34 weeks

34 weeks! After my next appointment at 36 weeks, I will have to go once a week until the baby comes. Holy! My appointment today went just fine...my only concern was while we were in Cancun and during my first day back at work afterwards, my belly was really tight and uncomfortable. It seems to happen when I walk too much or if I move too quickly. Dr. Bishop said to make sure to let her know if it becomes painful (so far it's not) and/or if the tightening happens more than 5-6 times an hour. In that case, it could be actual contractions and not just Braxton-Hicks. Other than that, things are great.

We got a video monitor for the baby today and of course, wanted to test it out on Ayla. We've always been curious about how long it takes her to fall asleep and what she does in order to do so. Turns out, nothing crazy. She just rolled around a bit and was out. :) We also wonder what she does when she wakes up in the morning and how long she hangs out until she hollers for me. Maybe that "episode" will be more entertaining. Either way, it's fun...I'm impressed with how clear the video is. I'm hoping that having it will make me less paranoid once the baby is in her room...maybe if I can just glance down at the monitor, I won't feel like I have to go check on her a billion times.

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I'm getting so anxious and excited to meet this baby...I can't wait to see what she looks like and I can't wait to hold her. :)

**Stay tuned for some belly pics that my friend, Erika, took this past weekend. I'm in love with the few images she has already shown me and can't wait to see more. I am so thankful for them and plan on printing a few to hang in the nursery. Thank you, Erika! For a sneak peek, check out her photography blog: http://elizabethrosephoto.blogspot.com/. She's amazing. :)

Sesame Street Live

We took Ayla to see Sesame Street Live this morning in Lincoln (we missed it when it came to Omaha). On the way there, she told us she was "cited" [excited]. :)

Hanging on tight to Daddy on the way to the auditorium.

When the characters first came out one by one, she was thrilled...but for most of the show, she looked so serious. She danced just a little bit and really got into the clapping.
During the intermission, we got her a little Elmo wand that lit up and let her run around for a few minutes...I think that may have been her favorite part of the show.

Not too long into the second half, there were kids breaking down all around us...I think it was too much for the really little ones. I'm glad we waited until this year to take her. I wondered if she would be able to sit through the whole thing, but she did really well and seemed content the entire time.

Checking out the menu at Lazlo's for lunch before heading home to take a nap.

It was a fun morning...I'm really glad we were able to take her while she was still in the prime of all things Elmo. Who knows what she'll be into next year!

Chinese New Year

I have a confession. I'm a sucky Chinese person. I didn't even know Chinese New Year was today. I usually always know when it is, but somehow I spaced it this year. Baby brain? Perhaps. When I got to my parents' house yesterday, my mom had plates of fruit out and incense burning. I asked, "Oh, what's with all the stuff? What holiday is it?" She stopped in her tracks and I got one of those raised-eyebrow-are-you-an-idiot looks. "New Year's." Right. Sorry. "Happy New Year, Mom!" I didn't dare ask if it was New Year's Eve or Day. I let good 'ol Google answer that when I got home. Turns out, it was Eve, so I still had today to redeem myself. I dug out one of the several traditional Chinese outfits that my parents brought back from Taiwan for Ayla. It fit her perfectly and she was digging it.

This evening, Ayla talked to Yeh-Yeh on Skype. (He's in Taiwan) He watched her "cook" flour, water, and raw noodles. :) He kept getting grossed out that I was letting her play with it, but if it keeps her happy and busy long enough for me to make dinner and not have her clinging to my leg whining her little heart out, I'm good with it. She's a very neat child which makes it even better. You'd think it'd be all over the kitchen, but there were just a few drips on her little table.

Terrible, Wonderful Two's

I'm giving myself a big, fat F for the lack of pictures I took last month. I barely picked up my camera...not sure what the problem was. I made it a point today to grab it and snap several of Ayla while she was playing on our bed.

She certainly has been testing our patience the last few days. I don't know if she's getting back at us for leaving her while we were in Cancun or if we're officially entering that "terrible two's" stage that everyone keeps warning me about. Either way, it's no fun. She turns into a little girl that I don't even recognize and I don't know how to deal with it. She whines, she cries, she throws herself onto the ground and goes limp if we try to pick her up. The littlest thing will set her off and there's nothing that seems to calm her down. It's so unlike her. She's never been a big crier but man, she's been making up for it. Like I said, it's really been testing me and I've had to just walk away and let her cry more than a handful of times and it also allows me to cool off as well. I keep telling myself that this, just like everything else, will not last forever.

But at the same time, she can be the most wonderfully sweet, charming, and funny little lady that we love so much. It really has been a fun age...especially with her language skills continuing to explode. She says the most hilarious things and continues to surprise us with what she knows. Sometimes I just have to sit back and stare at her. I can hardly believe how quickly the past couple of years have gone. As I feel PIP pound away at my belly everyday, I wonder what she's going to be like...who she's going to become--crazy and talkative like her big sister? Or quiet and snuggly? It's fun to think about.

Cancun 2011

Dean and I just got home from Cancun last night...it was exactly what I hoped it would be. Relaxing. Very different to be on this particular trip without consuming a drop of alcohol especially when it's all paid for but I had my fair share of virgin mudslides and daiquiris. :) I pretty much spent the week laying around eating and drinking more bottled water than I've ever had. I don't think I've ever been as hydrated as I was. I was such a bum that I didn't even bother to use my camera much. In fact, we only have 18 pictures from this trip. Yep, 18. Extremely out of the ordinary for me. I really needed those few days to unwind and enjoy being lazy and it was fun to be able to get dressed up and go out for some amazing dinners that lasted more than a couple of hours...a rarity these days. Before we know it, we'll be up to our ears in diapers and running on no sleep. At over 32 weeks pregnant, I think this is a very good cut-off point for traveling. It wasn't horrible, but I was uncomfortable enough on the plane to not want to do it again. My belly felt very tight for the first day and a half there...not sure if it was a result of the traveling or not. I told Dean that I'd really been feeling pretty decent up until this week. Bad timing. I just felt very very pregnant all of a sudden and couldn't seem to get comfortable no matter what I did. It could be a long two months til my due date.

Is this not the cutest little bottle of Tobasco you've ever seen?

Dean was offered 20 bucks to chug this bottle of sake. He did it. Sigh. Before dinner with Dean's boss, the regional vice-president and co-workers from Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.At our last dinner on Friday night. Amazing Italian restaurant...they sat us in the wine cellar. Very cool.Waiting to get on the bus to head to the airport.Thank you to our parents for watching Ayla...we are so lucky to not have to worry about her while we're away. She loves being with them...very comfortable and very happy. So much so that she was often too busy to talk to us when we called. :) As always, it was nice to get away for a few days, but I was definitely ready to come home and squeeze my little girl.

32 weeks

I used the self-timer on my camera today to take my belly pic so that's why it looks a lil different. I had the camera propped up on the couch with a bowl, piece of tile, and a throw pillow. It worked. Kind of. :)And just for sh*ts and giggles, I came across this next picture. Remember when I looked like this? Ha. I don't. Talk about instant depression. This was my very first belly pic while I was pregnant with Ayla nearly three years ago...8 weeks along. Hmph. Crazy skinny bitch.
So anyways. I just got home from my check-up and everything is still going well. Amazingly, I did not gain any weight since my last appointment two weeks ago. I'm shocked. Dr. Bishop asked me a couple times if I was eating well and I laughed at her and said oh yes. I asked her how much I gained, thinking it was going to be a lot if she mentioned eating twice. Nothing, she said. Weird. I decided to stop at McDonald's for a chocolate shake on the way home. :) I really feel like my belly has gotten sooo much bigger this last week. PIP loves to be right up against my ribs...those little knees and elbows are very busy in there. My ankles and feet still look like ankles and feet...no swelling yet, thank goodness. Eventhough I only work a few hours a day, my back has started to ache by the end...nothing excruciating, just a bit bothersome. That's my only complaint, so I think I'm doing pretty well.

Dean and I are heading to Cancun in the morning for his company incentive trip, so I wanted to get a final okay from Dr. Bishop to go. She said all is well and gave me a few pointers--obviously, don't drink the water, no fresh fruit or veggies (bummer), make sure everything is cooked, and on the plane, make sure I get up and pee and move my legs often enough. She sent me home with my medical records just in case. I asked if she wanted to come with us just in case. :) I'm looking forward to a few days of relaxation...the sun, the ocean, room service...this is our last trip before PIP comes and we enter the crazy world of having two children. As much as I need this break, I, of course, am going to miss my Ayla so so so much. I hope she isn't mad at us for leaving her when we get home. She loves being with both sets of grandparents though, so I think she'll have a good time.

Adios!

Car show

I've been terrible at taking pictures of Ayla this month. I'd love to take her outside to play in the snow and snap a few, but it's been way too cold for that.Dean took her downtown to meet Aunt Marla and Grandpa for the car show this morning and let her run around and "test drive" a few cars.

Rockin' Daddy's hat

Potty update: She has been doing so well! Accidents are happening less and less and if we're out for a short amount of time, she comes home dry. If we're out longer though, she still will say she has to go but then refuses to even sit on the toilet and asks for her little potty. Eventually, can't hold it any longer and ends up going in her Pull-Up. (We call Pull-Ups her "going out underwear" and when we're at home, she wears regular underwear). Erika and Taylor--I think I will have to try the fold-up potty seat for when we're out. I'm not sure what else I can do to ease her fears about it.