The Final Countdown

This past Sunday I hit 37 weeks & it feels so surreal that this baby is going to make his or her appearance any day now. I’m officially off of work as of last week & am fully in preparation mode. As a nurse I’m used to having random week days off, so at first it just felt like I had a long stretch of days off but now it’s really setting in that I won’t be heading back to work until the fall! Throughout the entirety of Chris & my relationship I have either worked nightshift or for the past 3 years worked swing shifts which meant coming home around 2am. So this is the first time in five years that we’re seeing each other every night & eating dinner / going to bed together like most couples, it’s something we were both very excited about!

As for how I’m spending my final weeks pre baby? Well I’m certainly soaking in taking afternoon naps & just resting whenever I feel like. But I’ve also got a decent list of little projects that I’m trying to tackle, mostly random cleaning or organization tasks. Our baby room is done, our hospital bags are packed & my freezer is already stuffed to the brim with food for once baby is here. My parents are finally back in town, they spent the month of March away so I can breathe easy knowing they are just a few hour drive away if baby decides to come early now. My mom is planning to come next week to help me with some cleaning, which I’m pretty excited about. Aside from cleaning & resting I’m wrapping up some last minute self care items: getting new glasses, getting my hair cut etc. And of course I’m going to acupuncture especially as I get closer & closer. My major goal this week is to finish our 2017 photo book, I make one each year with all our pictures & I’m SO close to finishing last years & I know I absolutely NEED to get it done before this baby gets here otherwise it may never happen so that is a top item this week.

Below is a photo from the last shift I worked. My amazing coworkers threw my the sweetest send off, it was super hero themed on account of me being SUPER pregnant.

Easter Sunday

Happy Easter everyone! This year Easter weekend consisted sleeping in, making breakfast nachos & going on a hike! We decided to explore the Sutro Reserve. I’ve lived in San Francisco nearly 10 years & have never gone hiking in the Reserve & it’s amazing!! The weather was so nice & even though my 37 week pregnant self couldn’t go super fast it was still so nice to be outside in the fresh air enjoying some family time before little baby decides to make his or her arrival. It’s fun to think that next year we’ll have a little nearly one year old & will probably be in full Easter mode, so it was nice to have a low key quiet weekend. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend stay tuned this week, I’ll be posting our gender neutral nursery.

Pfieffer Beach & the never ending drive to Pismo.

Average drive time from San Francisco to Pismo Beach: approx 4-5 hours. Time that it took us yesterday: TEN. We got up yesterday morning at around 8, Chris had a call at 9:30 he needed to do from home which was fine because neither of us had packed & I had clothes in the laundry I wanted to bring. So once we did laundry, packed ourselves, packed Juno, & ate breakfast it was just before noon. We’re both laid back when it comes to road trips & we love driving the Pacific Coast Highway. We knew going on highway 1 rather than 101 would add more time to our journey but it’s honestly so breathtakingly beautiful that it’s worth it. That was part of the appeal of coming to Pismo was driving the PCH to get there. Four years ago Chris proposed on a tiny secluded beach 70 miles north of San Luis Obispo, so needless to say this route has some special memories. Anyway we stopped for a quick lunch at around 2:30 & then realized we were going to get into Pismo & it would be dark & poor Juno hadn’t had any exercise yet. So we looked up a dog friendly beach on our way and plugged it into the GPS. Pfieffer Beach it was. And oh my God is it beautiful. We got there right around 4:30 & hung around for one of the most beautiful sunsets. Afterward we pioed back into the car only to realize we didn’t have any cell service. So we kept heading south. Well portions of highway 1 closed last year due to landslides after wildfires. We had seen some signage saying it would be closed at a town called Gorda. We figured CalTrans would certainly alert us when the detour was & when to turn if you wanted to continue South. Ummmmm nope. We literally drive to the dead end of the highway. So now we are in the dark, with no service on a two lane windy highway. Our saving grace was that because our car is new the GPS is included & we were able to search for our hotel. We had to drive along a tiny one lane road for probably 90 minutes before we got back to any kind of civilization. And the entire time we were trying to decide where the heck we were. Turns out we were on an Army base / training facility!! Finally we were within 15 minutes of Pismo & we got pulled over for speeding 😳 luckily the officer was very nice and Chris was able to blame it on the cruise control and the downhill and we got out of the ticket. We got to the resort with 10 minutes to order room service. We honestly just had to laugh. And we both agreed Pfeiffer Beach was 100% percent worth it! Right now Chris is still sleeping (he deserves it after all the driving yesterday) but we’re gonna go for a hike this morning & get some breakfast. Life can be so funny & ridiculous at times & I’m just so thankful to have someone who doesn’t take it too seriously. Yesterday could have been terrible, we could have gotten mad at each other for our predicament but instead we both knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault & we just thanked our Stars that it we didn’t have a baby with us yet because that drive would have been way less fun!! Haha. Now off to enjoy the remainder of the babymoon.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Sunshine, Pineapples & Sourdough Bagels

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San Francisco has been experiencing some of the most beautiful spring weather for the last week, late into the afternoon you can still comfortably walk around in shorts & a T-shirt. It’s been amazing, & we’ve definitely been taking advantage. Here’s some photos from the past week in all this beautiful weather! My little baby is officially the size of a pineapple which seems SO big. I haven’t been doing serial bump shots in the same outfit or anything like that, but I occasionally get inspired to document the bump because I know it’ll be gone before I know it. So today I got some photos to commemorate week 29, the pineapple week, Juno was very intrigued as to what was happening. This past week I’ve started to feel really pregnant. I’m way more tired after a standard day & notice that it’s just getting harder to move around. The nurse in me knows it’s my bodies way of telling me I shouldn’t be trying to do quite as much. So I’ve been trying to my best to listen & slow down a little bit. I’ve been trying to find easy ways to get Juno exercised & the beach is definitely a fail safe. So yesterday we spent the afternoon at Ocean Beach, I was able to sit on a blanket & let the bump get some sunshine while Juno chased after a ball. Along with feeling more tired, I’ve noticed that my cravings are coming back & once I have my mind set on something I have to have it! This morning it was a sourdough bagel with the honey almond shmear from Noah’s Bagels. Juno & I walked 2 miles round trip in order to get this & it was SO worth it! I’m spending the next five out of six days working, so needless to say we don’t have anything exciting planned this weekend, but next weekend we’re going on our second mini babymoon & I’m super excited!

Happy Friday ❤

Baby Shower

This past weekend we celebrated our little baby. My best friend planned such an incredible shower. It was so much fun, Chris’ mom & some of her closest friend flew all the way from Austin, & my mom & two of my aunts made the trek to San Francisco also. Besides our families, a lot of my nursing school friends, coworkers, & my best childhood friend came. San Francisco really put on a show weather wise, It was high 70’s, I couldn’t believe it. Not only did our little baby get spoiled with so many thoughtful gifts, but I felt so spoiled with how much love was in one room & how many people can’t wait to meet our little baby! It’s so bizarre to think that in just about 10 weeks we’ll get to meet the little person we’ve created & I can’t wait. It feels like it’s seriously just around the corner!

Winter Babymooning

 

Here are some photos from our babymoon this weekend. We rented a little log cabin & stayed outside of Tahoe for two nights. I know most babymoons take place by a pool, with a mocktail in hand but given that we live so close to Tahoe & that my pregnancy is primarily taking place in winter this seemed like a very fun & romantic choice. It was so nice to unplug, be out of cell service & just enjoy each other’s company. I told Chris how happy I was to make once last trip up to the snow before the baby because I know each consequent trip from here on out is going to look a lot different.

The resort we stayed at, Sorenson’s has a little cafe that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They deliver firewood to your porch daily & are dog friendly (pretty much checking all our boxes haha!) We packed some of our own food because our cabin came equipped with a full kitchen. I brought some homemade chili that just needed reheating & I brought some buttermilk pecan sticky buns. The sticky buns turned out SO good, here’s the recipe . Then we grabbed dinner at the cafe our second night.

 Each day we strapped on our snowshoes & went exploring. Even though snow shoeing may sound terribly bland it’s actually a lot of fun. It’s basically snow hiking so you can stay on a trail or off road & climb up the mountain. It’s the perfect, free, activity for people who aren’t into skiing or snowboarding but still want to enjoy the scenery. We had Juno with us so she was off exploring or chasing after her ball & we were able to keep up with her.

We are planning a little warmer of a babymoon next month, but we’ll still be driving there. Chris & I have always loved going on road trips & driving together in the car. We spent a lot of weekends early on in our relationship driving the Pacific Coast Highway, so it seemed appropriate to pick babymoons that we could drive to. Especially since car rides post baby I’m sure will be less leisurely haha.

Hope everyone had a great weekend ❤

Second Trimester Musts

Belly Balm – I started religiously applying some kind of cream or balm to my growing belly at least once a day during the second trimester. Your bump starts expanding so fast that your skin starts to itch! My favorite balm was this one from Mother Love & it’s a salve so it’s really thick but starts to melt as soon as it goes on the skin. Because of how thick it is I use it a night so it can really soak in. I also used the Burts Bees Belly Butter. The belly butter has a much thinner consistency and is more like a cream, so I used it during the day. You certainly don’t have to spend a fortune on lotion or balm or salve, but it’s definitely worth putting something on your ever growing belly even if it’s just plain coconut oil!

Register – We started our registry pretty early, I think we went to Buy Buy Baby when I was about 4 months along. Since I work every other weekend, & the timing with the holidays we registered a little on the early side, but it ended up being nice because family could get us things off our registry for Christmas. And it was nice not to feel rushed, we were able to slowly add things to our registry over the last two months or so.

Maternity Clothes – You’re gonna need em but you don’t have to spend a fortune. I found great deals on clothes from Thred Up. Slightly used or new maternity clothes for a fraction of the price? What’s not to love. Another tip for getting affordable maternity clothes? Living in San Francisco & being pregnant primary in the fall / winter, I’m not in need of tons of dresses or shorts, but instead needed warm long sleeves tee’s & sweaters. I found GREAT deals on sweaters believe it or not in the men’s section. I got some really cheap & totally comfy long sleeves from Old Navy for, I kid you not, $8!!! I also got a few sweaters from the Target men’s department. Even before I was pregnant I would always cruise the men’s clearance or sales racks at places like Banana Republic for sweaters. Men’s sweaters are typically thicker and cozier. I’m not always a huge fan of the fit of some women’s sweaters. I tend to lean toward a looser / warmer fit. I also discovered H&M’s mama line & the jeans I’ve lived in the last few months are from there.

Plan / Go on a babymoon – it doesn’t have to be extravagant, it doesn’t have to be week long, but planning a night or two should be on your to do list. We had contemplated going to Hawaii for a babymoon but decided we would rather save that trip for later in the year with baby! Instead we opted to for two smaller getaways that were driving distance. We went to a cabin in Tahoe to enjoy some snow you can see my post on our trip here .  Our other small babymoon is going to be in Pismo Beach toward the end of February. We’re staying at a really nice resort that’s right on the beach & is dog friendly! Setting aside a little bit of time for just you & your partner is so important & feels so valuable as the weeks start ticking by & as due dates draw closer.

Skincare Routine – If you don’t already have a go to skincare routine, I think the second trimester is the perfect time to establish one. In the first trimester the idea of washing my face & going through multiple steps was nauseating. By the second trimester you have more energy so I think it’s a perfect time to set aside 10 minutes a night to make yourself feel a little extra pampered, plus your skin will thank you. My favorite overnight cream is Origins Night-a-Mins Renewal Cream.

Pre-Natal Yoga– Your second & third trimesters are a great time to find a prenatal yoga class. I started mine about a month ago & every time I go I’m so happy I signed up. It’s offered through our hospital & meets once a week for 90 minutes. I really started to notice my body begin tightening up more & more as my belly grew this trimester. My back would be sore by the end of the day. So going to a class that specifically focuses on how to adjust poses to make them the most beneficial for your ever expanding belly is so important. Plus it’s a great way to meet other women who are expecting babies right around the same time as you. If you’re in the San Francisco area check out SF Prenatal Yoga this website lists all the prenatal yoga classes available & gives you information on the instructors so you can see if you think the class will be a good fit. Besides getting 90 minutes of stretching in each week, I also find myself leaving class will other valuable insights about ways to relieve acid reflux, recommendations on doulas, birth books etc.

Compression Socks – This is my final must this trimester. If you’re at all on your feet during the day, or if you notice you’re having leg pain or leg swelling do yourself a favor & invest in a pair or two of these. Being a nurse I’ve heard the praises be sung about compression socks for years & years by veteran nurses. I would occasionally wear them pre-pregnancy but now I wear them every.single.day. at work. Standing for 10 to 12 hours even not pregnant is hard work for your legs, so wearing these has made a huge difference. Also if you’re planning any sort of air travel either for a babymoon, to visit family or for work you should definitely be rocking some of these as our tendency to develop blood clots while pregnant is much higher. If the comfort factor isn’t selling you, know that they can also help prevent vericose veins. Amazon has a ton of options for compression socks so in 1-2 days you yourself could be enjoying all the benefits & comfort, no but seriously get yourself a pair!

Marshall Beach & 10 Things

  1. Sunday morning we woke up early & did a the Batteries to Bluffs trail in the Presidio & went down to Marshall Beach. It was pretty much empty. We maybe saw 15 people the whole time.
  2. We bought a car this weekend!!! We’d been talking about getting a new car, both of us drive sedans & we needed something bigger since baby is coming & we finally did it. It still doesn’t feel real!
  3. In case you can’t tell by these photos, the beach is 100% Juno’s happy place. Whenever she’s home & dreaming I have to imagine she’s dreaming of sprinting down the beach after her orange ball & running through the waves.
  4. I hit the 25 week mark on Sunday, time just feels like it’s flying by now.
  5. This weekend instead of just being hermits & lounging we actually went to two different social events, pretty big deal for this pregnant homebody. We went to a going away dinner for one of my coworkers who is moving to Thailand! & We went to one of my good friends from college, birthday party.
  6. Our baby nursery is finally starting to come together, We assembled the glider chair this weekend & it’s funny how just one more piece of furniture makes the room look like it’s transforming.
  7. It’s supposed to rain a couple days this week & I’m really looking forward to having an excuse to stay inside. When I have days off & the weather is beautiful it’s hard to make myself be productive around the house, but when it’s rainy & gross out I’m motivated to knock some projects off my to-do list.
  8. We started watching Comedians In Cars tonight & I think we may have just found a new show to binge! We restarted Big Little Lies, but it’s so dark that I need something funny to counterbalance.
  9. We are going up to Tahoe in two weeks & are staying in a little cabin that’s dog friendly. We decided to do cold & warm mini baby-moons. So this kicks off the cold one. I’m happy it’s finally storming so hopefully there’ll be fresh snow when we’re up there.
  10. I signed up for a six week prenatal yoga class. Tomorrow night is the first class, I’m excited to have classes on the calendar. Throughout the second trimester pregnancy my exercise routine has mostly consisted of going on long / brisk walks with Juno. So I’m happy to have something else added into the mix. I know I need to be stretching way more than I am, so I think this will be the push I need as I enter the last trimester.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

New Year, Old Traditions

Growing up I spent a handful of New Year’s in Rio de Janiero on Copacabana beach, where my mom is originally from. Brazilian tradition involves wearing all white on New Year’s Eve to symbolize peace and renewal. It also includes putting flowers into the ocean as a gift to the goddess of the sea & to bring good luck into the new year. These traditions date back to the 1500’s. Ever since I’ve lived in San Francisco I’ve made it a point to take advantage of my close proximity to the ocean & walk out into the water on new years. There’s something so peaceful about going to the beach & thinking about the whole year to come.

I’ve spent the past five new years working in the ER. I always choose to work NYE for a few reasons: 1. it’s endlessly entertaining in the ER 2. I love my coworkers & we bring a ton of food & decorations & have lots of fun 3. I want to have Christmas off so I always volunteer to work on NYE.

Turning the page on 2017 & going into 2018 is so exciting. 2017 was filled with so many wonderful memories. We spent an incredible two weeks exploring Spain & Portugal, we enjoyed SF Giants spring training in Scottsdale for my birthday, we saw friends get married, camped in Timber Cove, found out in late summer we’d be having a baby & so much more! I’m excited & anxious for the year to come, I know it will be our biggest one yet! With everything on the horizon, it feels good to lean on old traditions. Even though this past weekend I’ve been combating a terrible head cold while working 11 hour nights I’m so glad we made a point to get to the beach & throw our flowers in the water. I can’t wait to do it next year with our baby in tow.

Happy New Year! I’d love to hear what some of your New Year traditions are, leave them in the comments below.

Christmas Time & 22 Weeks

I can’t believe Christmas is upon us! We are leaving today to spend Christmas in Austin with Chris’ family. Even though we won’t be spending Christmas day at home we decided to get a tree anyway. I love how festive it makes the house look. I feel like I blinked & autumn disappeared. This Christmas feels extra special since it’s our last one before baby arrives. This week I hit the 22 week mark & I feel like each morning I wake up & my bump is bigger than the night before. I told Chris I definitely wanted to get some bump pictures in front of our gorgeous tree & I’m so glad we did. I feel like I’ll always look back on these & remember this in-between time of life, waiting for our new family member. We started feeling baby from the outside now & it’s so crazy! I’m excited for a getaway to Austin. It’ll be nice to just have some downtime with family. I’ve already compiled my list of places I want to eat while we’re there. Once we’re back in San Francisco I know it’ll be go go go. I’ll be working a bunch in January & we have a few trips planned & some serious nursery work to do!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

Xoxo