When it comes to being a mother, I have a lot to learn. As I told my Mom on the phone this morning, I feel like a “phony Mom” because I have yet to actually live the life of one. I mean, I have been a “Fur-Mom” for over 4 years, but I feel like Allie has been pretty easy on me 
I haven’t gone through the sleepless nights, the utter exhaustion, and many of the overall frustrations that come with being a Mom. On the same token, I also haven’t gone through the amazement of childbirth, the satisfaction of watching your child grow up, and the overall fulfillment that is motherhood. Mom reassured me that I’m still a mother since I’m technically “with child.” And when I think about it, I suppose I have been through a fair amount of ups and downs during these last 30 (almost 31!) weeks of pregnancy. Though not even close to how it will be when I’m holding that little one in my arms, it’s definitely been an experience.
Today’s bump
And so (though still a little leary on the specifics), I believe my Mom. I really am a mother. And apparently others think so too since I’ve been showered with much more love today than I could have ever expected. Cards, flowers, texts, and bunches of love from all sorts of people. And Baby Bop has been a very active bean today, making my heart smile inside and out thinking about what’s ahead. So though I have EVERYTHING in front of me left to learn, I’m 100% embracing my very first Mother’s Day as a Mother-To-Be.
My beautiful flowers from the Fellers!
My beauties from Allie and Baby Cook 
To all the mothers out there, I hope you know just how much you are appreciated. Today and everyday. For performing a job that requires absolute selflessness. Humility. Sacrifice. And dedication. In my opinion, motherhood is one of the most important jobs there is. Nothing compares to what you do. And for that, you deserve to be recognized!
And to my Mom, my one and only, I love love love you more than words can say. Thank you for all that you have taught me, shown me, and helped me become. I wouldn’t be anything close to who I am today without your love and guidance. You are not only a mother, but one of my best friends. I love you!
The early days
My gorgeous Mom
Happy Mother’s Day!!
How in the world did we get here already?! The fact that there are only 11 more weeks (give-or-take) until this baby arrives is a concept that’s extremely hard to grasp. July 16th is NOT that far away. Especially with everything that’s coming up! Ready or not I guess!
So I reached my third trimester while we were on our babymoon. And honestly I’ve been feeling really good ever since. A little more tired than I was a few weeks back, but that’s likely due to my growing waistline! It’s certainly showing no signs of slowing down.
Here are the stats for my 29 week old bean (source):
- Baby is the size of an acorn squash! Plumping up day by day and expected to triple in size by the time he/she reaches full term!
- Living quarters at Hotel Bump are becoming a little cramped – the belly can only stretch so much! This makes the kicking and dancing all the more evident! Check out my Vine video recorded yesterday
Besides some minor fatigue, here are some other things that I’ve been feeling lately:
- Minor aches and pains (due to Relaxin, a hormone responsible for loosening the muscles, joints, and ligaments in preparation for childbirth). It’s certainly getting harder to bend over and pick up things!
- Feet swelling. Usually after a long day of work. I’m sure this will only worsen with the warm weather.
- Heartburn. Oy, pass the Tums.
- Difficulty sleeping (thank goodness for the Snoogle and Tylenol PM).
Things I’m loving lately:
- This weather. Roxy loves her top down!
- My bump. The doc told me Monday that I’m “measuring small.” Tell that to the scale!!
- All the baby love (from work, friends, work-friends and family). It’s been wonderful
- Thinking about the future. Butterflies.
Things I’m missing:
- Beer. Especially on these warm spring days!!
- Wine.
- Sushi.
- Triple grande soy lattes. Enough with the decaf already.
- Running. The Mini Marathon is this weekend in Indy and I’m sad to be missing it. My tentative plan (if all goes well this summer) is to run a post-baby fall race ~ fingers crossed.
Things I need to do!
- Set up the nursery! Since we aren’t going to be in this house for too long after the baby arrives, there are no big plans to decorate it completely. But I’m sure the decorating bug will eventually strike. Good news is that our furniture arrived today!!!
Sneak peak!
- Schedule childbirth/ breastfeeding classes.
- Keep tidying up the house/ pitch unneeded stuff. I did a major basement clean-out a few weeks ago but there’s still a lot of things to sort through. Especially since the influx of baby goods will be starting soon.
Things on the horizon!
- House planning appointments. Gotta get as much done as I can before baby!
We have a basement!
- Meggie’s LLS gala with the Perfect Strangers. Baby Bop’s first formal affair! If you haven’t donated yet, do so here!
- Christie & Ronnie’s wedding May 18th!! Beware of the oversized bridesmaid!
- Baby showers! I have FOUR planned so far!
Guess I should show you some bump evidence now!
Til next time! xo.
When we found out we were expecting, I told my husband that a babymoon was mandatory. For those that don’t know what a babymoon is, think of it as a pre-baby honeymoon. The last trip with just the two of you. I kind of made it a non-negotiable. We aren’t known for taking all that many vacations, so he obliged. Though it took us a little while to decide on where to go, with a little help from our friends we finally decided on Sanibel Island!
We left on Friday afternoon, amidst the Boston manhunt craziness. Surprisingly we didn’t deal with significant airport hassle. Our flight was delayed a half hour, which gave us time to settle in at Champps for lunch and some pre-flight cocktails. Well, cocktails for the daddy-to-be. Water for mama.
Double up for me, honey!
On the flight to Ft. Myers, we were in the very last row (ew) and I was seated next to a Mommy with a 3 month old on her lap (double ew!). Hubs joked that this was good practice for me. Thankfully the little one was very well behaved and spent most of the time sleeping. I can only hope our child has the same in-flight manners someday!
We couldn’t check into our condo on Sanibel until Saturday afternoon, so Friday night was spent driving up and down the Florida coast looking for a respectable hotel. We got hooked up with a sweet ride for the week, a Nissan Maxima who we aptly named Maximus. He was a good lil ride (despite the lack of compass)! After about 2 hours of driving aimlessly, we finally settled at Holiday Inn Express in Bonita Springs. We hit up Panera for a late dinner and called it a night after watching the news (Boston suspect captured, thank goodness!!).
On Saturday morning, our first stop was at our favorite brew spot, Dunkin Donuts! The reason Muncie doesn’t have a DD is beyond me. But I digress. I had called our rental agency that morning to see about possibly checking in early and were told that we could come by at 11a for early arrival! Score! Here’s a video of us crossing the causeway into Sanibel – gorgeous!
D305!
Living room
After dropping off our stuff, we went to Jerry’s Supermarket a few minutes away to stock up on sustinents. We figured we would eat most of our breakfasts and lunches in the room and go out for dinners. This plan ended up working perfectly since most of the days we spent by the pool or beach, just steps away from our building. We had to make one more trip out to 7-11 to get red Solo cups for the pool (no glass allowed) and afterwards we made our first poolside appearance!
Parrots outside of Jerry’s!
Sanibel Beach
While we were by the pool, the hubs and I noticed a teenage girl that had done a piss-poor job at sunscreen application the day prior. Streaking and sunburnt like you wouldn’t believe – face, arms, you name it. We chuckled a bit, not paying one bit of attention to our own SPF application. Later on when we had gone back up to the room, the hubs looked at my right knee and asked me what had happened. I told him I thought I had just layed on it wrong. But when I looked down, I saw it,,, red as could be. And uber painful. No way! I thought! I sprayed myself good! We then checked out his bod, which was literally covered in “stripes.” We laughed hysterically, saying “We are that girl!”
My knee the morning after. Owie.
Our first dinner was at Thistle Lodge at the Casa Ybel Resort. Tasty food and masterful architecture!
A masterpiece!
Sunday: Ouch, my knee is killing me 
Damn you sunscreen spray. The day started off cloudy, which was probably a blessing in disguise. But once the sun came out a bit later, I reluctantly SPF-ed (much better this time) and headed down to the pool. The hubs spent a few hours at the driving range so I spent my morning in my one-piece bathing suit, under an umbrella, with my knees fully covered.
Later that evening we drove down to Naples to meet up with our friend, John, who had ironically recently moved to the area from Indy. He showed us his new car shop and then took us to dinner at Baleen Naples at La Playa Resort. It was amazingly good and the scenery was breathtaking. Unfortunately, thunderstorms decided to rain on our parade (literally), so we were deprived of a sunset. But it was still beautiful and a good time!
Monday morning I took a nice leisurely walk on the beach. It was 930ish by time I got out there, so it was fairly crowded. But it was breezy and refreshing. I spent some time chatting with my Dadyo on the phone and took a handful of pictures. Sometimes the ocean air is all that you need.
Monday afternoon was another day spent by the pool, talking to Mom and doing a little swimming with the hubs. The weather was gorgeous, mid 80′s, breezy and sunny. Perfect for me! Esp after hearing how the midwest was getting rain/ sleet, ew! I went down to the beach and spent some time in the ocean, which was perfect for wading. Or waddling, which at this stage in the pregnancy game is well on it’s way
The hubs was itching to hit up the island golf course, so I decided to play spectator. This is typically the time I soak up the sun and drink beers, but this time it was just me, the golf cart and my camera. The Dunes was a beautiful public course surrounded by lots of beautiful homes and plenty of tropical birds (& two bald eagles!). No gator sightings, but I was still entertained.
Dinner that night was at The Timbers, a great fish house. I had the crunchy grouper, a serving which was good for dinner and lunch the next day!
Did I mention how I lived in maxi dresses the entire week?? Seriously, best invention ever. Clearly my outfit of choice.
Tuesday started off slowly. We slept in and I finished up my book (Wild by Cheryl Strayed) on the balcony. When we both got some energy, we decided to do a little island spelunking. First we stopped by the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge. We decided to drive the 4 mile loop and stop and take pictures along the way. Not sure if it was the time of day or year or what, but all we saw were some jumping fish and a few cool birds. Again, no gators! It was pretty though!
Hey birdie birdie.
We continued our drive north up to Captiva Island where we had a casual lunch outside at Cantina Captiva.
Though we didn’t stay long, our drive through Captiva was pretty incredible. The homes, or should I say estates, along the water were unbelievable. Talk about real estate! The water was crystal blue too. A gorgeous place for sure.
After a little more pool/ beachy time, we decided to stay in for the night, making Stouffer’s french bread pizzas in our condo kitchen and watching The Sopranos on the iPad. Oh, and with a little stop at DQ for dessert
Wednesday was our last full day on the island. I unfortunately slept like poop (where’s my snoogle?!), so I was up at the crack of dawn, literally. I decided to capitalize on the opportunity and headed out to the beach with my camera for sunrise. And oh the beauty that I witnessed,,,
Pretty incredible, huh? Hard to put the beauty into words.
After breakfast at Jerry’s Cafe,,,
,, there was more of this!
(( check out that knee! ))
The bump was not afraid in Florida!
Our last dinner was at Doc Fords, where I had my first virgin pina colada of the trip! Mmmmm 
Nick channeled home by ordering a happy gator mojito! We certainly missed our furbaby!
Probably our tastiest dinner of the trip!
The next morning we got up early to check out, clean up, and make the half hour trip back to Ft. Myers for our 1040a flight to Indy. Though you’re never truly ready to leave, we were okay just knowing that we made plenty of memories.
Overall, we had a wonderful time. There were lots of changes that happened during our 6-day escape. I came to Florida in my second trimester, and left in my third (!!!). We came pale as can be, and left with some nice color (despite a few stripes and a red knee). And we left as a party of two, and soon enough, we will be three
I couldn’t think of a better week to get away.
Monday: A day that started with the ultimate running comraderie at the Boston Marathon ended in tragedy and horror after two bombs went off at the finish line. Killing 3 and leaving hundreds injured, some critically. A terrifying day as many of my friends were at and/or near that same space. Read my friend Meggie’s post about her experience in Boston that day.
Tuesday: Letters sent to senators and the president containing poisonous materials. Thankfully the sender and the letters were both caught before more damage was done.
Wednesday: A deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant. Many dead, many more injured. An awful scene that continues to scar my mind.
Thursday: Storms and bad weather rage through the midwest leaving many midwestern areas flooded. Also, our good friends Jaime and Jeremy lost one of their dogs (who was later found safe and sound). More nerves.
Friday: I awake at 630am to hear about the all-out manhunt taking place in Boston. Two of the bombing suspects were identified late yesterday and overnight they continued their wrath, shooting and killing an officer at MIT. As I write this, one of the suspects has been shot and killed, the other is at large. Yet another terrifying scene.
All of this horror has left me with a pit in my stomach the majority of the week. I’ve cried at the stop of a dime. I’ve been anxious more often than not. And I’ve even questioned our seemingly selfish decision to bring an innocent baby into this world in a couple months. Heartbreaking stuff. I’ve tried to look past the craziness but it’s been awfully hard. I’m not much of a praying girl but I’ve been doing my fair share of talking to God lately. I sure hope he starts listening soon.
Our babymoon starts today and I couldn’t be more ready to get out of dodge. I’m anticipating (and thankful for) the heightened security we’ll likely face in the airports. And that’s perfectly okay. We need it right now. I just know I need a little escape where my mind and soul can breathe. Time away with my husband and our baby-to-be. Hopefully the ocean air will help.
And I just ordered my baby furniture, so a little smile has emerged for the first time in awhile
Since we’re going to be moving (again) this upcoming fall, one of the major things on my pre-baby to-do list is to go through our basement. When we moved to Indiana nearly 3 years ago, a lot of boxes were shoved down there, in attempts to make them less noticeable and less in the way. A LOT of these boxes are things from my childhood – stuffed animals, old jewelry, pictures, yearbooks, etc. Otherwise known as, stuff I don’t need. But even though I don’t NEED the stuff, it doesn’t mean I don’t WANT to keep it around. The question is: what do I do with it all??
Take my wedding paraphenalia, for example. I don’t want to toss all those memories, but what am I supposed to do with the parasol I used in my pictures and the extra little notes I gave to all my out of town guests? Not to mention my extra invitations. I’ve already made shadowboxes. In a separate box it all went.
And my pictures. TONS of loose pictures and albums of the “good ol days.” Where do those fit into my current life? Honestly they don’t. But they’re also not memories I’m ready to part with. I suppose I should get myself more organized and buy folders/ picture boxes for these types of things. Guess now’s the time.
An old polaroid of my cousin Christie & I
Oh, and don’t forget about my old jewelry. I must have about 15 jewelry boxes that are filled to the brim with my fashionable past. I found button covers, watches, rings, handmade necklaces, and so much more stuff that I once though was “stylish.” Cracked me right up as most of it sadly went into the garbage bag.
Caboodle! This ain’t going nowhere.
One of my favorite pair of earrings: the piggybank and the penny.
And of course, all my boy-band paraphenalia. Some of which might come in handy for the NKOTB concert in June But most of it went buh-bye.
Did I actually read this?
I spent nearly 4 hours on the floor of my green-carpeted basement today going down memory lane. I went through my baby book. I organized holiday items. I sifted through old nursing school papers. Found my caps and gowns. I made a separate pile of stuff for my sister-in-law to sell at her summer garage sale. And consolidated items I still don’t have the heart to toss (i.e. certain stuffed animals and old cards from Grandma & Papa). I laughed. I got annoyed. And I even got teary-eyed at times. It was certainly time well spent. Productive yet pleasant
My mind feels happy. And a little less cluttered.
Part of the garage sale pile
And now it’s well into the afternoon. I’ve yet to shower. I’m hungry. And as of yesterday, Roxy has returned to her rightful owner! Time to clean myself up and take a nice springy drive with the top down! Adios 
Hey Y’all!
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