2 weeks until Addison

well friday's horoscope was a tease, although i was up all night with contractions. they were irregular but by the far the strongest & most at one time i have ever felt.  all day saturday i wondered if it would be the day that i get to meet addison but to no surprise the full moon theory failed as well.  sunday, the day philip predicated addison would come, has come & gone & here we are...still waiting. i have a doctor's appointment this afternoon & i am extremely curious to see if there has been any progress since last monday.  last monday she was at station 0 & i am almost 100% effaced.  surely all the pelvic pressure & feeling of a bowling ball between my legs, tailbone pain & more frequent/stronger braxton hicks have done something. 

38 weeks

38 weeks

day of R&R

totally looking forward to a day of R&R.  i am getting a manicure/pedicure this morning & a prenatal massage this afternoon..ahhh! 

i am soooo not a horoscope person but for some reason this morning i was looking at the signs because my whole pregnancy i assumed addison would be a virgo.  if she came before august 22nd i was curious to see what she'd be.  well that curiosity led me to read my horoscope & it was quite interesting.

this was from MSNBC http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/8208809/ns/today-entertainment/

A lovely, quiet morning could evolve into a very active afternoon -- and a very hectic evening. Your chances of a good night's sleep are slim. You probably already know who will be responsible for the increased drama, and you won't mind the inconvenience at all. This person is making some waves and causing some major changes in your life -- but luckily, these changes will be very positive for you and your people! So how do you want to celebrate?

hmmmmm.....can you tell i am anxious?

full moon baby theory

this is totally silly & i am quite sure it isn't evidence based BUT this saturday happens to be a full moon....hmmmm.

the theory is that the moon’s gravitational pull effects the amniotic fluid the same way as it effects the water in the sea & rivers. naturally, as a woman’s body prepares for childbirth, the amniotic sac becomes distended to a point where it will easily burst if put under pressure. typically the cause of it rupturing is the pressure of labor contractions. the theory says that during a full moon, the pressure caused by the moon’s effect on the water inside the sac can cause a rupture of membranes sending women into labor. interesting.....

as an ER nurse i can certainly attest that a full moon draws in an increased amount of pt's...especially strange people & psychiatric patients.  we have a HUGE number of involuntary commitments that wind up holding in the ER during the full moon. does that mean if your baby is born on a full moon they will be crazy?! LOL

i would have to assume the only truth behind the theory is that a women is already extremely close (like within days) to or at/past her due date.  is it really the moon or just that the women's body was already ready & coincidentally there was a full moon. i read that if you are within 2-3 weeks of your due date it is likely to effect you as well...hmmmmm.  

i am intrigued, although i don't believe the theory.  our bodies are designed for a natural protective process. when the body is done doing it's job & the baby is ready to come they are going to come despite your anxiousness.  

it is sort of fun to imagine addison being born on saturday though...i am not going to lie, i would be thrilled!

the nursery

standing in the doorway of the nursery

wall with crib & changing area

the crib. we used the banner from the shower to add some femininity to the part of the room

another crib shot

changing area

wall with glider

enjoying addison's glider/rocker

he felt left out

opposite side of room

i love this...you can see her light fixture really well in the mirror

my favorite toy she has so far. we picked this up at babiology earlier in the summer

because of the shape of her room (it's neither square or rectangle) it's hard to get shots.  we have one more matryoshka picture that is being hung above the changing area & it is complete.  we tried to keep it simple & added modern elements with vintage elements.  i am pleased with how it turned out. 

3 weeks until Addison

it is surreal to say/type "3 weeks until addison". she is really almost here...we are in the final homestretch....this is really happening. i am going to be a mum & philip is going to be a dad. 


i have fantasized of what the last 9 months would be like...never did i ever dream it would be such a genuine gift. each time i thought it reached it's pinnacle, it got even more amazing. losing my abs to gain the perfect egg shape to protect addison & house her growth. feeling the little flutters of her flips & twirls early on, reminding me that she is snuggled away. the amusement from watching my stomach contort/shift & trying to figure out what body part is poking out of my belly. the rhythmic movement of her hiccups after drinking coffee or eating anything with curry. her responsiveness to the beat of music & how she wiggles & shakes.  how my belly would move towards the water in the shower. 

i am ready.  her tiny little clothes are washed & everything is in place in her nursery...it's only missing her.  i go to bed each night & close my eyes & try to imagine her face. i wake up each morning knowing it's one day closer until we meet.

i will cherish each palpitation that every pregnancy milestone gave me: finding out i was pregnant, making it through the 1st trimester, her gender reveal, reaching viability, making it to the 3rd trimester, reaching term & now waiting for her arrival.




the most incomprehensible thing is that the best part still awaits me...addison.

our nest is feathered

my mum, sharon (my mother-in-law) & sister paige threw me a fantastic baby shower this past weekend. 

it was held at the Rand Bryan house in Garner...a beautiful location

they kept the decor simple with romantic elements of flowers, nests & birdcages, damask black and white patterns with pops of pink & cream throughout the space 

 the favors were little nests with pink bar of soap shaped like an egg...they were really cute.

 mum had this banner & an it's a girl banner made for the shower & i am definitely going to find a way to incorporate this banner into addison's room.  we can use the it's a girl banner after she is born at the house. 

brunch was served on mismatch china, tea was served out of tea pots & everything was mini/baby sized.  

me & my beautiful mum

philip stuck around to take pictures but our camera was having issues so he just socialized, lol.

i had been anxiously waiting to wear this dress.  i bought it several months ago but my bump wasn't quite big enough for it...it's definitely big enough now!!!

i was literally "showered" with gifts, it was actually quite overwhelming. presents came from all over, even from people that were unable to make it.  addison's target registry is almost complete...she is a lucky baby! 

the most special thing about my shower was that my cousin aly was able to fly down from NH.  although we have lived a part for many years she is an extremely special person in my life...she was my maid of honor in my wedding. being able to share such a fun time in my pregnancy with her was awesome.  She is busy planning her wedding which is 2 months away & I am sure had lot of other things that she could have been doing to prepare for that.

THANK YOU ALY for coming down!

THANK YOU MUM, SHARON & PAIGE FOR A BEAUTIFUL AND MEMORABLE SHOWER 

& 

THANKS TO ALL THOSE THAT GOT UP EARLY ON A SATURDAY MORNING, SHARED LAUGHS, OH'S & AH'S, BRUNCH & YOUR LOVE WITH PHILIP, ADDISON & I

{awaiting addison}

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him."
---Ralph Waldo Emerson 

documenting my pregnancy with addison has been such so much fun, especially because i have day dreamed & prayed for these 9 months for SO LONG.  to top it all off, i have had such an amazing pregnancy & have truly enjoyed being pregnant.  

i am so blessed to have met emilee legge.  she has been such an encouragement & support in my life, especially throughout the journey with infertility & pregnancy.  philip & i had the joy of spending tuesday with emilee so she could capture these last days of pregnancy.  oh my goodness...she is amazing!  we met at 2 different locations (a nature park & old renovated cotton mill). 

here are a few of the proofs: 

photo credit: EmileeBeth Photography"
www.facebook.com/emileebet​​hphotography

check out (emileebeth.com) to see her amazing work