Kaili Who!?

I thought my Friday evening was going to be quiet and relaxing like usual.

With the exception of going to dinner with some friends, 

I imagined myself uncomfortably positioned on my couch, 

watching the hours pass, and wishing this little girl would hurry up. 

I was in for a surprise.

Already feeling full and a bit lethargic after the ungodly

amounts of bread they provide at Johnny Carino's, 

everyone was chatting while waiting for our meals. 

My surprise started by Kirk giving a toast, 

which I thought was a bit out of the ordinary,

but I figured it's the holidays, 

and it's a rare occasion for all of our friends to get together, 
so I just went with it.

After he gave a toast he began expressing his love
for me at an above average tone of voice.
I think he started by saying, "Kaili, you're the best."
My short response was, "thanks, you're the best too..."
and at that point, I was thinking, 
why is he telling me this stuff at the dinner table? 

And why is he talking so loud?
Did the waitress put something in his drink?
Awkward....
I tried to ignore him by engaging in conversation with someone else,
but my attention was brought right back to Kirk 

as he pulled out his chair and got on one knee.

Finally, I realized what was happening.

Kirk proposed. Kaili said yes. Ring goes on finger.
Holy crap! Did I just become engaged?!

I was still trying to wrap my head around why he was acting so strange.

It was too late to call the grandparents, 

but we immediately called other close relatives and friends to tell them the good news.
I think the best reaction was from Kirk's mother, 

who screamed for a good 10 seconds straight.

I am really happy and can't believe how caught off guard I was.

Marriage is something we have always discussed
and assumed would just eventually happen,
but I definitely was not expecting him to propose....

at a restaurant, in front of everyone for that matter.
I always thought Kirk might try to weasel out of the proposal 

and skip right to the wedding part. 

I'm glad he did it the "proper" way.

Also, I'm sure a lot of you old fashioned folk feel better about referring to us as "engaged,"
rather than having to hear the term "boyfriend/girlfriend" roll off your tongue.
Still an un-wed pregnancy though...oh, shame shame. :-)

Countdown

Days until Christmas?
10
Days until my due date?
17

I am beyond caring about how my body
 is going to handle labor,
I just want to get it over with.

I am also feeling exceptionally neurotic lately.
I get my house cleaned to perfection, laundry done,
 get caught up with my responsibilities at work
and think, OKAY,
 if she comes right NOW,
that would be perfect timing.
But of course, we are still waiting.
 And knowing my luck, she will decide to come
 when my house is a mess,
I have piles of laundry, and work is chaos.
Ay yi yi....
But in all honesty it does not matter
 when she decides to make her big debut.
I am just so anxious!
Can't wait to see what she looks like.
Can't wait to dress her, feed her,
bathe her, hold her, and
show her the world.

It's such a great time of the year for me.

Everyday is starting to feel like Christmas Eve.
I'm ready now.
Let's get this show on the road.

 

    

 

Turkey Day and More

Thanksgiving was delicious, as usual.

Kirk and I were committed to three dinners this year,

but had to throw in the white flag after devouring two meals.
Due to the fact that my stomach is now resting directly under my rib cage,
I have been trying to limit my portion sizes. 

One slice of pie and I become extremely uncomfortable!

However, I think we can all agree that it is nearly impossible to

 limit your food intake on Thanksgiving.

 So I was basically in pain all day....
everything was just so tasty!

After a delightful weekend relaxing & spending time with family,
I was saddened by the passing of my great-grandma Lila.

The wise, old soul passed away in her sleep on Sunday, November 27, 2011.
She was very weak and I think she was ready to be at peace.
I was hoping my little girl would have the opportunity to meet her

 great-great grandma, not many people do.

 But perhaps they have met and my grandma is enlightening

 my little one about all her kooky family members and

preparing her for the enormous amounts of love she will soon encounter.

 

I had the chance to spend some time with my great-grandma

while she was still responsive and alert.

She would often forget that I was pregnant and would thank me

 for reminding her that I wasn't just getting fat.

Also, during that time, I told her we were thinking about naming our

daughter Lila and asked if she would be alright with that.
Her response was amusing to me, she said, 
"Oh, Sure, I don't care. I hate that name."
I was puzzled and asked why she hated her name, she explained that

 a lot of people throughout her life called her "Lee-La" instead of "Lie-La".

Kirk and I decided to prevent that life-long-hatred and problem

 for our daughter by simply changing the spelling.
She will be Lyla, instead of Lila.

I love old-fashioned names. Kirk loves the "southern" touch.

And I love that my daughter will always remind me of the

fond memories I have with my great-grandma Lila.

Nursery for a Lady

 It started as this...

And although I am still waiting for a few finishing touches,
it now looks like this....

Please excuse my cat, who seems to think this is his new bed...

a FULL closet and what I thought to be a large inventory of diapers, 

I have been informed is enough for only a couple months.
Oh my!

All Naturale

My own mother questions why I would choose to be in pain

if there are so many options available allowing otherwise.

However, I feel very strongly about having a natural child birth. 

The female body was designed to endure labor,

and although I appreciate the advances of modern medicine,

I would really really like to do this on my own.

I feel there is something magical, something euphoric about

the birthing process that every woman is meant to experience.

Now, I am not underestimating what I expect to be

 the most excruciating pain I will ever go through.

 I am also fully aware of the unexpected complications that may arise.

 I have done my research and packed my brain full of stories.

calm-wonderful-perfect-baby-comes-right-out-as-planned stories, and
horrible-terrifying-tragic-everything-went-wrong stories. 

Stories from women all around the world who have
chosen to share their experience.

I have ran through every possible scenario in my head.
I am familiar with the "ring of fire" as well as the

teeth clenching, fist gripping contractions.

I have heard there will most likely be ripping.

 Kirk is also fully aware he may suffer through severe belittling

 and hear foul curse words exit my mouth.

I am very fearful of the unknown,

but I am mentally prepared for this, entirely.

I have not completely shunned the idea of injecting

my body with drugs to numb the pain.
Honestly, it really does sound quite nice, not to mention less stressful.
I'm a bit terrified of getting a huge needle shoved into my spine,
but I am still open to the idea if I can not tolerate the pain on my own.

If I do end up giving into an epidural,

I will tuck my head and humbly accept the
 "I told ya so" and "fail" comments.

But I truly believe I can do this.

I trust my body. I trust my baby. I can do this.

Maybe it's just for the sense of accomplishment. Maybe it's for bragging rights.

Maybe it's the fact that if I can do this, I can conquer anything.
I just think there is something to be said about
a woman who succeeds at having a natural child birth.
Whether that something is good or bad, you can decide for yourself.
Whether I will be one of "those" women, we will soon find out!

Stay tuned.

Pregnancy Complaints

Most days I try to embrace being pregnant

and all the discomforts that come along with it.

I am creating life and that is a beautiful thing.

That being said,

 I do have days that I want nothing more than the old me back.

I realize that one day I will look back and miss the feeling

 of my little one squirming around inside of me....

but I am beginning to forget what it feels like to not be pregnant.

So...here are 10 things.

10 things I miss.

10 things I want to complain about.

 10 things I can not wait to experience again.

10 things that I am looking forward to post-pregnancy

(in no particular order)

10. paint my own toenails without huffing and puffing for air

9. eat a steak that isn't prepared to a jerky-like-consistency

8. take a steaming, hot bath

7. zip and button my jeans with ease

6. get a sun-kissed glow from an indoor tanning bed

5. overindulge in sushi
4. enjoy some wine with my soft cheeses
3. sleep through the night without emptying my bladder

2. drink a redbull or rockstar or any other kind of highly caffeinated beverage.

1. whiten my teeth

I don't care if some of these things seem ridiculous or superficial,

these are things I took for granted pre-pregnancy.

I am done with big bertha. I just want to hold my little girl in my arms.

Just Add Baby

a BIG thanks to my Aunt Kari and Grandma Paula for
hosting a wonderful baby shower on Saturday.

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend, 

and even those who couldn't make it....

I am so grateful for all the thoughtful gifts, warm wishes, and
to have so many supportive friends and family members.

 

If "nesting" is truly a maternal instinct, then mine is in full effect.

I literally spent the rest of the weekend organizing and perfecting the nursery. 

I am beyond exhausted, but I think the room is just about ready for a baby.

It's hard to believe there is only 8 weeks left until we get to meet our little girl.

It's also hard to believe she will nearly double her current size...

I feel like I am already at MAX capacity,

but I'm sure the next two months will fly by,
just as my entire pregnancy has.

Our Little Star

This week we finally had our, highly anticipated, 3D/4D ultrasound appointment.

We were both so excited because this type of ultrasound is very detailed,

you can see their facial features and all.

Well, our excitement quickly changed into disappointment as the ultrasound technician explained that our little lady was faced towards my spine and

we would not be able to get a good look at her face.

Just my luck!

The first photo was when our little lady was just a seedling,

the second photo was at 20 weeks when the mystery of the gender was revealed,

and the bottom two photos are the best we got from our

most recent ultrasound appointment.

We did get a good shot of her ear and hands....

but I guess she wants to make us wait to see that face.

The ultrasound tech did confirm that our baby has hair. yipee!

Pregnancy Photos Exposed

We thought it would be a fun idea to take photos in the nursery

and watch as both my belly and the room progress. 

Needless to say, we haven't been very consistent photographers

and the decorating hasn't come together as quickly as I originally imagined. 

But what matters the most is the end result.....
a healthy baby and a cute room for her to live in. 

I am confident we will have both. :)

I didn't realize how often I wear leggings until I reviewed my pictures.....

they are comfortable, okay!

Beginning to Blog...

I consider blogging to be the modern day scrapbooking.
I never thought I would consider myself a blogger and
I have definitely never considered myself one of those 
crazed, scrapbooking, fanatics.

I hate sharing personal details of my life via Facebook,
but with a baby on the way I wanted to be able to share my experience

with friends and family who are interested.

I figured I should take advantage of modern technology,

and alas, I started a blog today.

I actually wish I would have started this at the beginning
of my pregnancy, but better late than never.

And I must admit, I would love to have a "scrapbook" documenting each wonderful

phase of this new chapter of life I will soon enter.

Welcome to my blog....starting now!
please bare with me as I attempt to learn how this blogging world works.