THRILLED!

These past few weeks have been a little rough. Poor Jose's eyes are bloodshot from studying so much. (He's been taking the Bar for the past couple of days.) I've been trying to stay out of the house/meet new friends to stay sane and keep Mirabel entertained and not missing her dad. (It's so sad. She would often stand at his office door by the end of the day and yell out his name/crying for him to come out...not understanding that he didn't actually want to be in there away from us for so long.)

But let me tell you, today has got to be one of the happiest days of my life. I am married to a man who's always got his head in the books. Yes, he's a hard worker, but he's been a student the entire time I've been married to him/while we were dating. Yep, he did graduate a few months ago, but the studying became even more intense after that. This test was/is brutal. He can usually feel like he's got the information down by the time bigs tests roll around. But he said this one was different (and I bet it was). Poor guy!

But today, we are both the lucky ones! No more studying, no more test-taking after around 5 PM today! Can you believe it?!!!! I'm thrilled. Seriously, I think I'm gonna go bake a cake or make some chocolate ice cream. :)

Moving forward (well, up North, really ;)

These past few weeks have flown by. I find myself agreeing with all the familiar comments and pieces of advice that new parents get, from "they grow so fast" to "sleep when the baby sleeps!". That last one, I still haven't mastered. I have a good excuse today, though...we are packing to move yet again. It'll be our final move within Texas, then in August we're heading back East for one more year (or about 9 months, I'm counting down!).

Mirabel has grown quite a bit. She started out a tiny 6lbs, and now the doctor says she's in the 80th percentile, as far as her size goes. Which makes sense, since she seems to like to eat quite often. At her last appointment, the doctor asked how often I feed her, whether it was ever 2 or 3 hours. I said, "whenever she wants!" HA! I think she's going to be a foodie ;). But can you nurse a baby too much? Hmm...we shall see. I didn't give up on nursing after all. It was pretty tough at first but I'm really glad I didn't give up.

She's also started smiling, here's the evidence (this was actually at 3 1/2 or 4 weeks, but she's been smilin' since about 2!)

She also got dressed up for Father's Day (actually, she doesn't really like getting dressed just yet--crying begins on cue every time!). But I managed to squeeze her into this dress, though I think it'll be the last time she wears it (we did buy too much clothes after all!).
more later...

Almost a month (a quick update on my break :)

My break? That's right :). Jose is home from a looong (11 hour!) day at work and I have about an hour to myself before we get ready for bed (bedtime happens as soon as the sun sets, these days!). I'm coming to realize just how much being a mom really is a full time job, particularly to a newborn who loves being held. I applaud all the single moms out there. Even though I'm home alone with the kiddo during the week, having a husband who pitches in when he gets home is such a blessing.

Mirabel is doing very well, I'm very happy to report. She is only waking up about 2 or 3 times a night and I'm starting to get used to the waking-up-at-night routine. It was a little tough at first, because I don't get out of bed easily, but operating on just a few hours of sleep isn't so tough any more :). I try to squeeze in at least one little nap a day, but Mirabel's daytime naps are getting shorter (but she's sleeping longer at night, so no complaints here!). Thankfully, she's a pretty content kiddo. She has her crying moments (she hates baths, isn't a fan of the car seat, and really doesn't like having her diaper changed) but she doesn't cry for hours on end and...the vacuum cleaner is our friend :)! As soon as the vacuum cleaner's powered on, the crying magically stops... So you'll sometimes find us plugging the vacuum cleaner into an outlet in the bathroom just to get through a bathing session tear-free, funny as that sounds...

More later. Here's another pic for now :).

Growing...

This first week has gone by so quickly. I'm not really aware of time any more, as our schedule revolves around a little girl's appetite :) (which is a pretty big one). It seems we have also centered our lives around eating and sleeping, much like a baby. Those are the two things we try to make the time for, even when we don't have time to do anything else. Feeling the warmth of Mirabel's little body against mine when I rest her head near my heart, or taking in her sweet baby smell when she's sleeping in my arms makes it all worth it, though! And I still can't believe she's mine sometimes. I lover her so much!

...Doesn't this little dress look familiar ;)?
Jose's been a huge help (I'm so thankful she came before his internship started) and I wouldn't have been able to make it through the week without him. Somehow (probably from lack of sleep ;), my asthma flared up pretty badly with a cold, then it turned into bronchitis. The hacking cough wasn't fun and unfortunately I passed my cold/virus along to Jose, but we've been able to make it through together! And I'm slowly learning how to gracefully accept the unexpected and forget about being perfect...



For instance, my desire to continue nursing Mirabel is still stronger than my tolerance for pain, but I'm beginning to feel myself wanting to bottle feed. I feel terribly guilty for that. The temptation is actually centered on health reasons (bleeding and cracking is quite painful!). When Mirabel was first born, she had to head off to the NICU--where they refused to let me nurse her for the first day because of her breathing issues. She also developed jaundice, and at the time I was not able to provide enough liquids for her so they supplemented with formula (they push liquids on jaundiced babies). Introducing a bottle to a newborn makes things a little complicated, as they get used to it and have a hard time adjusting to being breastfed. I never planned on having a baby that needed to be in the intensive care unit for the first few days of her life (does anyone, really?). I imagined that I would feed her right when she was born (and that I'd have an easy quick labor--haha! Funny what we imagine!).

My "plan" was set, or so I thought. I bought the nursing books, special nursing pillows, read all the information that I could, and met with a lactation consultant (actually, a couple). I even watched YouTube Videos--I was so determined to get it right! Honestly, I still am. But there are moments when the burning/throbbing pain is so bad that I just give her formula, and I feel so guilty afterward. In fact, I feel more guilty about that than I ever have about anything else! I'm trying to be reasonable but logic doesn't exist when the guilt sets in. My expectations for myself are unrealistic, that's what I have to accept. Right now I'm having to weigh what's best for the both of us and not let guilt be what influences my decision. I tell myself that in the end, it's what I offer her emotionally that matters the most and that I am not a failure if I have to give up breastfeeding because of the damage it's causing my body.

This really isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Even when it comes to being a mom, I can only do my best and that's it. Maybe I should even say "especially when it comes to being a mom". Isn't that one of the toughest and also one of the most amazing roles a woman can have? It's also the role no one has to try out for, so we are bound to be mistakes or get a few lines wrong!

I know I still have so much to learn as far as parenting goes. I have a feeling I'll have to give myself a few more of these self-talk/reality-checks as Mirabel grows up. :)

Mirabel is here!

Thursday night was a fairly quiet one. Hubby and I decided to stay in, I was watching "The Perfect Dress" on TLC for about 3 hours (which is funny because I never watch TV for that long). Around 4 pm I started getting contractions that seemed a bit different from my typical ones. They were more painful and could be defined as standard labor contractions. This continued every 15 minutes or so for the next 4 or 5 hours. Around 9, things started progressing a bit more, and at this point I was pretty sure it was labor. They started getting so bad and close together, I had trouble standing. So even though the hospital was only about 1 mile away from home, we headed on over any way. When we got there, I was contracting so much and so frequently, the nurses thought I'd soon deliver. Funny thing is, the contractions just stopped and the doctor told me they were just braxton hicks! I begged to differ and told her that my BH contractions never felt that intense; I know what braxton hicks feel like because I'd been having them for months! So the doctor on call at the hospital called my OB, who wanted me to stay over night for monitoring. I LABORED all night (not braxton hicks). When I first arrived at the hospital, I was only about 2.5 cm dilated, by morning I was only about 3.5. Luckily, my doctor paid me a visit on Friday morning. She agreed that I was in labor but that I wasn't progressing the way she wanted me to, so she broke my water... and that's officially when game time started!

So I thought the contractions were painful...little did I know they would only become unbearable after the breaking of the water. OH. MY. GOSH. Seriously?! I was becoming delusional. It was morning and I'd only slept about 15 minutes that entire night because of the contractions. Every time a contraction would come on, I felt like vomiting and I got very, very hot. It was so frustrating because I really wanted to have a "natural" childbirth experience, but I really didn't have the energy. I gave up and realized I had nothing to feel guilty about; for pete's sake, they call it labor for a reason! I figured out the reason ;). But, to my disappointment, the doctor didn't want to give me an epidural until I was at least 5 cm dilated. I cried. Literally. I looked at Jose and said "help me!" and then I'd say "God help me" and then I'd just say the "Our Father" over and over, to help me focus. I was pretty crazy. I even went so far as to pour ice water on my face when a contraction hit. So every other contraction was followed by "Water!" or "Ice!". Poor Jose, what a trooper, he kept up and gave me whatever I asked for. He tried massaging my head but all I wanted was water and ice...oh yeah, and he had to resort to fanning me with a pillow every time a contraction hit. He was awesome and I love him all the more for his support.

By the time I was able to get the epidural, I'd already dilated past 5 cm! In fact, 30 minutes after they gave me the epidural, my doc came back from doing a c-section and said "it's time to push!". Those were the words I never thought I'd hear! I was so out of it, I literally thought maybe she was joking. I didn't see an end to the labor, I wasn't thinking clearly at all. But what JOY and RELIEF the word "push" brought to me. This was my light at the end of the tunnel! Jose was elated and I was still delusional, but somehow, after just 15 minutes of pushing, I managed to get our baby girl out! I gave it all I got, pushed with all I had (which didn't seem like much, but somehow I did it) and she came out with a bang and beautiful cry. It was quite the experience!

Unfortunately, she wasn't "pinking up" as quickly as they wanted her to, and her breathing patterns were a bit off...so after holding her for just 3 minutes, she was whisked away to the NICU. They said that she has Transient Tachypnea, but last night they were able to take her off oxygen and she's doing really well now. We won't get to take her home until monday, because they want to be sure she doesn't have an infection, but we are happy that she has improved and hasn't experienced any other complications. She eats well and doesn't cry much at all, only when she's hungry or not swaddled :). She's such a sweet baby and loves being held...which is a good thing because we love to hold her. Our petite little Mirabel came into this world weighing only a whopping 6 pounds, 6 ounces; she's 17.9 inches long. I think she looks like a little ballerina. She's adorable!

Not yet... :)

She still hasn't made her grand appearance! But our new doc decided to do an ultrasound last week and this is what we got :D (no scanner here in Houston, so the pic is a little blurry from having to photograph it). I was really happy because I wanted one of these 4-D ultrasounds soooo badly, thankfully I got one. Mirabel is so camera shy, just like her dad. She always has her hands over her face. Her nose looks a little funny, I think she got my mushroom nose haha :D. She's got a tiny bit of hair and measured at 6 pounds 4 ounces at 38 weeks, which is what I weighed at birth (40 weeks). It looks like she'll be little like me, but we shall see (hopefully sooner than later!).

The not-so-good news is that my amniotic fluid levels are measuring "borderline". The doc set up another ultrasound for my actual due date. If the fluid levels have dropped more, then I will need to be induced. Not exactly looking forward to pitocin contractions, but at least that means I will probably be holding Mirabel next week! AHHHH! I am SO SO excited, and that is an understatement. We are so ready for her! All the baby showers are over and we picked up the final necessities yesterday, we're good to go :).

This is the cake from this weekend's shower, the top part was gluten-free :)!

Mother's day was really special this year. I wasn't expecting anything but Jose gave me such a sweet gift. Awhile ago, I mentioned that I really wanted to buy the Beatrix Potter Fairy Tale Collection. I said it just once, pretty briefly, but Jose remembered. Below is what I found on the kitchen table on Mother's Day morning...

Happy Mother's Day to all of the sweet women out there who've either birthed or adopted children, or have loving hearts :).

I'm tempted to say that the next post will be a birth announcement with plenty of pictures, but, gosh, this little girl is not showing any signs of coming out any time soon! :P Come out, Mirabel!

It's getting to the "not so fun" part of the game

So...what was supposed to be just a 1 hour visit with our new OB turned into a 2 hour wait to see the doctor, followed by a 5 hour hospital stay (and I didn't get to meet the midwives, so that plan is out the window now). This new doc of mine is very, very thorough. She doesn't let anything slip through the cracks, really. That's actually why her wait time is so long, apparently everyone loves her. She is a sweet/intelligent lady, but...yesterday still wasn't fun.

The night before we didn't sleep much because I was contracting every 3 minutes for about 20-30 seconds each time. That lasted 2 hours then stopped. But the next day at the appointment, when the doctor put the doppler on my belly to see how Mirabel was doing, she was concerned about how she was responding to the contractions. So that's when she sent me to the hospital for what was supposed to be a 30 minute NST. She said that if the baby wasn't tolerating the contractions, I'd be INDUCED THAT VERY DAY!

After being hooked up to the monitors for an hour, the results were faxed to the doctor. She said all was well with the baby but she was concerned that I was having contractions every 2 minutes. Apparently the monitor was catching more contractions than I was. I was surprised to feel half of the contractions, because even that was more than what I was used to. Hoping the space between each contraction would slow down, she had me drink 2 liters of water.

4 hours later, I'm still contracting.

I finally get to leave because the contractions decreased a tad, and I told them that I've always contracted throughout this pregnancy. Thankfully I didn't have to be induced, but going 10 hours without eating was pretty rough.

Today I'm having some on/off contractions again...I'm not sure how much longer this is gonna go on, but hopefully we can get some more sleep before the baby arrives!

Might be a slow process after all

Looks like we're going to have an uneventful plane ride to Texas this Thursday after all :). Jose and I can breathe a sigh of relief now that we know I haven't started dilating yet. Still, at 36 weeks, her head is at -1 station, she's head-down, and I'm 50% effaced. Things are a'changin', slowly but surely. Well, maybe I shouldn't say that. The pregnant body is very unpredictable; every pregnancy is so different, as is every individual. Who knows when this little girl will decide to grace us with her presence. Hopefully it won't be when Jose has to come back to Boston for his finals when I'm 38.5 weeks :/. Right now, that is my only real concern...but even then, it's not the end of the world. I've had to get used to the idea. It wasn't easy at first, but I really couldn't ask for things to be better as far as the health of the baby and myself go. :) More updates later...

Sooner rather than later, I think ;)

Posts are naked without pictures, so here's another little somethin' girlie sewn for Mirabel. Blanket and cozy pants, featuring Hello Kitty; having a little girl gives me an excuse to continue my Sanrio obsession!

Braxton-hicks have been messing with me since about 16 weeks, but lately they've become more painful and they've changed. Before, they'd just cause my belly to tighten up, now they're causing pain way below my belly, and today I started having some lower back pain/cramping with them too. I only have bad ones about 4 times a day, very spread out; the usual tightening ones happen about 10 times in one day though. Every time I get the ones that are lower down and in my back, I wonder "Is this it?!". I'm only 35.5 weeks, but I have a feeling this baby will be here around 37 weeks. Watch, she'll probably arrive at 41 just because I said that :P. Monday I go back to the doc and get checked out! She'll also do a quick ultrasound to make sure Mirabel's head down. I haven't seen my baby since about 20 weeks, can't wait to see her!

...And Thursday we fly south, to Houston. Jose is worried that Mirabel will come before then; we are both ready to get outta here! We need the vitamin D! :P Right now we are just in "let's do everything to avoid labor" mode, so I'm no longer walking a mile to my doctor appointments/church :). Full term isn't until 37 weeks, but these early contractions have me a bit concerned that it might happen before then.

Thursday... just a week away! That's also the day we (or I, yep me!) will be buying a car. I can't believe it. I don't like the idea of having more debt (undergrad debt is still being paid off), but I am thrilled that I qualified for a CR-V loan with Honda, without needing a co-signer! This is progress for me, I feel like a big girl now! Of course, that isn't the mark of adulthood, but there is something very liberating about being financially independent. All my student loans required co-signers (because I didn't have a credit history/job), but thanks to my husband (who does a fantastic job of paying the bills on time) my credit score is pretty darn good! I don't mind making the money, but I do not like paying the bills... I leave that to him, and he enjoys it, thankfully :)! There will be no Forester this time. Turns out the middle seat in the back (which is supposed to be safest for babies) doesn't work very well with car seats because it has a strange hump. I read on a few forums that this is a pretty significant problem, and I didn't like the sound of it. I called Subaru and they confirmed my fear; their manual even recommends that children be placed on the right or left, by either side door, because of the hump. How strange and disappointing. Hondas are family-friendly cars, though, you can easily and safely fit 3 car seats in the back of a CR-V, so we're going with that one instead :D.

The next few updates will be more exciting, I think :)...

A little post about childbirth (and maternity pic)

Before and After :)...

I'm 33 1/2 weeks! I can actually say that next month I will be holding my tiny girl for the first time! It still seems unreal, but the third trimester pangs are kicking in, so (aside from the belly) I really can't hide from the reality of this pregnancy any longer! I get tired very easily; have indigestion and bloating (there is no room in there!); get out of breath just taking a shower, and often find myself craving afternoon naps instead of strange snacks. But I welcome these feelings. I really can't complain because everything is NORMAL. Normal is the very word I hoped would apply to my pregnancy from day one (when I wasn't sure if it would last), and thankfully it has and still does.

Now I've really got to start thinking about and preparing for the big delivery day!

I'm not going to lie and say that I think it'll be a breeze. But I will say that I do feel more at ease these days. How can that be? Well, a few weeks ago I started listening to this series: Hypnobabies: Hypnosis for Childbirth. It's required a lot of dedication on my part (even Jose's) and some time (about an hour or so a day), but this is something I decided to fully throw myself into because I really want to have an unmedicated labor/delivery. Here are a few reasons why: I'd like to walk around when I'm in labor (I tend to feel more sick/in pain when I'm stuck in bed); I'd like to be able to get up and take care of Mirabel right after she's born; most pain medications make me feel terrible (migraines, etc.) and epidurals tend to lower blood pressure (mine has already been very, very low throughout this pregnancy). Oh yeah, and here's another BIG reason (sorry if this is TMI) but your chance of tearing is lower when you aren't numb.

I've watched a few YouTube videos of women giving birth using Hypnobabies and they're so encouraging. That's what first convinced me to purchase the CDs. So much of what we see on TV regarding birth is scary and threatening. Women are portrayed as out of control; they're scared and screaming. I know it isn't an easy process, but it's nice to see birth portrayed as something positive every once in awhile. Earlier this morning I came across this uplifting post. Though I don't watch the Kardashians, I was curious to see for myself what the blogger was talking about. I headed on over to the link she sited and watched snippets of the popular birth episode. I have to say, Nicely done reality TV! Like the blogger notes, I have no idea whether or not Kourtney's labor was medicated, but even if it was I don't judge her (or anyone) for choosing a medicated delivery. My choice is for completely personal reasons and I understand that everyone's situation is unique. I think it's wonderful when women are able to enjoy birthing their babies, whether they're medicated or not.

So as I make a list of what I'll be taking to the hospital, I accept that I'm going into uncharted territory (at least, I've never been there :P). If I need a c-section for medical reasons, I accept it. If the labor is longer than expected and I get tired and want an epidural, I won't feel like a failure at all. Like everything else, I'm just going to do my best. Bringing a baby into the world is always a great miraculous event worth celebrating, no matter how it's done.

Sunny Days!

Enjoying sunny days with a smile and growing belly...

The second semester in Jose's second year is almost coming to an end. We enjoyed a sunny spring break this past week, taking it easy and basking in the gorgeous sun (a real treat for those of us who live in usually-dreary-in-late-winter Massachusetts). 72 degrees was the high yesterday--that's enough of a reason for me to write a celebratory blog post and share pictures of our afternoon picnic on the Charles :).
Days like that make me miss California, and long for the sunny/warm afternoons of Austin, Texas... Thankfully we'll be getting plenty of vitamin D very soon, because we'll be spending quite a bit of time hosting barbecues in the backyard of our cozy summer cottage (yep, we got the cottage :)!

4 more weeks until we're Texas bound. We'll be spending these last few weeks tying up any loose ends and preparing for our busy summer. At 32 weeks, I'm starting to get a little nervous about the whole birthing process. But we're mostly excited because there is so much to look forward to. Like a baby...and a new car!

We've been car-less for the past couple of years. We thought it'd be tough having a car in Boston, so we sold ours before moving here. We were under the impression that we'd have to pay a thousand bucks or more for a parking spot near our apartment, thankfully that isn't the case (turns out there are plenty of free spots nearby). We've recently started getting a little nervous imagining ourselves car-less with a tiny baby. It isn't tough getting around when it's just the two of us; hop in a taxi or rent a zip car, no problem. But try doing that with a newborn when it's 10 degrees out (and they're sick, or crying, or just cold...) and things get a little complicated! We've decided on a Subaru Forester, at least I think we have. It'll be our first family car :).

Speaking of family, that's one thing we really miss living over here alone. Spending a few years away from pretty much everyone we're related to has really changed my perspective on things. I used to think that living far from relatives wasn't a big deal, mostly because I spent half my life living away from extended relatives. But now that we're having a kiddo, and I'm seeing how excited both our families are about the new addition, it makes me sad that our little girl won't have any of her grandmas or grandpas around the first year. Not only that, but it does get lonely when its cold and snowy out on Christmas Day, and it's just the two of us celebrating the holidays together. Of course, having friends over for dinner is fun. But there's really something to having a healthy relationship with those we call mom, dad, sister, brother, etc. From a distance, Jose and I can sense the excitement of our moms. They'll both be first-time grandmas (so you can only imagine how happy they are about this little girl!). It's so cute when my mom calls to tell me about this frilly dress she's about to buy, or when my mom-in-law talks to us on Skype and shows us the spanish fairytales she bought to read to Mirabel (we've decided to change the spelling of her name).

Our families aren't perfect, but both Jose and I have come to appreciate the way they show their love for us. It's such a blessing to know that when we step off the airplane, there will be someone there to lovingly greet us and accept us for who we are. Now that we're starting our own family, we think about how we'll mesh our extended and immediate families together; how holidays will be celebrated, how vacations will be centered on family, and how we hope to help those in our families who've struggled to make it on their own. I'm realizing more and more that it's impossible to be independent without being connected to family. The security their love provides is essential. Even if that love isn't shown perfectly, you take what they have to offer and gain even more by giving without judging or holding a grudge. Everyone wins that way.

A new blog layout...

I can't believe how long I managed to keep that last layout up! But with the new year comes the need for a new birdie. I picked up the header image from this site.

Jose was quite sad to hear that I'd be parting ways with Mr. Superhero Birdie, he insisted that I keep him on here. So I added him to my new signature :). He'll be sticking around for awhile...

Keeping our fingers crossed :)!

So much is changin' (not just the size of my belly :)... 6 months down, a few more to go. Then she arrives! But that's not all that'll be taking place this spring. We're heading back to Texas, the land of blue skies with puffy clouds and sunny summer days!

Mirabelle's growin'!

This will be our final summer in Texas for Jose's (my husband's) summer internships... because he graduates next May :)! Yay! Planning for our summer stay in Texas is always an adventure. So many things are usually up in the air (housing, borrowing a car for the summer, etc.). This is partly why I cannot wait to settle down! Ah, it'll be nice to live in a cozy home. Though our apartment here on the East Coast is cozy, we're really looking forward to establishing our roots/having our own place. That probably won't happen for a few years, since we want to focus on paying off student loans first, but we will be able to rent a home when he graduates/we permanently move back to Texas next spring -- and that'll be a nice change.

We thought we'd have to wait until next spring to move into a house (to rent), but it seems it might happen sooner than expected! And it's a cottage! And I want to live in a cottage! I am so excited! So what is all of this about? During our final 7 weeks in Texas, Jose will be interning at a firm in Austin. We were considering living in a furnished apartment (corporate housing)...but, my goodness, that will require us to pay a pretty penny! More like a gorgeous penny made out of gold. So I did some searching on the web a few days ago (ahhh... the beauty of the internet) and I came across this cozy furnished little cottage; it is so so so much more affordable than a furnished apartment (the monthly rate is cheaper than what we pay to live here!). And it's available for rent! Only thing is, it seems we aren't the only ones interested in this cute house :/. But I did get a chance to speak to the owner and the phone call ended on a positive note, so I'm hopeful :). We find out Wednesday if it's ours (for the 7 week period only, of course ;). Oh, but it'll be so fun!

In the meantime, we're just trying to make it through this extremely cold winter. So the crafting continues. It seems Harvey wanted to be in the spotlight again; I found him on top of the crocheted blanket I recently completed, trying on Mirabelle's summer hat ;). This is the nifty tutorial I followed for the hat...

Can't wait to dress her up in this matching set of hat and booties! Crocheting is so much fun :D.

Fun Links...
So I found this site called Soul Pancake, check it out!

On the look-out for crafty tutorials and free patterns? Check these out...
Free Amigurumi Patterns
Crib Bedskirt
Sewing for the home, from Sew, Mama, Sew
Newborn Bloomers Tutorial
Arm Chair Slip Cover
Make your own collapsible storage basket
Make a fuzzy Wee Wonderfuls Bunny
Angel Bag (Tote/Purse) tutorial & pattern
Make a girly dress @ JCasa

Craft Update

Say hello to Harvey, my first amigurumi bear! Made especially for hubby, to keep him company on his desk while studying. The boots are from my mom-in-law, they were the perfect fit.

So you'd think that since I haven't been blogging much these days, I must be busy with something! Christmas was a busy time as far as crafting goes, but I've taken on a few other projects since then, like learning how to crochet baby blankets, working on more cards for my empty store :), reorganizing/rearranging the apartment (we've got the crib set up and rented a storage unit--a must when you have 0 walk-in closets and a baby on the way!)...

Finally sold something on Etsy! It's been almost a year, sheesh. I guess it's time to add something new to the store; here's the latest addition. Plump Birdie and Nest button cards (all the birdies look like this around here when it's freezing, so do the squirrels).

Check out our neighbors right below, the squirrel babies. That's a shot captured on Christmas Day, on our morning walk. They are so cute!

I didn't realize crocheting could be so addicting. I have to admit, though, making baby blankets is much easier than making these amigurumi dolls. I'm not very good at keeping count of each round, so usually I deviate from the patterns quite a bit :) (a lot like cooking--can't stick to the recipe!).

The dragon says "JD", it was a gift for my bro. The bear in the middle was for my 'rents :).

Baby blanket for Mirabelle...

It's been freezing lately, literally, so going outside can be kind of painful. We also don't have a car, so that makes going out a little more difficult, when we don't want to wait outside for the bus or walk to the T... so that means no crochet lessons. BUT, thanks to the internet (and YouTube), learning how to crochet at home is a cinch. In fact, I love it more than taking a class. I'm kind of a slow learner with these things, I like seeing things done over and over... just rewind and watch again, no problem with YouTube. This talented lady has a ton of helpful videos and tutorials. I watched this one to learn how to make the blanket/shell pattern above.

It's a...

It's a... Mirabelle ;). Well, that's HER name. We found out the good news on Friday, along with an update on how she's growing. All her organs are functioning as they should be and she's right on target. This is a shy little girl. Mirabelle had her legs crossed almost the entire time... I think she wanted to keep us guessing because seconds before she uncrossed her legs, and literally minutes before the doctor finished up the ultrasound, it looked like she opened her mouth a little and smiled. Take a look...

She liked keeping us guessing :), but now we know pretty much for sure and we couldn't be happier. Saturday we bought a couple of cute outfits. Baby clothes have gotten cuter over the years! I found some Hello Kitty baby socks along with some very fun looking shoes. Of course, the shoes won't fit her for awhile but they were definitely affordable and so so so cute! Can't wait to see the little feet that will fill these shoes.

Not only is this exciting for us because it's our first baby, but we're really trying to savor every moment of the pregnancy/ultrasounds/etc. because we aren't quite sure how many more kiddos we'll be able to have. Of course, we're already talking about baby #2 :), we'd love to have around 4 of our own, but I'm not sure what God has in store for us. Being pregnant has been such a fun experience so far. Thankfully, it's been a fairly smooth ride. But I'm starting to get to the point where I feel like I'm going to pop midway into my meals because my stomach is being scrunched up :D.

So how did we come up with the name Mirabelle? Well, we didn't come up with it :). Jose and I are both pretty picky about names. I'd had a handful that I liked, and he never really gave baby names much thought before. He wasn't a fan of most of the names I picked out when I was, hmm... how long have I been thinking of baby names ;)? Anyway, I noticed that we both really liked French names. We liked Isabelle, but that name is pretty popular right now and I wanted our baby to have a slightly uncommon name. Mirabelle means "of incredible beauty". The meaning isn't as important to me as the other things the name suggests/reminds me of. My mom pointed out that Mira sounds short for Miracle, which she definitely is. Also, according to a baby calendar my mom kept for me while I was growing up, my first word was "mira," which actually means "look" in Spanish. Her middle name is Sofia, Jose chose the name, I chose the spelling. It took me awhile to get used to the idea, but I thought it flowed well (the other option was Olivia).

More of a post later, but I just wanted to share the good news :).

Fall trip

Things have slowed down a bit around here. We decided to get out of the house last weekend (we've been cooped up for about 2 months!)... it was time for a trip, a low-key one. The fall foliage is at its peak, the weather is crisp and things, really, couldn't be better. I appreciate all of your comments and kind words/thoughts/prayers. Thankfully, everyone's doing well. The appointment last week went smoothly; we got to see our kiddo wiggle, he was asleep but the nurse insisted on waking him up so we could catch of glimpse of the baby in action. It's so cute and little! This ultrasound was from last week, I took the picture with my phone which is why it's a bit blurry:


I have a feeling I'm going to be one of those moms that takes too many pictures of their kids :P... but at least he/she doesn't mind now :)!

So our trip last week... it was so fun and relaxing. We wanted to go apple picking again this year, but with the clot issue creating a need to rest/not walk around so much, Jose and I thought an adventure to the Berkshires would be appropriate.

Stockbridge, MA

Located in what I'd call the East Coast countryside/mountains, the Berkshires, home to a group of small cities, is the place to visit when you're in Massachusetts. We spent most of our time in Lenox and Stockbridge, where we wandered over to the Norman Rockwell museum. (FYI, this is where Rockwell's Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas painting comes to life every year around Christmas time.) Then we headed over to The Berkshire Scenic Railway for an old-time train ride. Literally old time! No heating, rickety and a little rusty... the whole shebang, so fun! The scenery distracted us from the bitter cold :), especially during the train ride.


The drive up there was an experience in itself; it's going down as one of the most scenic drives I've ever taken. Ah... and dinner! Instead of staying over night and spending more money, we decided to treat ourselves to a nice but affordable meal. I just can't wait for Thanksgiving, so I had turkey, veggies, cheesy mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce and the best butternut squash soup! Jose enjoyed a yummy pork/date stew with a potato cake, veggies and broccoli/bacon soup.


The restaurant is part of a cozy bed and breakfast! It was freezing outside when we arrived (I was wearing long underwear, makes a big difference!), so the warm vintage cottage-like restaurant/inn was extra inviting. We made reservations, got there right at 5, and had the whole place to ourselves. Mr. A and I got to chat and enjoy a good meal, with tea and hot chocolate... I love dates :). So what's the name of this restaurant I keep going on an on about? It's Rumplestiltzkin's (cute name), located in Lenox, MA!

View during the train ride.

It's been too long...

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's House (& George Washington's :)

It's been too long since I've written a real post :). I was full of energy and doing all sorts of things last weekend, but oh how things can change over the course of one week! One day pregnancy hormones are barely at 100 and three days later they're around 1000, no complaints! Thankfully all is well, I'm just a little tired these days :).

I did want to share a few photos from last week's trip to Longfellow's house. Well, I guess it really wasn't a big trip, considering we walked there :P. I can't believe how long it took us to find out about this place, we've lived only a few blocks away this whole time! It's definitely one of the most beautiful and well-maintained historic homes I've ever visited. They've done such a great job of preserving it (by they I mean the family). All of the furniture is original and only the window treatments and carpets were restored (but in one room everything is the same!).

Both George Washington and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived in this gorgeous house at one point, though at separate times. The deed didn't actually belong to Longfellow, though. When it came time to purchase a home for his new family, Longfellow was struggling to make it financially as a Harvard Professor by day and poet by night (this was before he made it big) . So Longfellow's wife's father stepped in and purchased the home as a wedding gift. What a gift!

Years before that, Washington lived here (I think it was around the time of the American Revolution). The neat thing is, he also fought alongside Longfellow's grandfather, so the two were coincidentally connected.

My favorite room is Longfellow's office or "poetry room". This is where he did his best thinking and writing. I instantly felt like a giddy little kid at Disneyland when the guide told us about this room's significance. It's pretty cool because Longfellow wrote his poems standing up behind a podium, not sitting down. And the original podium is still there! :) And this is where the magic happened, the podium is in the second photo.

Below is the dining room area and the exact table where Longfellow entertained guests like Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo Emerson.


Below are photos of Martha and George Washington.

Everything is original in this room, from the window treatments to the wallpaper (sorry it's crooked, the area was roped off :)


Here's a small glimpse of his huge garden:


A blurry picture of Longfellow (poor lighting, sorry no flash!)