Waterbirth

In our birthing suite we have the option of giving birth in water or even just laboring in water. We have been putting a lot of thought into whether or not we want to have a water birth, and as of now we have decided just to wait to see what feels right at the time! I'm pretty sure I will be using the birthing tub to labor in, but to birth not sure yet. However the benefits of the birthing in water are pretty sweet! The benefits of having a water birth are so numerous, but here are a few:

•Ease the pain of labor where only 10% of mom's ask for pain relief! Sounds good to me since we are doing this all natural!
•Helps me relax.
•Can facilitate a shorter labor!
•Relaxed pelvic floor.
•Relieve anxiety
•Empowering.
•Can increase blood circulation

Double Digits and Linea Negra

First off has any one noticed that we only have 97 days till Dakota's due date!!! Yep we are in the double digits! So crazy! Can't believe in 13 days I will be in my last trimester! Blows my mind how fast this pregnancy has went!

Secondly I would like to announce the coming of my beutiful linea negra line! Spotted it yesterday when I was putting on BioOil! A linea negra is a pale line that runs from the pubic bone to the belly button. In most women it is hardly noticeable. However, when a woman is pregnant, the linea negra may darken from a light, rosy brown to a very dark brown. Mine right now barley showing but it's there!

26 weeks!

Dakota is kicking like crazy these days and I can actually some times see my belly jump and Daddy is feeling her kick pretty much every day now!

At 26 Weeks:

• The network of nerves in Dakota's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before.
•  She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. =)
• She's continuing to put on that cute baby fat and now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

Nursery in Progress!!

Took down the tape today and starting putting everything together. Still have A LOT to do but making good progress so far!

New Car....

Yep Mama may be getting a new ride! Daddy really thinks it's important for me to have 4wd especially for when Dakota is here and since it's suppose to be the worse winter in 50 years! I have been saying we should wait a year or two since my car is still so new to me, but an amazing opportunity has presented itself and we may be getting a new mommy-mobile!

Chevy Equinox! Before we got pregnant this was my dream SUV for luggin around the kids and that dream may be coming true!

Is that a baby bump?

Yep offically have a baby bump! Love it so much!

 6 1/2 Months!!

Painting Party!!!

Was so lucky to have Lindz, my Mom and Pa, and Sister came over today and painted Dakota's room for me! And man did they do it fast and good! Here are just couple pictures of what the room looked with it's boring white paint and then with the walls painted with the new beige colored paint! I will post some more once we start to put furniture back and start to hang pictures and the tissue pom poms! Yep Auntie Amy and I made three tissue pom poms and they are going to go perfect in Dakota's nursery!!

25 weeks

Another week gone, and one step closer to meeting our baby girl! I have had a few friends give birth recently and they are making me sooo excited for our turn! I can't wait to meet her! 3 more weeks and we will be in our 3rd and final trimester!!!

At 25 weeks:
* Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga.

* She's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. :)
* Her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn.
* She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture! 
* The structures of her spine are starting to form, including 33 vertebrae (rings of bone), 150 joints, and 1,000 ligaments. These structures will eventually support your baby's body weight.
* Dakota's capillaries are also forming this week. Capillaries are the tiny blood vessels that move blood from the heart to tissues in the body. 
* So far in our pregnancy, Dakota's nostrils have been plugged up, but they are now beginning to open up.

* With the advances in technology, if she were to be born this week, she has up to an 82 percent chance of survival with aggressive ICU treatment. Amazing from 50% which was last week!

Breast Feeding Wonders!

Every morning while getting ready I have a list of things in my head that I need to accomplish either at work, home, or just later on in life. Today it was all about breast feeding! I plan on going back to work two months after Dakota is born and to prepare myself for not only getting myself ready in the morning with a baby but also getting Dakota ready I have been getting up a tad bit earlier. I know that children throw odds into your day and you really never know what to expect, but it makes me feel better to think that I'm some what preparing myself for it :) So this morning while I'm getting ready I was thinking that it wouldn't be that much harder getting myself and Dakota ready, but then remember "Duh Mom! Dakota has to eat too!" I know peeps don't ask me why this hasn't crossed my head before but for some reason it hadn't. So this leaves me wondering about how breast feeding is going to go once I go back to week. I would really, really love to breast feed for at least one year. I know the benefits of breast feeding and don't want to take any of those away from our baby girl! So I wonder really how much time she will need to eat each morning. I imagine that each feeding will probably be different, but really how is this all going to work...? This morning thought has left me a little scared for breast feeding (which too date has really been the only thing I have been scared or nervous about, so that is good) especially since she will be bottle feeding (breast milk still though) while I'm at work. Will bottle feeding while I'm at work make her not want to breast feed, or will she not care... I did find this site, http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html,  which seems to have a lot of info. but I would love any feedback and advice for this adventure!

All I do know really is that I'm a determined breastfeeding mama. That I know!

Etsy Monday!

Poncho perfect for this cold winter! A little spendy but very cute!

This hat is so cute and Mama is for sure going to buy! Now should I get a newborn or 0-3...

Daddy will love these booties! And they are soft so will be perfect for when she's a newbie!

Goes with our Birdie theme too!

So cute and cheap!

Wet bag for Daddy! Now I wonder if he would use it...