Thursday, January 31, 2013

Monday, January 28, 2013

Happy Monday!

Today was our official "Due Date" and we are so happy the Little Miss decided to join us earlier than expected! I can't wait to share more about our birth story, the French hospital stay, and adjusting to life at home... As you can imagine, it is hard to find time during the day to blog at this point.  We should have a better rhythm here in a few weeks! PLUS, Gigi and Opa are here and we like to play with them :) 

Until then, I will tide you over with some of my favorite pictures from the hospital! 
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We are totally smitten with this little one.... Nicknames for Little Miss Frenchy so far: My little frog (because of her French Froggy legs), peanut, cupcake, and bright eyes. 

Hopefully this will tide you over until I have time to write more.... Bisous! 

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Stella Rose Misegades

I wanted to pop in and introduce you to Little Miss Frenchy!  We couldn't be more proud of our little beauty.  I can't wait to share more details soon...  Bisous! 

StellaRose

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Winter Wonderland + Waiting for Stella

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Well this week (although LONG) has been BEAUTIFUL at The Colorado.  We had our second snow of the season and somehow it has made the unending wait for our daughter's arrival a bit more bearable.  I still have my moments of "Am I going to be pregnant FOREVER" but instead of moping about it every day, I am trying to just soak it in and remember how lucky and grateful I am to have even reached this point at all.  I am also milking all the extra attention, snuggles, and movie nights with my husband as our days of a family of 2 are coming to a close.
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Around 33-35 weeks I was feeling really emotional - Almost like PRE-baby blues if that's even possible? I was crying all the time, really homesick, sad about not being the only woman in Logan's life and how it would never be the same, and terrified about the whole "birthing" process.  We talked to our midwife and she said it was completely understandable considering I am giving birth in a foreign country and she said she would be surprised if I hadn't had a meltdown about the reality of our situation by this point.  I also think part of this was due to being so far away from friends and family during the holiday season. Oh yeah and those things called.... hormones?  
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The C-Section date of January 9th has also really played with our emotions because we had everything packed and ready to go last week. We were mentally and emotionally prepared to meet our daughter last Wednesday... So it almost feels like she is 8 days PAST her due date, even though her actual due date has always been January 28th. I think the wait would be a tiny bit more bearable if we'd never been given the earlier due date and just always had our minds wrapped around the end of January. But we have steadily reprogrammed our brains for the unknown. 
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I can honestly say I think God chose 9 (10) months to grow a baby because take it from me... by the END of this, you are ready to get that baby out NO MATTER WHAT THE COST!!! I am honestly no longer thinking about the labor - my focus is on the prize at the end - our little girl.  Every night I go to sleep I think... "This time, tomorrow night... I could be holding her."  The COOL thing about this, is one of these nights I will actually be RIGHT!  Even going to bed feels fun because you never know if you will wake up in the middle of the night with the "it's time" contractions!  We are just on pins and needles over here - it is frustrating and exhilarating at the same time! (Especially for this planner Mama!)
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Some PROS we've come up with on cooking a bit longer:
  • Stella's future BFF Baby Girl Cunningham is due next week - so perhaps they are already scheming to arrive close together... Alexis and I are only 3 days apart - Like mother, like daughter? (How CRAZY would it be if they chose the same day?!?!) 
  • The further we get away from Christmas, the more our girl will get her day to shine rather than getting lost in the holiday party shuffle... My Frenchman grew up with the curse of a December 19th birthday and the 2-for-1 gifts and holiday/ birthday party combos so he's especially happy with her later choice!
  • ALSO, I have heard bigger babies seem to sleep through the night sooner than early arrivals. I have no idea if this is accurate, but I can hope?
My only REAL concern at this point is the snow.  Although beautiful, our car wouldn't start this morning and add the icy roads into the mix and that is a bit stressful.  Granted, FRANCE is much more prepared for this weather than say, DALLAS - when work and school is literally cancelled if there are a few snowflake (or sleet) sightings! Regardless, our 30 minute drive to the hospital in Tulle may be a bit longer and slower than usual... So let's pray for the Frenchman and his patience with me on what is sure to feel like the longest drive of my life haha :)
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In all seriousness though, thank you ALL for your prayers, calls, emails, and comments the past few weeks. It really helps me keep going! Everyone talks about how hard the first trimester is, but no one really prepares you for how brutal the last few weeks of pregnancy are... I think partly because of this wonderful thing I have heard called "baby amnesia" that happens after you hold your little one for the first time. (I am banking on this!) The other night we watched the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" movie and Logan was on the floor laughing hysterically at "The Pregnancy Glow" speech by Elizabeth Banks - how pregnancy "sucks" and "growing a human being is hard work"... BUT once she had her little one in her arms she said "I finally found my glow.  HE is my glow."

Stella Rose... YOU are my glow and we will wait patiently until you are good and ready to come out and meet us! 
39weeksnotext

Monday, January 14, 2013

A Thank You Note


I thought I would take a minute to personally thank these items for getting me through the home stretch of this pregnancy.  I wouldn't be able to do this without you! 

1. BIRTHING BALL - Starting this week, my preferred "chair" is the birthing ball.  I have been in lots of pain this weekend (down there) and this is literally the only place I am comfortable because sitting on any surface, standing, and even lying down is uncomfortable now.  So we bounce, we roll, we sit...and we deflate and have to pump up every few days, ha!
2.  CASTLE- Why did I not watch this show in the US?!?!? It combines comedy with murder mysteries! Since I am on maternity leave, it is cold and rainy, we don't have a Target or any shopping closer than a 30 minute drive away, and we have ZERO business so far this month... we have had LITERAL "cabin fever"... Seasons 1-5 have really given us much-needed entertainment and escape! Thank you Kate Beckett and Richard Castle. 
3. OREOS AND MILK- I probably look like this girl most days... Is it sad to admit having my Oreos and Milk snack every day is one of the things I savor and look forward to from the moment I wake up in the morning? Oh the sweet tooth... 
4. SHOWER- Coming from the girl who HATED showers and only took them out of necessity in the past, I have come to savor this moment every day. I think the Frenchman is pleased that I smell so good all the time - The truth is we have a seat, jets, and unlimited access to piping hot water and I spend a good 20 minutes in there every day. It somehow eases all the aches and pains.  SADLY, our bathtub is ruined due to the RAT STORY a few months ago.  Last weekend when Logan went upstairs to draw me a bath, we found that the drain piping was the rat's entryway into our home and had completely eaten through it! (GROSS) - So our ceiling started leaking, there were vacuums, fans, and  chaos.... so I am being forced to stick to my long, lingering showers and that's okay for me - hey I have a chair AND jets, life ain't too bad. 
5. TUMS... Sadly, we only have a few of these puppies left! My stomach (the organ) has now flattened into a pancake shoved inside of me somewhere and the reflux is still around in her full glory! These have been a lifesaver and much better tasting than the liquid squeeze pack called "Gaviscon" here in France- think Go-Gurt (remember that yogurt stuff you would squeeze out of a tube?) but with nasty tasting medicine inside.  
6. BELOVED HOT WATER BOTTLE-  She has eased my chronic upper back pain for the last few months and is now having to double duty her time in between my legs due to the lovely "lightning crotch" symptoms that have rapidly amped up this weekend showing no mercy. Lets hope the end is near... 

7. HUSBAND OF THE YEAR... even though its just January :) This man has massaged, cooked, cleaned, and done every single thing I have asked him to the last few pathetic weeks. I know I am a wimp and complaining a lot and hormonal...but he has been such a good sport and always has a joke and a smile to offer when the mood needs lightening up! AND look how good he is looking these days??? In my baby book it asks "Weight Gained" for Mom and Dad and ever since he read that last summer his butt has been determined to write a NEGATIVE number which he will easily achieve - Him and his skinny jeans keep losing weight while I slowly morph into a beached whale.  
That's all I've got for now... We are having a stare down with 39 weeks and hoping THIS will be the week our girl decides to join the party :) Stay tuned... Note: The ticker at the top of this blog is for a US due date, not our French due date of January 28th. I will not be induced until February 1st if it comes to that... in which case I will most likely be giving birth to a girl who is already in her 6-9 month clothing. 

XO
Abby 


images 2-6 via

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

9 Month Stella Update!

How far along? 38.5 weeks! 

New symptoms: Lower back pain, frequent contractions, and what they like to call "lightning crotch" due to our girl's HEAD pressing down on some serious pelvic nerves, but Praise God she's comfortable in a headstand now! Also...TMI... lets just say my milk is/ has been coming in for a few weeks now.  AND I lost my "plug" today... so there's that too.  (Sorry for the over share!) 

Baby Stella: We had our end of term appointment yesterday and everything looked great! I was told I was not dilated at all and that she is sitting pretty high BUT the midwife said there is no way to predict when they will come. All it takes is 1 day of good contractions and everything changes! I will also have you know she is already estimated to weigh 7.5 lbs... as in, RIGHT NOW.  So we were sent home yesterday and told not to come back until I am in active labor with contractions 5 minutes apart! Pretty crazy to think that next time we make that drive will most likely be the day we meet our baby girl :) 

Due Date Predictions: Genetically speaking, I was a past due (HUGE) baby and the Frenchman was 3 weeks early.  So there is no telling :) I think it's funny when people try to tell you when your baby will come based on their experience because every single person and pregnancy is unique - so its really just a guessing game! We would love sooner than later... I mean what woman is NOT anxious to meet their little one once they know they are fully "cooked" and healthy? But ultimately, our girl is already in charge! 
Total weight gain: 28.5 pounds as of a few weeks ago... we didn't weigh in at the appointment yesterday.  My stepsister Lindsay gave me great perspective - she said the bigger the baby, the more you lose on delivery day! So bring on the 8+ pound baby :) haha 
Clothes: I need to send a personal "Thank You" note to the person who invented leggings. If I didn't have these bad boys, I would be living in my husband's sweatpants all day, every day. I am also sleeping in his undershirts at night because none of my t-shirts fit at this point! 
Stretch Marks:  Still none on the belly! 

Rings: Still on and happy to report no swollen cankles either! 
Sleep: Still can't really complain... Frequent potty breaks and changing sides due to hip pain. I thought I should also note that post-baby I think I am going to have to wrestle my husband for the body pillow. It has become a very welcome 3rd addition to our sleep set-up :) 
Miss Anything: Right now I am just missing family and friends to be honest... Can't wait for my parents to get here in a few weeks and my sister for her Spring Break in March! 
Food Cravings: Sweets. What is my DEAL!??!?! Specifically... Oreos and milk. Every. Single. Day. 
Best Moment of the Week: Finding out that our girl TURNED and we would no longer need a C-Section...which mind you was for TODAY!!! It is weird to think that we could have potentially been holding our 7.5 lb daughter at this very moment if things hadn't changed.  We are anxious to meet her, but MUCH happier that she will come naturally and when she's ready.  The PLAN is for Logan to actually get to deliver her. (Along with the midwives supervision of course!) 
Looking Forward To: Meeting our daughter! Oh my gosh I can hardly contain the excitement... I mean I am dreading my one day of PAIN, but I know she's worth it. It is pretty fun and exciting to know it could happen at any moment of any day! 
And finally, here is a BUMP catch up... perhaps the last one?!?! We will see! 

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Monday, January 7, 2013

Dear Stella


We get to meet you THIS MONTH.

The carseat is installed.  The nursery is in perfect order.  All your tiny clothes are washed.  Our hospital bags are packed.  Gigi and Opa are "on call" and Pappa and Mimi will be here in a few weeks to hold the next generation.


As far as preparations go, it seems we have all our ducks in a row... but sitting here I don't even know how to prepare myself for what we have in store over the next weeks, months, years, and DECADES to come. Our lives are about to be forever altered.  We find ourselves at a loss - are we ready, do we know what to do, how will this whole parenting thing look for us?  I have found myself trying to envision what you will look like, what your little personality will be like, and how fun it will be to watch you grow up, walk, talk, fall in love, get married, and have your own little ones someday.  It is surreal... Sometimes me and your Dad feel like we are just playing "pretend" and that it is too good to be true.


I often will waddle up to your room (VERY out of breath at 9 months pregnant I might add), sit on your floor, admire your toys, stroke your blankets, open a few of your books and try to envision adding a baby into this precious, perfect, pink nursery.  What will it be like? Our house is sure to never be this quiet ever again and my sleepless nights of being uncomfortable are about to be replaced with late night feedings and bonding with my daughter.  


DAUGHTER... that word still makes my eyes well up with tears. 

I can read all the books, do all the research, and daydream all I want but the truth is I have no idea what to expect.  All I know is that I can't wait for us to figure it out as a family of 3.  You are already so unique... most likely our ONLY Little Miss Frenchy.


I am not worried about your birthday because I know you have a GREAT doctor who has taken special care of Mommy for a year now.  He cares for you and your safety and health as well as mine and he even speaks ENGLISH to me- which is a real bonus! He DOES, however, need to learn that "ass" is not the proper term in English for a baby's bottom... especially a polite young lady like yourself.  :) But we can forgive him for that.  You will be welcomed into this world on a day of your choosing after months and months of growing, moving around, and being comfy cozy inside.  I wake up every morning thinking - This could be the day! Her BIRTHDAY! - And one day here pretty soon... I am going to be right! I know I am going to miss your kicks and middle of the night wiggles, but honestly I can't wait to share you with Daddy and the rest of the world.


You are so very special. You brought us back to life after a hard loss. Thank you for being our redemption.... our silver lining... our smiles and celebrations... our miracle.


We love you Stella Rose.


XO,

Mommy
Side note: When Stella McCartney launched her kids clothing line, she came out with a limited time book partnering with Roger Hargreaves all about "Little Miss Stella" - It was literally just a GWP (gift with purchase) with your clothing purchase after the launch of her children's apparel line. I have been scouring the internet for a copy of this book... If you have one or see one, will you PLEASE let me know? 

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