3 weeks to go!!

Was very happy when I put this dress on and it still fit :)

Can't go wrong with a cotton dress, leggings, and flat boots! Cozy!!!

37 weeks!!

Can you believe little Dakota is now considered full term! She could come any day now :) So amazing!

Dakota at 37 weeks:

• If I were to go into labor now, her lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb.
• Dakota weighs approximately 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard).

• Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.

So pretty much Dakota is just now gaining weight and waiting for her special debut! Here are some signs of labor that I have been told to watch out for:

• Dakota drops. I thinks she may of dropped on Christmas morning but we will see what my midwives have to say on Wednesday :)
• An uptick in Braxton Hicks contractions. More frequent and intense Braxton Hicks contractions can signal pre-labor, during which your cervix ripens and the stage is set for true labor. Some women experience a crampy, menstrual-like feeling during this time. Haven't felt them increase really at all...
• You pass your mucus plug. No mucus plug yet!
• Your water breaks. For sure no waterfall yet either :)

Found this cute

Can you still:

• Sneeze or cough without crossing your legs first? Yes; however sneezing feels really intense now!
• Put on your pants while standing up? Yes but very carefully or I loose my balance!
• Wear your rings? Yep no swollen hands.
• Tie your shoes with your feet on the floor? No way! Can hardly even put on shoes without sitting down :)
• Pee in a cup at the OB without getting your hand wet? Actually found this very challenging at my last midwife appointment! I can't see the cup which makes it really hard to aim for ;)
• Get out of a car without grunting? Yes however having a SUV helps a lot!
• Eat a full plate of food without regretting it? Oh yeah.
• Zip your winter coat? No way!
• Get off a couch or chair with out using both arms? If I'm sitting yes, but if I'm laying down I more of a roll off the couch! 
• Roll over in bed without grunting? Sometimes but getting very hard!
• Go 2 hours without peeing?  Yes
• Can you still shave your legs in the shower? Only because we have a sitting area in our shower to prop my leg up on :)

Time to Pack!

Wasn't too sure when we should pack our bag for the birthing house or put the car seat in but David and I have decided that sooner than later is probably a good idea so we are going to do it this week! This is the list that the midwives give us for things we need to bring, but I was also wondering if you guys had any other suggestions? Your newborn car seat (should be installed in your car before you leave for The Birth House)

• Slippers
• A loosely fitting clean set of clothes to go home in. Received some cozy clothes for lounging in for Christmas so those will work perfect for this!
• Shoes for walking outdoors
• Toiletries, esp. toothbrushes, toothpaste, hairbrush, shampoo, hair ties, and chap stick
• A 4-inch piece of fresh ginger root (keep in the fridge or freezer until you leave for the center) for perineal compresses during the pushing stage of labor.
• Clothes for the baby: 1 cotton stretch newborn hat, 1 receiving blanket, and a heavier blanket. This has been my hardest decision! Seems so simple but I want her first outfit to be perfect :)
•  Fluids: Recharge (an electrolyte drink available at the Coop, Ralph’s Thriftway or Fred Meyer), coconut water, juices, or herbal teas.)
• Plenty of food and snacks for yourself and your support people. So happy I will be able to eat during labor!
• A change of clothes for your partner and other support people.
• Your “Postpartum Instructions For Mom & Baby” and “Vital Signs Checklist” sheets 
•  Insurance information
• Overnight maxi pads (2)
• Homeopathic arnica tablets
• Camera. Just bought a video camera too so we wil be bringing that also!
• Swimsuit for partner. Still not sure if I want David in the birthing tub with me but he is going to bring his swim trunks just in case :)
• Comforting items, such as your favorite pillow(s) and blanket(s), photographs, special massage oil, music (CDs), IPOD. Will probably bring our own pillows and cozy blanket to help me sleep better, well that is if I can sleep :)

Ready at Home:Overnight maxi pads (24+ count)

• 3 days prepared food in your freezer (ask your friends or family for help with this)
• 1 digital thermometer that signals when finished (ear & forehead thermometers do not work well with infants)
• Optional: 1 small jar of calendula salve (available at our office) or Arbordoun's calendula cream (ointment for nipple care)
• 3 packets of postpartum sitz bath herbs (available at our office, or at Radiance Herbs & Massage)
• 3 whole fresh garlic heads (not just the cloves) This is used with the sitz bath
• 3 cups sea salt. This is also used with the sitz bath!

After the birth:

• Make prior arrangements to have another adult stay with you for at least the first 24 hours. We strongly recommend bed rest for 3 days except for trips to the bathroom.
• Maxi pads

Oh Mucous Plug where are you?

This by far has to be my most charming post, losing my mucous plug! No don't get all excited because I haven't lost it yet, but every time I go to the little girls room I hope to see it! For those that don't know the mucous plug is a collection of cervical mucus that seals the opening of the cervix. It helps keep bacteria and infection from entering into the cervix and provides a protective barrier for Dakota. It looks something like this:

Pretty I know :) Well as nasty as it looks and sounds it's really quite exciting because once I loose it that is the first step into going into labor and that my cervix is dilating; however the lame part is that labor could be hours, days, or even weeks away as the cervix gradually opens over time but hey it's a start! I will be 37 weeks tomorrow which means Dakota is full term so I'm starting to get really, really excited for her to come so everyone lets hope I see this slimy thing soon!!!

Cameron-ymns

I'm really fortunate to get to see my nephew Cameron a lot and he is soooo excited to meet his cousin Dakota! Every time he sees me know the first thing he does is look at my belly and then ask if Dakota is moving. Out of everyone he has actually probably felt her move the most! He loves her so much already and it is the sweetest thing ever. The things he says and asks me about Dakota are so cute and hilarious so I thought I would share some with everyone!

• A couple weeks ago Cameron asked if Dakota would be here for Christmas. I let him know that she still had some time to cook. Being 6 years old, Cameron had no idea what I was talking about and he replied, "Cooking... is she cooking crabby patties in there?" Then just today he asked me when she is born if she was going to bring her oven too because he wants to cook with her :) Too cute!
• On Christmas day I asked Cameron what his favorite Christmas present was so far, and he answered "Dakota!" Melts my heart!
• Cameron finds my belly to be hilarious and on Christmas eve decided to tell me that I was fat and I said "No Cam I'm pregnant." He didn't reply to that but later when I was weighing myself he came into the bathroom and said "See Auntie I told you that you were getting fat." ;)
• Cameron insist that I eat anything that he is eating because Dakota will like it because he does.

Amazing Aunt #10

With Dakota's due date coming so quickly I have decided to ramp up my Amazing Aunt posts to two a week! She still has so many Aunties out there that I want to recognize!!!

So Amazing Aunt #10 is...

HEATHER VANQUAETHEM!!!

Heather is probably one of the sweestest girls you will ever meet! She is always thinking of others and has a heart of gold! This picture was taken at her bachlorette party that her sister-in-law and I threw for her. Heather just moved back to Olympia too so we are sooooo happy that we will get to see her all the time and Dakota will get to know her and love her as much as we do!

How far along? 36 weeks and 1 day :)
Total Weight Gain: As of Monday I weighed 147.5 so a total of 17.5 pounds!
Maternity Clothes: Still kickin it in mainly "normal" clothes. I did invest in an amazing long tank top from Motherhood Maternity!
Baby’s Size: A crenshaw melon
Movement: All the time!!! Movements are really big and strong now :)
Sleep: Still sleeping good :)  
Stretch Marks: None yet and crossing my fingers the next four weeks will bring none :)
Symptoms: Nothing at all. Feel extremly healthy and ready to have a baby!!
Best Moments this week: Getting a glimpse of our maternity pics! So happy that we decided to do them! They are sooo cute!
Food Cravings: Sweets but can you blame me its Christmas!
Food Aversion: Nothing that I wouldn't normally not eat  
What I am Looking forward to: Christmas and hanging out with family!
Goal this week: Well last week I got Dakota's closet all organized but still need to tackle the pantry so I think I shall attempt to do that tomorrow!

Amazing Aunt # 9

AUNTIE JULIA

I have a feeling that Auntie Julia will be the naughy Aunt out of them all. Julia and I have been friends since middle school and spent many nights causing trouble in Olympia; however our parents always and still do saw as us angels :) This picture was taken at my second baby shower and Julia is the chica on the left and the chica on the right is her sister Katie, who I also love to death!!

Sneak Peak :)

We got maternity pictures done on Sunday and I couldn't be more happy with our photographer! She was super nice, had amazing ideas, and we felt extremly comfortable around her!! So happy to have a family photographer already!! Here are some pictures she posted on her blog! More to come!!!

36 weeks!!!

Holy moly we are 9 months prego!!! Had a midwife appointment last night and everything is all on track! She is still head down; however hasn't dropped at all which is normal for 36 weeks :) Hopefully the next four weeks go by fast with the holidays because we are starting to get really antsy for her appearance!

Dakota at 36 weeks is:

• Dakota is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. Will be interesting when she is born to see how well she matches up with the average weight :)

• She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
• At the end of this week, Dakota will be considered full-term!!!! (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position (which she is!!).

Etsy Friday

Most of my Etsy wants I never buy but I think I may have to buy one of these

diaper covers for her newborn pictures!

If only I knew how to make hats!!!

This poncho is pretty cool! Especially for all our lovely Washington rain!

Now if only it wasn't $105!

Got to love the soft booties!

Meet and Greet Update

Well first of all Healthy Future Pediatrics is an amazing and beautiful clinic and all of their staff is super nice! Dr. Lindgren was super nice and very knowledgeable too! We felt very comfortable with him and liked everything he had to say besides his strong, strong believe in vaccinations. David and I aren't on either side of yes or no, so sort of in the middle so it gets confusing. Both sides makes sense in certain aspects and we just want what we believe is best for our daughter. He did let us know that vaccinations wouldn't be pushed on us but each time we were in and it was vaccination time they would go over the benefits of getting them and not getting them, which in some ways I like but then also don't like that each time we will be reminded that they would like us to vaccinate. He also informed me that I should get a flu vaccination (didn't really like that). So we aren't sure what we want to do. We loved the vibe we got from the clinic and Dr. Lindgren but we may check out Olympia Pediatrics instead because I have heard wonderful things about them and have a few friends that take their children there and they have informed me that their doctors clearly let vaccinations  be your choice and not press their views on you. So what to do....

35 weeks

No photo for 34 weeks, but here is one for 35 weeks!! Getting bigger and bigger each day!!!

Meet and Greet

Tomorrow is our meet and greet with Dr. Lindgren at Healthy Future Pediatrics! I have been trying to compile a list of questions that we want to ask him regarding his practice and views. So far this is what we have come up with:

1. Is this a solo or group practice? If solo, who covers when the doctor isn't available and if group how often will we see other doctors? I'm pretty sure it's a solo practice, but we just want to make sure.
2. Does the doctor have any sub specialities?
3. How can we reach the doctor if Dakota gets sick after hours?
4. When the doctor's not on call, who covers? This question mainly pertains to after hour calls.
5. What are his views on breastfeeding and immunizations? We want a doctor that is going to be very supportive of breast feeding and on our choice with vaccinating or not vaccinating.

To be honest the last question is the big one and will probably make or break who we end up going to. So we shall see!!!

Amazing Aunt #8

AUNTIE CHRISTINE!!!!

Auntie Christine we like to refer to as Superwomen!! She has twins, a boy named Royce and a girl named Royal, and she makes motherhood look soooo easy! This picture was taken at Shannon and Keith's wedding during their reception, and Christine is the beautiful Blondie in the middle :) She is an amazing mother and friend and so happy that I will be able to call her at all hours asking "WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO...." Love you chica!

35 Weeks!

That's right we can officially start counting down weeks on one hand! 5 weeks to go and my list of things to do seems to be adding up. We are pretty much ready for her anytime, but being the clean freak and planner that I am, I want everything perfect! My goals for this week are to get Dakota's closet all organized and the pantry organized to fits all her bottles, feeding and cleaning supplies! We will see how far I get with that :)

At 35 weeks Dakota:

• Dakota doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon).

• Because she's so snug in my womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. Kicks have been very frequent and tend to be in the ribs :) Love you baby girl! 
•  Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products.
• Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight so we can pinch those chubby, chubby cheeks :)

Tick Tock

Days are FLYING by!! I can't get over that we are so close to meeting our baby girl! Everything seems to be coming to an end and we are just waiting now for her to make her work debut! We have our meet and greet on Thursday so hopefully that goes all good and we will have a pediatrician all picked out for Dakota and then Sunday is our last birthing class! Hoping we will learn some labor positions and massage techniques! Then Saturday we also may be getting maternity pictures done! My friend/co-worker Tian recommended us to photographer Kimberly Witort and she does amazing work! Even better is she is running a special right now where newborn sessions are free! Now to just figure out what to wear and what poses we want to do! Here are a couple that I like!

This one Kimberly did! Love it!

The next maternity ones Lindsey found for me and I love how simple they are!

All of these baby ones Kimberly did and are sooo cute!

Miss you Etsy

I'm thinking these little shoes would look pretty cute with a pink dress!

And this bow also!

Too cute not to buy!! Maybe for her stocking?

How far along? 34 weeks and one day!


Total Weight Gain: As of Monday I weighed 146 so a total of 16 pounds!


Maternity Clothes: I bought a shirt and dress from Target merely because they were on clearance and the shirt I wore and wasn't super impressed with. The dress I'm going to wear on Saturday to our work Christmas party so we shall see how it goes. But still kickin it in pre-prego jeans :) Amazing huh!

Baby’s Size: A cantaloupe


Movement: All the time. We are suppose to be counting baby movement but she is moving so frequently we don't need to :)


Sleep: Waking up feeling well rested; however I am waking up at least three times a night to use the bathroom and then a few times to switch sides.
Stretch Marks: None yet :)


Symptoms: Nothing at all. Actually don't really feel pregnant besides this big ole belly in front of me and of course the mini moving around in me :)


Best Moments this week: Hearing that Dakota was no longer breached and head down! Hopefully she will stay that way!


Food Cravings: Sweets! If I see them give them to me! And orange juice in the morning.


Food Aversion.... does this really exist in the third trimester? :)

What I am Looking forward to: Our work Christmas party! Always fun to get together with co-workers and of course all the yummy food!

Goal this week: To help David organize the garage! And I also accomplished my goal of last week of making a meet and greet for Dakota! Scheduled for the 16th!

34 weeks!

Another week gone! Seriously where does time go? 34 weeks! That leaves 6 weeks till my due date!!! Feeling really good though! No back pain, no kidney stone pain, no leg cramps! Life is perfect!

This week Dakota:

•  Dakota weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long.

• Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder.
• Her skin is also smoother than ever.
• Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. Babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. :) However Dakota that doesn't mean you need to come early! You keep cookin little girl!
• Those tiny fingernails have probably reached the tips of her fingers by now — and getting ready for that first postpartum manicure :)
• She also will start to show some recognition of voices and sounds during this stage of pregnancy.

Any ideas?

Among the million and three things I have been thinking about lately for getting ready for Dakota's arrival for some reason I seem to always think of something else new to add to the list. This morning I was thinking it would nice to get our midwives a present for helping us on our journey, so I guess sort of a push present for them :) However I have no clue what would be a good and thoughtful present. One idea that I came up with was getting them the book "The Baby Catcher" which is a collection of stories written by a midwives and then maybe a picture of Dakota too; however I need to see if they already have this book because since they have been practicing for awhile they probably do! Then I was also thinking maybe some sort of plant which could symbolize our growing family that they have helped keep healthy and safe. Or also maybe a personalized compact mirror, but what to put on the front of each? I found a website where I can get them for $9.99 a piece and personalizing them is free! Any ideas???

Amazing Auntie #7

AUNTIE FERNANDEZ!!

This week amazing aunt is Auntie Fernandez aka Jennifer :) This picture was taken two years ago at Auntie Shannon's halloween party! I have know Jen for about 7 years and have loved every moment with her. I also get to work with Jen everyday so she has seen my belly grow from nothing to a huge ball! Jen also just recently got engaged and Dakota and I couldn't be more happier for her! Dakota is already planning on what she shall wear to their wedding!

Another decision....

As Dakota's due date approaches closer and closer (6 weeks, two days) we are faced with more and more decisions. The most recent one would have to do with a vitamin K injection at birth. Vitamin K shots have been given to newborn babies in the U.S. since the 1960s and about 1 in 10,000 babies, which 90% are breastfed babies, has a vitamin K deficiency. Newborn infants routinely receive a vitamin K shot after birth in order to prevent a rare problem of bleeding into the brain weeks after birth, which happens in about 5 out of 100,000 births. The shots are generally considered harmless, although there's some controversy about a link between Vitamin K and an increased risk of childhood leukemia. In one article I read it showed a 80% increased risk of developing childhood leukemia! There is a safer way for a breastfed baby to get more vitamin K! Either the baby can be supplemented with several low oral doses of liquid vitamin K9 or the nursing mother can take vitamin K supplements daily or twice weekly for 10 weeks.


So what to do? For me doing the supplement more gradually with Dakota sounds better or me taking a vitamin K supplement; however one quick shot my be easier.... what do you guys think?

Happy Tree Hunting!!

I LOVE Christmas trees! The smell, look, and joy they bring is unexplainable! Today David, Stout, Dakota, and I went hunting for ours! We always go to Toms U-cut and once again they didn't let us down. We were looking for a smaller tree this year, but that still full. That made the search a little harder but we ended finding exactly what we were looking for! Now time to decorate and drink eggnog! Lets pray Stout is a good boy and doesn't eat it or mark it while we are at work :)

First Maternity Wear

Tried out my maternity shirt today and it was pretty cozy! I think I'm still loving the longer shirts with leggings though, so hopefully I can find some that are still long enough with the growing belly of mine!

33 week Belly Pic!!

Hello Big Belly!!! Starting to get to the end of pre-prego clothes that fit well and comfortable! This outfit is still all pre-prego item; however the shirt was a lot longer before :) I actually bought two maternity items yesterday at Target, a shirt and a dress for my work Christmas party! We shall see how maternity clothes suite me soon!! XOXO