Is It Nap Time Yet?

I feel like this is my life motto lately. I literally wake up and the first thing I do is plan my next nap time.

 

Not literally. Marlee demands attention waaay before I get any actual intelligent thought in my head.

 

Lately I have not been sleeping well. And of course my anxiety is at all time high because of this. Or maybe my lack of sleep is because of the anxiety? Either way, they are directly correlated and its sucking me dry. I am either too hot, or too cold, or uncomfortable, or have a bad dream that I can't shake quick enough to fall back asleep.

 

My OB appointment for baby number 2 was last Thursday and I have been having anxiety ever since I scheduled this appointment. I am not even sure why I feel this way. I am having way more symptoms then I did with Marlee but still don't 'feel' pregnant. I have the textbook nausea (just barely), fatigue, cravings, and bloating. I obviously have take several pregnancy tests and the doctor confirmed it - I'm pregnant! - but I feel different. So I was so anxious to finally get to hear a heartbeat at my appointment - maybe just so it would feel more real!

 

Well we did the 20 question interrogation as usual - 'Second baby?' 'Any symptoms?' 'Any bleeding?' 'Do you smoke?' 'Is Dad healthy?' 'How was the birth of baby number one?' Etc etc. Then we had to do the exam and she said we would try to hear the heartbeat since I was 'thin' and almost 10 weeks along (I was nine weeks and 4 days). So she applied the cold gel and waved the magic wand but there was nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

 

It was hard. Really hard. She said it was too early. I knew it was too early. But I wanted to hear it so bad. I was waiting and praying and hoping for a beat. She asked if I wanted an ultrasound but I declined. My husband was not there and I did not want to get all upset over nothing. It was too early. I just have to wait two more weeks and she said I could come back to hear it. Just because we could not hear it does not mean that there is not one.

 

But my anxiety is not at bay. I am restless and secretly distraught. I need to snap out of it and realize that we didn't even go to our first appointment with Marlee till after 12 weeks. Everything just felt so much more real with her.

 

Now that my anxiety is out there, maybe my anxiety will subside for a bit. A little release of emotions. My next appointment is the 26th which is a little over a week away. I should be pretty busy between now and then so my mind will be full - hopefully.

 

Here's to busy schedules and even busier minds!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Is it really only the 16th of May?

Longest month ever!

Or maybe just the busiest?

First let's talk Marlee. She finally has a tooth! And took three steps! Three! Nick and I were both there to witness it and I was so in awe over the monumental milestone. She also is starting to say a couple words. She hasn't really learned how to use them but 'thank you', 'uh oh', and 'duck' have all been heard from her mouth. She even said 'no' at the grocery store but she sang it beautifully. Instead of a terrible 'no', she turned it into a 'no, no, no, no, no, nooo'. Pretty sure she can make anything sound cute. 

Mother's Day was last Sunday and it was amazing! My first time as a mother and it just felt right. I was exhausted and possibly a little grouchy from lack of sleep BUT it was great. I loved all the family time and being able to celebrate with all the wonderful mothers in my life. 

I did a little crafting for the grandmothers too which looked like this:

Last post I talked a little about food planning and trying to make a budget. The budget went wonderfully and knowing exactly what I was going to make each day was a lifesaver. My husband didn't have to ask 14,000 times 'What's for dinner?' which helped with my sanity also. 

The actual cooking part didn't exactly go as planned...

Let me just say that I love to cook. Even though I love to cook, does not mean that I am necessarily good at it. Pizza - check. Pasta and meatballs - check. Chocolate chip cookies - check. Anything outside of that, I like my recipes. I also love my crockpot. Top ten invention ever. Ever!

With that being said, here are a couple examples from my dinner list that did not go quite as planned. 

Day two was chicken tetrazzini and while the recipe was a bit more involved then what I like (Have you ever tried to whisk flour and milk continuously while your 9 month old rips through the kitchen? Accident waiting to happen.), it was delicious and my family ate it up. So of course I took pictures to show everyone.

Mmmm cheesy goodness.

What this pictures doesn't show you is that I still had the top burner on. 

So while I situated Marlee in her highchair and set the table and of course took some pictures, my dinner was burning. The whole left side of the casserole was black. 

Black. Black. Black. 

Fml. 

On Friday, we had steak carnitas. It was fantastic. Absolutely recommend and will be trying them again. Unfortunately, my crockpot is apparently super-duper and while I thought they would be ready to go after the baseball game, my meat was a little over cooked. Ok a lot overcooked. Isaac wanted to know why we were having beef jerky for dinner. 

He literally said this people. 

Still ate it. 

And my final fail for the week can only be explained via picture.

That would be my crockpot. After the overcooked steak carnitas incident, I need to do a little extra soaking. Well the next day, I did some scrubbing and it slipped out of my hands. 

Dead. 

RIP Crockpot. 

Ok so I know I am not winning MasterChef anytime soon but my family is fed. Grilled cheese will always be a staple of a our family meals. 

Besides the Mother's Day crafting, I also made a shirt for Marlee to wear. Have you ever done iron on letters? That shit is hard. We had to re-iron half way through the day!

I was going to see if anyone actually reads the shirt but this proved to be ineffective - by both of my families. Lead to some pretty funny responses though :)

Yes, Marlee will be a big sister in January. 

Marlee and Me will soon become Marlee and Us. 

Eviction Notice

Nothing says I love you like a good ol' eviction notice.

Yep, I will be induced on Monday starting the most emotionally confusing day of my life. How can I be happy to push a babe out of places it is just not fit to go? It does not make sense. Yet, I am. Happier then I can even imagine. I cannot wait to meet Marlee and start this journey of motherhood.

Doctors appointment was much longer this time because they had me do a Fetal Non-Stress Test to measure Marlee's heart rate and movement. I had no fears though because this babe is constantly moving and kicking. Nick and I were able to listen to her heart beat for a whole half hour though which was music to my ears. So now is just the waiting game.

Appointment Summary

Blood Pressure: 120/60

Marlee's Heart Rate: 145

Weight gain: 1 lb
Induced: July 22nd

Goals: Be as ready as possible for Monday

After our appointment, I indulged in whatever Marlee's little heart desired for dinner.
I only have a couple more days to blame her for my appetite.
I really went all out too, as you can see. Pizza, corndogs, and french fries. Nick never complains when I do crazy dinners. I can appreciate that.



Now to cross a couple things off my 'Before Marlee Arrives' to-do list!

One Week and Counting

I can't help but look at this picture and question when my belly got so big! And how I don't fall over from the disproportionate weight!? Now I have a better understanding of the phrase 'ready to pop.' Yea, I would say I am right there. Marlee feels differently though. Still no contractions or even enough pressure to bring attention to. My happy little nugget is content on the inside.  

Doctors appointment on Tuesday went well. The doctor set a new record of a whole 4 minute long meeting. I guess that is the norm when nothing is really going on and we don't have any questions. My husband asked about the lack of excitement at the end of this pregnancy and the doctor said that it is pretty normal for a first time mother with no health issues. No contractions mean no baby just yet. Next week we discuss the possibility of being induced. I would really rather stay away from a pitocin induced labor but I don't want to cause any stress on the baby either during labor because of her size. Still hoping she is not 9 pounds...

Appointment Summary

Blood Pressure: 117/74

Weight gain: 1 lb

Uterus Height: 39 cm

Marlee's Heartbeat: 151 BPM

Goals: Not to go into labor at work

 Nick continues to try to talk Marlee into making an appearance this week. For one, he is on midnights this week and would get out of work for a couple days. For two, the Hough side of the family made a betting board for Marlee's due date and he wins between now and noon on the 12th. An outstanding 21 dollars! I told everyone that she is going to be late but few listened. Here is a little preview of the board:

I am down for July 21st - PM.

Still not sure if I pick the day to be induced or the doctor does...

Either way, here I am at 39 weeks and waiting for the next move. Marlee is going to be here so soon!

Nine Month Baby Oven

My sister called me a baby oven the other day and it made me chuckle, hence the title. 

As this pregnancy is coming to a close, and I begin to feel Marlee shifting into position, I am realizing that not only will I have a bouncing baby girl soon, but I will also not have this giant belly of mine. Tying my shoes will no longer be a task and my husband will finally stop poking at my protruding belly button. 

We started this pregnancy with taking a picture every week since we found out but we soon decided this task was bigger then we thought. The weeks literally started to fly by. In the words of Sweet Brown, ain't nobody got time for that. 

Damn you Pinterest for setting the expectations for documenting pregnancy so high. Have you seen the chalkboard lady? Yeaaaa, I am a bit jealous of those cute chalkboards, trendy outfits, and the time this lady must have. Anyway, I digress. 

I put together a small collage of each month of this pregnancy, hopefully portraying the joy I have had each month. I feel incredibly blessed to have had such an easy and smooth pregnancy and being able to share it with the people I love.  

I will let you guess which month the doctor started scolding me for my weight gain...

I have to admit I am not ready for this journey to come to a close but the excitement of meeting Marlee is overwhelming at this point. She can come at any moment! I am asking her to wait  at least 12 days which is when my maternity leave starts. Then again, she might be the feature of my next post! 

Doctors appointment tomorrow and hopefully everything continues to look good and I can get in another couple weeks of work. Updates then!

July Already!

Seriously where did June go?

July really is one of my favorite months but I was not quite ready for it yet. Can I have a redo of June? There are so many things I want to do just yet!

And of course Marlee Josephine will be here before I know it.

It is pretty bittersweet actually.

I have enjoyed this part of my life so much and am not quite ready to let it go. I almost feel selfish at times because I know I should be more excited about meeting her than about the actual pregnancy but it really has been such a joy. She is kickboxing as I type and I am going to miss this feeling. Sure my feet are the size of footballs, my back aches everytime bend over, I am lucky if I can put my socks on with the first try, and I pee every five minutes, but the perks of pregnancy more than outweigh the bad. I have even come up with some not-so-obvious perks.

37 weeks and 3 days - So large and happy

Perks of Pregnancy

• Instant Conversation Starter - I am really good at making every small hello awkward. If we run into each other at Walmart, I will go out of my way to either avoid you or make you wish you had avoided me. Is is a gift I guess. Butttt since I have been pregnant, it makes these meetings so much easier. The bank lady for example; super sweet lady. Always chats me up. I have nothing to say. Ever. Then BAM - pregnancy came along. She asks how I am feeling and I can talk forever about how excited I am to meet Marlee. Then I can happily exit without feeling like I just ruined that poor tellers day with bad conversation. Number one perk of pregnancy - hands down.
• Shaving - Ok now shaving is a pain no matter what stage of life you are in but I am a terrible shaver. I have been doing this for 15+ years and still cut myself on a weekly basis. Terrible, I know. Buttt with legs the size of small tree trunks, it is practically impossible to cut myself. Cankles are a razors best friend. When all bony prominices are covered by my swollen-ness, shaving is a breeze. And the days I do not shave, pregnancy is also a good excuse. Bam.
• Strangers Hold Open Doors - Generally, people are not this nice to me so it is an added bonus of pregnancy that people smile and do nice things when they really do not have to. My arms have not been affected by pregnancy and they do still function quite well. I even had a guy the other day hold open the doors at Walmart for me. They are automatic doors and are no way like an elevator that they could close at anytime leaving me to wait for the next door. They open and stay open till I pass. I smiled politely though and thanked the kind sir.
• Mixer is Never Out of Reach - This obviously does not apply to everyone but I have absolutely no storage space in my kitchen. We literally have half our appliances and pans in the closet in the dining room. My KitchenAid mixer is the favorite of my appliances though so gets stored right on top of the refrigerator (love, love, love my mixer!). Unfortunately getting it down during pregnancy has been quite the pain considering my usual method of just hopping on the counter like a little kid is no longer an option (and yes, I have tried). Luckily, Nick has become pretty handy in these desperate times and retrieves my mixer in one swift movement! No questions asked! This is a small perk but that darn thing is heavy - so a greatly appreciated perk. 

This list can certainly go on with some more obvious perks such as the pregnancy glow, the amazingly full hair, I can eat two pieces of cake without feeling guilty, and I get the occasional ankle rub (feet rub is not an option in this household). 

I have started my countdown till Marlee arrives at 20 days! My due date is July 17th but my last day of work is the 20th so I figured I can push for that day as her due date. A couple residents at work think I have dropped but I am pretty sure that she is still sitting up pretty high and is content with her home for now. I get some Braxton Hicks contractions maybe a couple times a day and even less when I am off my feet so nothing too exciting going on in there. 

Three more weeks!

Hello!

Hello!

My first post as a blogger and I am having trouble writing. Not a good way to start it off! 

I suppose a small introduction is in order. I started this blog to post pictures and events in Marlee's life without flooding Facebook or Instagram with every little detail of her upbringing. I did this as a courtesy to others but also for my own benefit because I have a feeling it is going to be hard to pick just one picture to post - and why should I have to choose? Right? I also love to bake, sew, craft, and garden so this blog could really go any which way. 

The names Marisa. I would be the 'Me' in the title. Husband calls me Moss from time to time so I pretty much respond to either. 

Here I am!

Ok so that is a super glam picture of me on my wedding day. 

This one is a little more accurate. 

That would be two of my three sisters and I. Definitely a more proper representation of myself. Jeans. Hoodie. Hat. 

Ok now let's add 50lbs and introduce Marlee Jo. She is obviously the 'Marlee' in the title. I am 36 weeks in this picture and although she has not arrived yet, she takes up about 85% of my thoughts. She has definitely made her presents known. 

And of course my husband, Nick, will be a frequent flyer on this blog because he is stuck with me and my antics for the majority of the time.

Yay happy days!

Don't let this photo fool you. Yes we were ecstatic to be married but those smiles are also smiles of relief. Next marriage, I am eloping. (Just kidding - one and done!)

He really is my better half. 

Isaac is my stepson and the personality twin of his father.

Showing off Marlee's first toy and outfit. He was so excited to pick it out.

Awe, family pic. 

And last but not least, our family would not be complete without Brusco. 

He is my constant companion, considering he likes to lay around and eat as much as I do. 

Well that pretty much sums up the family. Less then four more weeks till Marlee arrives and then the real fun starts!

(Shout out to Wise Capture for my beautiful wedding pictures! It was a joy to work with such wonderful photographers.)