddy and flying solo. But without the ever so talented Ashley with One Love Creative, we wouldn’t have been given this amazing gift. She knew exactly what I wanted in our pictures and captured every last bit of it while helping wrangle and get the attention of a very rambunctious toddler, a true talent in my mind. If you’re in the Central New Jersey area make sure you look into One Love Creative for portraits, newborns, and maternity photos!
Time flies and now we’re staring down my 34th week. Pretty soon our newest member of the family will make her grand debut and I for one couldn’t be more ready. Stay tuned for some more news and special gluten free pregnancy tid bits this week!
Sincerely,
Lindsay (34 weeks)