Teddy Boy, only 2 more months until I get to hold you, kiss your cheeks, toes, and tiny fingers. I cannot wait. You are such an active little guy — there’s no point in me tracking your movements because you are ALWAYS on the move. Punching my bladder, kicking my ribs, squirming and moving. It’s been an amazing experience and I know being your Mommy is going to be a whole new one!
I think about you a lot. I imagine what you’re going to look like and act like and hope you are sweet and cuddly guy; which is a lot coming from me because I really don’t like to cuddle or hug. I hope to always have your best interests at heart and I am so ready for life to become all about you!
Now, two more months little buddy. Don’t get too huge!
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Two months left! I am so ready to hold this little guy already. So far third trimester has been my favorite even though the carpal tunnel is still pretty constant and is now accompanied with heartburn and insomnia every night. Even with alllll that, it’s still my favorite and I know it’s because I will finally get to hold our little guy at the end of it.
For the past 9 months, I’ve been volunteering at a local charter school on Mondays and Tuesday in upper grade and then on Thursdays I have been running their Kinderclub. It has been an absolute joy and WONDERFUL training for mommy-hood. On Thursdays I was able to create the whole curriculum, including a craft, which I loved. This past Thursday was my last week and all the kid’s families got together to give me a gift card, a box of cookies, and a very sweet card. Seeing all their faces and receiving their warm hugs made it extremely hard to leave, but I am really looking forward to taking the month of April to get everything ready for Teddy’s arrival. The kids are also so excited to see Teddy and begged me to bring him with me to the school once I have him.
I am at the point now where I have to see the doctor every two weeks, so the anticipation is mounting! Today was my 32 week check-up and everything looks great. He’s head down, has a strong heartbeat and my fluid is good as well. I am just happy that this pregnancy has been as smooth as it has for Teddy. He seems to be pretty happy in there. I would take carpal tunnel, heartburn, insomnia, charlie-horses and throwing up any day over harm coming to him. Even now that the crazy hormones are back where I’m crying one minute and laughing the next.
This coming month I’ll be spending most of my time getting ready for his arrival. We’ve slowly been working on Teddy’s corner of the room as well as re-arranging things in the bedroom and living room so we have space for all his clothes, toys, diapers, crib, and changing station. Here’s a few pictures of the work in progress:
We purchased a wardrobe from IKEA for all his clothes and we also put in those green bins to store all his toys and other items we find that fit in there. The above picture is our dresser, which will now be Teddy’s changing table. The more I look at the pegboard in our room, the more I love it — but it’s huge so I think we’ll be doing some re-adjusting. Next to the changing table I hope to have a rocking chair and then right next to my side of the bed, we’d like to have his crib. It’s all starting to feel so real and I can’t wait to see how it all comes together.
Only 8 more weeks (hopefully) until he will get to enjoy it!
This post is long overdue, but I’ve been so preoccupied with other life things that I forgot to post this!
Alex and I decided to do a combined anniversary and babymoon over our anniversary weekend in January. We struggled with deciding where to go; I wanted New York and he wanted somewhere warmer. We ultimately decided on Portland since we know quite of few people who frequent the city and love it. Some of you have been asking about all the places we ate and visited — wanting to have a list of great stops should you ever visit. So, here ya go!
TRANSPORTATION:
We headed out on a Thursday and landed at the airport in the late morning. First, let me say it was pretty chilly but oh, so crisp. Second, public transportation in Portland was exceptional. We hopped on a shuttle that took us directly downtown to our hotel. Then, we continued to master transportation using the Google Maps app on our phones, which was extremely helpful and updated frequently. If we ever missed a bus, Google would tell us the next available route to where we wanted to go. Also, a day pass for the bus was only $5.00, much cheaper than renting a car. We were able to get to every single district downtown and even to church on Sunday using the buses and shuttles.
SIGHTS: One thing that worked out wonderfully was that Portland doesn’t have any huge landmarks or “must see” places. I was worried that I wouldn’t be up for a ton of walking around and sight seeing, so it was wonderful that we didn’t feel as though we missed out on anything just by walking around, heading into shops, chatting with folks, and eating — lots of eating.
Portland is broken up into districts: Pearl District, Northwest District, Lloyd District, Alberta Street, Hawthorne District and Belmont District. We could get to any district using shuttles and buses, so we broke up our days by district. We choose one district a day and decided what to eat and visit before we headed out. It made the days more enjoyable since we could just walk around the districts and eat whenever we felt like it.
It is a refurbished school house turned hotel! I don’t know if I could actually stay there (the rooms gave me the creeps), but the hotel has a movie theater, three different “bars/pubs”, smoking rooms, a public hot tub (more of a huge soaking tub — think Roman bath), and lots of places to eat.
The decor keeps to the original age of the building and there are pictures of students, historical figures, and other interesting art pieces everywhere.
ACCOMMODATIONS: When we travel for our anniversary we try to stay at a particular branch of hotels call Kimpton. We stayed at a Kimpton hotel in Seattle, WA for our first anniversary and found them not only extremely comfortable but enjoyable.
The Kimpton in Downtown Portland is called Hotel Monaco. It is located in business district of Portland, which is close to the fashion district as well. The decor is quite modern and very eclectic. While I love that decor, it took a while to get used to and it was very bright at first. The rooms are very long and well laid out. The staff was very friendly and they even provided us with complimentary champagne to celebrate our anniversary. Housekeeping came every morning, the fridge was always fully stocked and we even indulged in room service one evening.
The hotel is pet friendly, which I find enchanting — though we didn’t bring Boone with us this time. They also provided free bike rentals and two complimentary beverages: a hot chocolate bar fully stocked with toppings from 7:00 am to 10:00 am every morning and a champagne reception in the evenings complete with a piano player.
We meet some pretty amazing people in the lobby area and enjoyed the huge fireplace. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars — only as compared to the other Kimpton hotels we’ve stayed in past.
FOOD: As I had mentioned, there aren’t many “sights” to see in Portland so much of what we did included food. I won’t list off every place we ate, but here are the ones that stood out to me:
Voodoo Doughnut – If you miss out on visiting this place, you will be pretty bummed about it. When we were traveling back home we saw so many passengers with pink boxes from this place just dying to take some doughnuts home! The vibe is eccentric and loud so we opted to sit outside, but the doughnuts were delicious. I was boring and opted for an old fashioned but Alex ventured out and ordered a maple bacon bar. Both were very delicious. Keep in mind, it’s cash only!
Henry’s 12th Street Tavern – We came here to take advantage of their happy hour. We were able to purchase a pizza and salad, Alex ordered a beer, I ordered a coke and we even ordered an appetizer. If I remember correctly, the bill was under $30 and all the food was extremely tasty. Oh, and another great thing about Portland… NO SALES TAX! So the price you see, is the price you pay. I even felt as though we tipped more because we weren’t worried about rounding up or percentages.
Mother’s Bistro & Bar – This place is my Mother-in-law’s favorite in Portland. The food is fantastic and the music they play was right up our alley (Jamie Cullum, Corrine Bailey Rae, and some Mayor Hawthorne). Don’t let the “somewhat” outdated decor fool you — the food is amazing. Every meal comes with a huge biscuit that weighs the size of a toddler. We ate here once for dinner and came back the next morning for breakfast. You absolutely must get the biscuits and gravy!
Tin Shed – A pet friendly gardenesque atmosphere, but very busy in the afternoon right after church. They have a strict menu schedule on Sundays and serve only breakfast until 2:00 pm, so you cannot order lunch before then. The lunch menu looked delicious, but breakfast was great too! We split an eggs benedict and the eggs were cooked to perfection. You do serve yourself water and coffee (there are stations around the restaurant) so if you’re looking for a full service place this isn’t it.
The Courtyard Restaurant at Kennedy School – As I mentioned before, this is a place you want to have ample time to explore. There is a theater, smoking room, soaking tub, gardens, and plenty of tasty places to eat. We decided on the Courtyard Restaurant after much walking around. It was busy, but they had a full service bar so we ordered our food there. The wait for a table wasn’t very long at all, but this mama was VERY HUNGRY! We ordered cajun tater tots as an appetizer and they were delicious — I’m sorry that we’re not sorry we ate the whole plate full. I then ordered a minestrone soup and Alex ordered a burger. Both were delicious. The ambiance was wonderful and the view overlooked the garden in the center of the school. We didn’t end up making any of the movies but we found out later that you could order food and drinks before in the theater bar and take them into the movies with you! It is an absolute must visit.
Screen Door – Last, but certainly NOT least, was Screen Door. Luke and Hallie (friends of ours from California who relocated to Portland) took us here for dinner before our flight home. There was a line around the building before it even opened and we soon figured out why. The food was amazing — mostly likely the best southern/creole food I’ve ever tasted! Luke ordered the shrimp and grits, I ordered the mac n’ cheese, Alex ordered pulled pork, and Hallie ordered a mixed plate of three different items. They have beers on tap to pair with the food and the service was great. If you can, and it’s not too chilly, sit outside under the tin shed and heat lamps — the ambiance makes you feel like you’re sitting in the south eating some of your mama’s good home cookin’.
OVERVIEW: We truly enjoyed our experience and felt as thought 5 days was just enough time to really take in all that Portland had to offer. We enjoyed Sunday morning service at Mars Hill Portland and found most everyone in the city to be friendly and helpful with suggestions.
At first I was nervous about using public transportation, but we have always found that having to ask people for directions and relying on each other for help has made for a unique experience when we travel. We were able to meet some very interesting people and had to trust each other a lot — considering that neither of us knew where we were going half the time.
Every eatery we patronized was amazing. I would say it would be hard to find a place we didn’t like and I strongly recommend all of the above listed.
Our hotel was in a great location; central to all of our travels to the districts and we often had down time for a bath or nap in the middle of the day before hitting the town at night.
The weather was very cold in January (ranging from 30-45 degrees) but we enjoyed coffee and hot chocolate to keep us warm. I wore the same large jacket every day and bundled up in beanies and scarves. I really enjoy cold weather so I did not find that it inhibited our experience at all. If anything it provided beautiful scenery.
So, I would say Operation: Babymoon 2013 was a success! I hope you found this guide helpful and you enjoyed our video.
Whoa Teddy, there you are! You are moving and punching and kicking and popping out all over the place. I have definitely reached the stage where everyone can tell I’m pregnant and everyone is asking to feel you kick. You are picky though and don’t like to be disturbed during your naps. Can you come out now so we can snuggle?
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Hello third trimester! You are more than welcome to rear your ugly head — I’ve heard you’re a doozy but since I’ve already experienced barfing, insomnia, carpel tunnel, and heartburn I’m pretty sure I can handle your swollen feet and hugeness. Bring it on!
I am both happy and sad to see the second trimester go because I know it means that my pregnancy is coming to an end, but I cannot wait to see our little guy in less than 3 months! I can tell I’m getting more anxious and excited because my dreams are starting to include laboring and holding him as well as cuddles and talks with him. Gosh, I cannot wait to see what he looks like and what his personality will be.
My dreams of labor usually include me looking to Alex for comfort and assurance that everything is going as planned; and while that brings me comfort (since I was always convinced my labor would include me screaming expletives at him) it kind of terrifies him! He keeps telling me that he is going to have no idea what to do and he really wants to have help. So, we are beginning the process of looking for a Doula. I’m excited! I have heard so many great things about laboring with a doula and if any of you in Ventura County have suggestions, please send them our way. Or, Megan Martin if you want to temporarily move to Camarillo it would be greatly appreciated!
These past four weeks have probably been the best in my pregnancy. I was able to figure out a plan to relieve my carpal tunnel, I’m sleeping better at night, and the kids at the school I volunteer for have been so sweet and excited for me. The often ask me how Teddy is doing and love feeling him kick. I’ll be sad to finish up my rotation in March because I’ll miss them very much!
I do, however, feel pretty huge! Where did this belly come from?! I have gained 8 pounds so far, which has me right on track with a pound a week after 20 weeks. I’m hoping to keep this up because that means I will gain around 20 pounds total — though, all I care about is having a healthy baby!
A huge blessing we received was three bags full of clothes from cousin Julian! I’m so excited to get Teddy into these adorable clothes and I cannot wait for my upcoming shower. So much love is being lavished upon this little guy and he’s not even here yet.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers. Here’s to an awesome third trimester!
I read this little bit of advice from Baby Center: “Writing Your Birth Plan” as “Writhing Your Birth Pain”. What is my subconscious up to these days?! Truth be told, I thought it was kind of hilarious at first. Especially since I’ve done pretty much everything to avoid even thinking about the actually labor process. I posted this picture on Facebook and it started an on set of birthing advice from hypnobirthing to c-sections. I absolutely appreciate and value every single opinion and love that so many women are passionate about the birthing process.
You want to know what my ideal birthing process would be, right this very minute?? A non-existent one. Yup, if I’m being completely honest — the idea of pushing a watermelon out of my body does not sound in the least bit appealing, joyful, enjoyable, or exciting. I’m just putting it out there. I am terrified and I think that’s why I’ve completely avoided the subject all together. P.S. Thanks a lot Eve. That girl is going to get so many slaps in the face in heaven.
Part of me truly feels the less options I have, the better. I just need to listen to my doctor/doula and everything will be fine. They are professionals, right? Then another part of me thinks, women have been doing this for years and multiple times so 1) how hard can it be? and 2) my body clearly will know what it’s doing, right? Finally, the type-A person in me wants to spend the next three months really searching all my options and decide on a birth plan that I think would be the best for me.
So, be honest with me people, how many of you totally freaked out with your first/second/third/millionth? What did you do to calm the anxiety and how did you get started on your process of looking into birth plans? Was your birth plan followed? Did it give you peace-of-mind or racing-of-the-heart?
Looking forward to all your answers,
Leelo and the giant squash baby slowly growing bigger and bigger inside of her.
Little Teddy Boy, you are the size of an ear of corn this week — almost a whole foot long. You love your Daddy’s voice when he reads to you at night and you kick/punch me every time I wake up in the middle of the night, which is usually about every three hours. Thanks for the boot camp training, pal.
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This past month has definitely had its ups and downs. I am so happy to be eating normally again and the doctor says I’m gaining weight well, but this second trimester carpal tunnel has been the worst! The past two weeks I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night and Alex has had to massage and ice my wrist for about 30 minutes before I can fall back asleep. But, I’m trying some homeopathic remedies that will hopefully be helping soon!
On the bright side, Alex got to feel Teddy kick about three weeks ago. We were in the movie theater watching Les Miserables, I was eating jalapeño nachos and this little guy just started dancing in there. I grabbed Alex’s hand and Teddy have him a giant kick. Alex immediately started crying and wanted me to tell everyone that he wasn’t crying because of the movie.
Last week, my parents took me out to dinner for my birthday and while we were waiting for our waitress Teddy started moving around again. Both my parents leapt up from their seats and grabbed my belly. Teddy then gave my Dad a solid kick. You should have seen his face! He just kept saying, “That’s so cool.” Over and over. My Mom, who was jealous, moved from her seat to sit right next to me and wouldn’t move until Teddy kicked her too. He didn’t disappoint and soon my Mom and I were squealing with glee.
By far the moving and kicking is the best part of this pregnancy! And hey, if you see me, feel free to grab away!! I’m not weird at all about anyone touching my belly.
I’m starting to feel a but heavier now and my back is beginning to hurt, but Alex says I’ve been a trooper.
This past weekend we celebrated our 5 year anniversary with a trip to Portland! We walked everywhere and mastered public transportation. We had a total blast and really enjoyed our babymoon before this little guys makes his appearance in just under 4 months.
So, in case you guys are totally behind… I want you to meet Emmy and Teddy! We are calling them the two little pea pods. They are due 10 days a part and little Emmy belongs to my brother and sister-in-law!
When we found out we were pregnant, C&A had no idea that they were ALSO pregnant. My sister-in-law started noticing that some of the symptoms I was having, she was having too. She decided to take a pregnancy test and SURPRISE! They were having a baby!! We were all shocked and so excited.
Then, just this past week, they found out they were having a girl. So exciting! In a family full of boy cousins, Emmy is going to have her work cut out for her, but my guess will be that she’ll be well taken care of and stick up for herself just fine.
It has been pretty awesome having someone to chat with about all the things we’re going through and at the same time. My bestie Amy is also pregnant and has been a major rock for me during the first trimester which, as you know, was not so fun.
Growing up, it was such a blessing to be so close to my cousins. So, even though we’re 2 hours away, it’s extremely important to all of us that the kids know and love each other. We’ve already started up some Family FaceTime meetings and they have meant the world to me.
I can’t wait to see these two pea pods grow up together and see their personalities form! They will fight, love, and teach each other so many things. I can’t wait.
Merry Christmas Eve and welcome to 20 weeks baby! You’re about the size of a banana now and I’m kind of freaking out about the fact that you are eventually going to be the size of a pumpkin. Can we make a deal? Could you be a relatively small pumpkin? Like a 7 pounder would be good? Great.
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20 weeks. Half way there! I know I’ve said it a million times but can it be May already?! I just want to hold this little guy like nobody’s business. Don’t get me wrong… I have really started enjoying this pregnancy thing. I’m cooking again and I’m not barfing unless I forget to eat something AS SOON as I get up — or brush my teeth before I eat. AND last week on 12/21/12 around 9:00 pm I felt him move. It was amazing. It started off as a low rumble and I had my hand resting on the right side of my stomach when the low rumble turned into sort of a wave and then a quick jab! I moved my hand off and sat VERY still and then I received two more quick punches or kicks or whatever. It was the weirdest and most amazing feeling ever. I totally cried. So did Alex when he got home from school and I told him.
So far, the jabs have been the best part of this pregnancy. Oh! We got to hear Teddy’s heartbeat for the first time last week as well. That was amazing. 150 beats per minute and doing great, the doctor says. It’s the first time that the words “typical” and “boring” made me so happy. She has absolutely no concerns and that makes me feel so great.
The same day I felt the jabs we also found out that a dear pastor’s daughter, who was just 5 years old, passed away from a severe asthma attack. I literally gasped when I read the blogpost. I couldn’t move or do anything for about 30 minutes — I just sat there in the mess of it all completely stunned. No one thinks they’ll loose their little one to asthma. I spent some time doing research after that and realized how very dangerous asthma is! It is most definitely not something to take lightly. Just when I was about to start freaking out, Teddy gave me the weave and jab and reminded me that he’s still here and he’s still safe. What a blessing in the midst of it all.
Lord, help me rejoice in this time with Teddy. Help me not to be too anxious. Help me treasure him and cherish him and ultimately know that he’s a gift and not mine to begin with. Thank you for him.
I hope (and I know) that you all will cherish your loved ones this Christmas season!
I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding our son’s name, so hey… let’s make it official.
Drum roll please…
Theodore Primo Lopez!
Daddy suggested the first name and to be honest, I kept thinking about the fat chipmunk from Alvin and the Chipmunks. But after doing some research I realized that some pretty amazing people in History were named Theodore. There was a president, a cowboy, some saints, and a Russian fighter, musicians, painters, and even a major league baseball player. Best and most of all, the name means “God’s Gift”. And truly, this little guy is. We’ve been praying for him for a long, long time.
Primo is Daddy’s middle name and his grandfather’s name and HIS father’s name. It’s very special and very manly — if I do say so myself. It’s Italian in origin and it means “first.” Fitting, I think. Especially if Daddy has his way and Teddy becomes an amazing baseball star. EVERYONE will be calling him Primo. I think he could be a pretty sweet rapper with the name, “Teddy P” but Dad isn’t going for it.
So, there you have it! A pretty amazing name for an amazing kid.
Only about 20(ish) more weeks until we get to hold our little guy!
They have started! It’s not even necessarily CRAVINGS, like ohhhh man I have to get this or I’m going to starve… but I have had a few weird moments where I open the fridge and I think, “Hmmmm, that and that sound good together.”
Then I instantly think, “That’s disgusting, but I’m going to eat it anyway.”
For the last two days I’ve been really wanting chili cheese fries from Del Taco and usually around 8:00 or 9:00 at night. My loving and sweet hubby has gone for me and the baby has been extremely grateful.
But, today was the weirdest… weirdest of all. Today I opened the fridge and thought, “Oh man, jared peaches and spanish olives with pimentos. That sounds AMAZING!”
We made it to 12 weeks little lime and, so far, according to the doctor we both are doing a great job. Hooray!
So, this little lime is still totally kicking my butt. I’m up peeing all the time, tired all the time, and the morning sickness — though it has died down quite a bit — is still in full effect. Last night was the worst. I’m pretty sure this baby hates diary, tomatoes, and red meat. All of which are very sad. This baby has pretty much ruined spaghetti for me, since it just doesn’t taste the same coming back up. What was really weird is that all the noodles were gone, just the meat sauce remained, so I’m pretty sure this little one likes carbs. Sorry if that was a little TMI for y’all.
The weird, and I mean ultra-super weird, dreams have started. Two nights ago I dreamed that I was Hermione trying to escape the death-eaters for my ultimate mission of choosing the next James Bond. I interviewed many candidates and finally I took a rocket to outer-space where I found… Sponge Bob, who was jumping rope around the moon. Anyway, after much deliberation I decided that Sponge Bob should be the next James Bond or Bob. Whatever. Then we orbited around earth and landed in England where we shared a virgin martini (shaken, not stirred).
Needless to say, I woke up completely terrified and also hysterical.
This pregnancy has been a pretty crazy ride so far and I am so looking forward to the second trimester where I will, hopefully, start to feel better and have a bit more energy.
Teddy Boy, only 2 more months until I get to hold you, kiss your cheeks, toes, and tiny fingers. I cannot wait. You are such an active little guy — there’s no point in me tracking your movements because you are ALWAYS on the move. Punching my bladder, kicking my ribs, squirming and moving. It’s been an amazing experience and I know being your Mommy is going to be a whole new one!
For the past 9 months, I’ve been volunteering at a local charter school on Mondays and Tuesday in upper grade and then on Thursdays I have been running their Kinderclub. It has been an absolute joy and WONDERFUL training for mommy-hood. On Thursdays I was able to create the whole curriculum, including a craft, which I loved. This past Thursday was my last week and all the kid’s families got together to give me a gift card, a box of cookies, and a very sweet card. Seeing all their faces and receiving their warm hugs made it extremely hard to leave, but I am really looking forward to taking the month of April to get everything ready for Teddy’s arrival. The kids are also so excited to see Teddy and begged me to bring him with me to the school once I have him.
Merry Christmas Eve and welcome to 20 weeks baby! You’re about the size of a banana now and I’m kind of freaking out about the fact that you are eventually going to be the size of a pumpkin. Can we make a deal? Could you be a relatively small pumpkin? Like a 7 pounder would be good? Great.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding our son’s name, so hey… let’s make it official.
