Vivian Alexandra! Already 1 Week old!!

We were so very blessed last Monday @ 7:15am to welcome our baby girl into this world! I will blog more later, but the experience was fantastic and we are so in love! Here is a link to pix:



sorry you have to copy and paste: blogger isn't letting me link!

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=3eeb2631c6416455&sid=8AaNnLNo1cuWP2

LOVE!

39 Weeks! AND MY NIECES WERE BORN!

Talk about major baby envy here!!!!!!!! My beautiful twin nieces Ruby Anastasia & Madelyn Brooke were born on Dec. 7th! GLORY TO GOD! I'll post pix when I get some good ones! THe girls and my sis are doing very well and go home tomorrow! I CANNOT wait to meet them when we travel home this spring!!!
In other news, I'm still preggers!!!!!! I say this to everyone who keeps checking in...but I'm still feeling really good! My dr. appt. yesterday indicated my body is progressing (YAY!) and it really could be any time now!!! Im about to keel over with excitement!!! I don't really do much now-a-days....I've pretty much done all my projects so I've been resting a ton. I try and bundle up to take the westies for a walk. We've been going about every other day for 25-30 mins. Which is funny because the same walk used to take only 20 mins. I used to walk a much quicker pace! :)
I really find it hard to focus on anything. Especially with my nieces being born, and my good friend had her baby boy on tuesday as well! It's like the calm before the "storm" with said storm being the most amazing experience I've NEVER had! :)My doctor did mention she's on call this weekend, so maybe I'd be seeing her! I like that foreshadowing potential! :)
Alright, that's it for now! Perhaps the next post will be introducing my lil Bambina Vivian!
Lots of love~
EM & Baby
39 weeks preggo belly shadow

More Maternity Pix

Sorry to overload with pics, but we took some more maternity yesterday! :) So fun, but kind of limiting with poses...what else can you do beside hold the belly??? :)

37 WEEKS! Just pix...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ME & MY lil TURKEY!

The Yiayia's Emma, Vivian, Kathleen

Baby Shower + 35.5 weeks

Wow! I've gotten really bad @ keeping this updated!!! I will certainly try to update more often, especially as this will be fun to look back on when God-willing we have more babies! :)
This past weekend was Vivian's 2nd baby shower with family & friends. Wow did she ever get showered! This girl is gonna be dressed to the NINES! I just finished untagging and organizing, now I've got to do some laundry!
I've been feeling pretty good still! I do still experience heartburn...le sigh.....and oh geez my nose has permanent residue from breathe right strips...pregnancy congestion has been no joke for me!
The other notable symptom has been the wonderful practice contractions known as Braxton Hicks. I've had some randomly but Sunday I had them pretty much all day...I did everything they suggest to quell them, but ended up calling the Dr. monday morn and she got me in right away. They just want to be sure the BH aren't causing any change in the cervix--which it wasn't, so that's great!
So our due date has remained Dec. 16th the whole time-but we're having fun trying to "GUESS" when she's going to grace us with her presence....My guess is Mon. Dec. 12th and my hubs guess is Tues. Dec. 13th. I know I know I know most 1st time babies come later than sooner, but hey, that's why it's called a Guess! :) I just want her to come when she's good and ready!
Here are a couple pix from the shower. I'll update later this week, a few things on my list yet is Hospital tour and packing my hospital bag.....
Lots of love!!!

One Full Month + ? days

Hey THere! Happy Halloween!!!!!!! Wow, the time just continues to fly by here on PRoject Baby! :) Tomorrow marks the start of the FINAL full month that I'll be pregnant. I figure, once December is here, it's fair game and she could come anytime! Also, I'm considered FULL TERM (37 weeks) on thanksgiving. I'm still really enjoying this final stretch. Of course, some minor discomfort is experienced here and there, but over all I'm good!

This past weekend was a BUSY one for Vivi & I! We were honored with a brunch saturday morning with some family member, and then Sunday was my 1st of 2 baby showers. This one was with my clients & friends from work and man was it fun! THere were 20 some women there and we ate, chatted, opened a ton of gifts, and ate some more! This party was bittersweet as it is the last get together with my "studio fit" family. We have sold the business!!! It was a few months in the making, and originally we thought we would just have a trainer or two cover for me, but in the end, it worked out to sell the business to another trainer. I'm thrilled for my next role as a stay @ home mom! :)

So while bittersweet, we still had a ton of fun at the party. And the brunch on Saturday was lovely as well! Can't go wrong with quiche + cinnamon rolls!

Here are a few pix--a couple weeks apart. The green shirt is from 31.5 weeks and the other ones are from yesterday ~33 weeks!

31 Weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 31 weeks, officially in single digit weeks for the countdown
Size of baby: 16 inches and 3 pounds 11 ounces
Gender: A GIRL!!! Vivian or Vivi
Maternity Clothes: Well, my nike fitness pants size L are fitting still, but they're a little snug! I have some good yoga roll-down pants that will last me the rest of the way. Plus, my girlfriend Renee gave me two pairs of jeans to borrow so they've worked perfectly for the rare time I do were denim! :)
Weight gain: 15 pounds
Belly Button: Weird. It's not in, it's not out, it's in limbo I guess..it looks quite funny! I'm pretty certain it will pop before the end!
Movement: Oh the movement I LOVE the movement! According to the growth scan ultrasound I had two days ago, she is head down and her little torso is favoring my right side, she's in a C position. Now, I know they move and sommersault around until it gets too tight in there, but she has favored my right side for a long time now.
Sleep: It's pretty good still! It's a rare night that I don't have to get up and go to the bathroom, which is expected...but i fall back to sleep very easily. I'm still taking advantage of afternoon powernaps which help my energy since I work mornings, but then again from 3p-7p mon-thur.
Symptoms: O...m...g...Heartburn baby. Eye yi yi! When I hear that babies can suffer from acid reflux, it makes me so sad because I've seriously never experienced this...its' so uncomfortable. The typical tomato based soups set it off, but so do bananas and some breads...so anyway, Tums have helped and staying elevated with two pillows @ night.
Cravings: Cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs! We made it for breakfast last sunday and it's been on my mind since! Also, lots of salty chips, which taste so good with my chicken tortilla soup....yum.......

Best moment this week: BY FAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! was my ultrasound on wed. This was an optional growth scan mainly to put my mind @ ease. I had measured behind two weeks @ my appointment the first of october, but I've since "caught up" Also, my weight gain, while my doctor is fine with it, has been on the low end......so, I opted for the ultrasound to make sure she was growing like she should! ANd YEP!! Sure enough, she is thriving in there! Weighing in at approx. 3# 11ounces! And, everything is fine with mamma, too! :)

Here are some pix: I LOVE her 4D pix with her hands up by her cheeks and her pouty lil lips! :)

30 Weeks!!!

We're off to the lake for some rest and relaxation! Just wanted to update with a current pic! I'll recap the last few week when we get back! Feeling GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Third Trimester!

HEY THERE!!! Hope the week has started off well for ya! Well, I'm offically in the third trimester.....holy WOW has the time flown by! This friday I'll be 29 weeks. Almost in the thirtys....again, holy WOW!!!!!!!!
To be a broken record, I feel great! I mean, I certainly have a few minor annoying symptoms that happen, but just like everything in life, if that's all I think about, of course I'd make it worse than it really is!
I pretty much rely on my nasal strips to get me thru the night.....
I have random bouts of restless leg syndrome...
My cardio is in the dumps.....
I grunt when I sit down, stand up.......
I cannot bring the full laundry basket up and down stairs.....
I really miss sprinting at 9.0mph, especially when 3.5 is sufficient now.......
again, not MAJOR issues, just minor stuff that will likely continue for the next few months, and then magically disappear! :) YAY!

OHhhhkay, on to my lil babe Vivian....She is dancing up a storm and I'm getting kicked all thru out the day! I love it! It's so funny to watch it from the outside, too! So errie but awesome!!! We're getting closer on her room. I just ordered a corner unit changing table that's really pretty cool! I'm excited about it! It can be used as a bookshelf and storage after we're done with it. Just a few projects left to finish it up!

I've read about other women doing this, but it is SOOOOOOOOOOOO funny now to look back at my "progress pix" from day one....wow, I certainly have changed! I have a couple pix from 27/28 weeks. I still am not HUGE, in fact I measured a week behind at the doc last week, but she was not concerned at all. It all depends on how Vivi is laying in the belly with the fundal measurements. I have my next appt. this friday, so we'll see how we're doing then! My blood pressure has been excellent every appt. and weight is on point too.

Alright, have an awesome and productive week!

Family Visit--25 Weeks!

Hey ALL! Well, this post is a little late, as I'm already 26 weeks, but my family was here last week and man did we have fun!!! My mom, Dad, sees, nephew & brother in law were so incredibly helpful in getting Vivivan's room set up! My mom & Dad painted, my B-I-L hung blinds, valances & shelves, and my sis and I were project managers! :) The rest of my house got a facelift as well! My dad organized our garage so I can actually open the door enough for the carseat (while both cars are in the garage) and he hung our bikes and tools on the wall. So much more room!!!! We also had an accent wall painted in our Master bedroom and some lovely drapes & new bedding in there! I'm telling ya, in just a couple days, our house is now looking fabulous! :) A huge huge huge thank you to my Family! Even with all the hard work, we were able to have some fun at the lake! My nephew swam, tubed and "drove" the boat! My Dad wakeboarded & my mom attempted wakeboarding! GOOD JOB!! My sis and I layed on the dock the whole time and just relaxed! Here are some pix:
Love,
EM & V

23 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!

HEY GUYS!!!!!!!! HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!
Just a quick check in! I'm 23 weeks along and still feeling quite fantastic!!! I had a check up yesterday and all is well! Her heartrate was 145 and my belly measured right @ 23 weeks! Weight wise I'm up 8lbs and the doc said from here on out expect about a pound per week!!!!! Hey yoooooooo!!! :) Bring it on, I'm all about my body doing whatever is necessary for this lil girl!! Oh, I wanted to note on my last post about the lack of filter people have! I absolutely didn't take it the wrong was when someone said "Ohhh you're barely showing" (this was a while ago) But along the same lines, I've had someone question whether everthing was ok, and had I seen the doctor and make sure she was growing properly! :) Anyway, I think people are very interested in the progress of pregnancy, and even though they may not know the "right" way to say something, they are truly interested and excited......and luckily I"m not super sensitive....
ALTHOUGH!!! On that note again, my emotional front....oh my oh my....Here we go again! I was shopping @ hobby lobby this week and the piano version of How Great Thou Art started playing. Ok, cue tears......That song was sung @ both my Mimi & Papa's funerals.....Yeah, i seriously had to compose myself before I checked out! :) I do love that song though!!!

Her nursery items and bedding came in this week. It is so cute! It's a safari animal scene with Pink/purple and brown animal print. Pretty sweet! My mom is gonna paint for me when they come visit Labor Day! YEAY!!!!!

Well, that's all I have for updates! My tshirts have officially became skin tight so I've had to start altering the wardrobe!! :) It's all in the name of pregnancy!!!! :)

p.s. Krissa~~ girl, are you blogging right now or not?? If you are you gotta add my email if ur blogging private! And yeah! Sending babydust your way for the new year! :) xOXo

LOVE!!!
Em & Vivian - 23 weeks along!

Sobbing, Grunts & Dancing

HEY GUYS!! Just checkin in for an update this week! I'm almost 22 Weeks! WOOHOOO!!! We went to a wedding last friday and the dress I wore made it totally obvious I'm 'with child'. It's funny though, as much as people make rude comments to pregnant women, like, "Whoa, you sure you don't have two babies in there..." or "Are you sure you're not due next month..." which I think are obviously rude statements, I've gotten a lot of "Oh you're FINALLY showing!" Um, I don't think that's exactly nice either! It makes me feel like i have to defend myself of justify things, like that I'm right on track and she's measuring right on the money....And yes, I'm AM FINALLY showing and I'm so thrilled! YAY!!! Ok, rant over, but seriously, people lose all filter when dealing with us preggers!! :)

On the emotional front, which is rearing it's face more frequently, I pretty much lost it again Saturday. We watched Soul Surfer...OMG fantastic movie! But, I freaking LOST IT when they were driving to the hospital and Helen Hunt the momma, had to meet her daughter in an ambulance, near death. Ohhh, my gosh---Seriously, the type of crying where you are sobbing, and then start laughing because you're sobbing...Yeah, my husband was like, Ummm, are you ok?????!!! I just couldn't imagine a mother having to witness her daughter near death...Whoa. But I composed myself and really enjoyed the rest of the movie! We also watched Lincoln Lawyer (again) and really liked it!!

My next appt. is a week from Thursday. I'm feeling great. It's funny, I find myself grunting when I'm moving around, either in and out of bed, or from a seated position to standing. It's humorous because I don't MEAN to, but it sure happens! Also, Miss Vivian is dancing up a storm!!! I can feel her every single day and just LOVE it!!! So crazy! Gene can feel it more frequently too! :)

Alright, that's my update! have an excellent rest of the week!
Love~
EM & V
PS: Here's her Stroller/Carseat and Crib! WOOHOOO!!!!

Babymoon in Seattle!

HEY GUYS!! Well, almost 21 weeks pregnant here! We just got home from Seattle where we went on our "babymoon" aka: last get-away before baby! (My fam comes to visit labor day, but other than that, we're staying home for a longgg while!)
We drove over Saturday and stayed til Tues. It was such a fun, relaxing, gluttenous, fabulous weekend!!! We walked all over downtown Seattle, went to the EMP, the piers (CRAB POT!), did lots of shopping and went to a Mariner game that they actually WON!
PREGO UPDATES!
THE BELLY: Yes, I swear it's obvious! In the morning its not super prominent, but by evening she's visible! Especially at night when I lay on my back (for just a minute!) I can totally feel where she is, and she's where she's suppose to be because I can feel my uterus under my belly button! So weird/crazy/awesome!
WEIGHT: I haven't weighed since coming home from Seattle, but I'm thinking it's 6 or 7 pounds total, which last check with the Doc was right where "I" should be!!
SYMPTOMS: While some days I don't necessarily NEED a nap, a 30min. powersnooze sure does make me feel a LOT better!! It's funny, it's officially challenging to get situated in bed, which yes I'm aware will get much much more difficult! :) Pillows and lots of pillows are lovely!
WORKOUTS: Not much recently!!!! :S We did walk a TON in seattle, and tmrw I'll be back to teaching Butts N Guts. My goal is 4 days of walking anywhere from 30-45 mins. outside ideally, 2 upperbody circuit X week + 2 Butts N Guts classes X Week. Plus a ton of stretching!!!
MOOD: Well...........I am certainly more emotional. Two things that *ALMOST* set me off (crying, which seriously makes me laugh now!!!!) is that we got locked out of our room (TWICE!!!) and had to go ALL the way down to the front desk to have them fix it. Seriously, Sheraton Seattle is a bigass hotel and that was no small walk! And I'm pretty sure one of those times this pregnant bladder about bursted! The OTHER time I seriously almost burst into tears is at the Mariners game....I wanted some water, but didn't want a $4.50 bottle of avaian. So, I kindly asked for a cup so I could fill it up at the water fountain...he said he'd have to charge me $3.50....ummm....okay I get that they have to take inventory and whatnot, but I was dehydrated and come onnnnnn....so, I rinsed out my hubs beercup and filled it up from the water fountain........so so silly I know!!!
Here are some pix!!! MUCH LOVE!!!

BABY VIVIAN

Hey Guys! THanks so much for all the kind thoughts on our baby gender/cake cutting party!!!!!!!!!!!!! I keep saying this, but it was the BEST day!!! I would do it 100X over again & again! The emotion that overcame me when I saw that we were having a girl was indescribable! I still get teary when I think about it! ok, blame that on the pregnancy hormones! :)
The other exciting news last week was my sister found out what she was having! They did a cake cutting for the twins and found out they're having TWO GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sooooo much fun!!!!!!!!!!! So I'll have two neices coming in December! :) I already sent them headbands with big 'ol flowers on them! :)

Back to my baby girl: We've decided to name her after her Great Grandmother (Gene's YIAYIA) Vivian. It funny because the 1st thing people ask is whether it's a family name! It's an older name, but I think it's so beautiful and there are lots of nicknames too. I've been calling her lil V or Vivi. Her greek name is Vasiliki which shortens to Vasi. We're still working on middle name, though, that ones a little tougher!

I'm almost 5 months preggers and cant believe it! I'm still feeling really great although I do have some pregnancy related symptoms. I still have nasal congestion every night, and swear I have permanant residue on my nose from my breathe right strips! :) Also, I've experienced some Restless Leg Syndrome when laying down for bed, which omg sucks! I understand it can be related to a slight calcium/magnesium deficiency, so I'll address that and see if it helps! On the flip side, I HAVE felt her rolling around in my belly! Not so much kicks or punches yet, but definete flipping around!

We started registering yesterday @ Babies R Us and my goodness, where do you start and where do you end???? :)

Alright, off to clean & maybe go on a nice long walk!
Have a great week!
lOVE, Em & Vivi

my In-Laws

(Great Yiayia VIVIAN!)

BABY GENDER PARTY!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Thursday was one of T.H.E. B.E.S.T. days of my life. For now, that is! :) I'm not exagerating.....it was such an amazing way to find out the sex of our baby. I'll let you watch the video...I hope you enjoy it as much as we all did! Warning, there's LOTS of screaming!!! :)
Love,
EM & BABY V

(Sorry, blogger is wacky...you may have to copy & paste this link to watch it thru youtube.com)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGgLHV00nN8

Gender Reveal.........almost.....

In just 2 short hours my lil baby's identity will be revealed. I'm trying to keep myself busy so I don't think about it too much! I've had nervous stomach alllllll day-I am just soooooo stinkin excited! I leave town tomorrow at 6am, so I won't post again until next week, but I will do a full recap of our Gender Party! My ultrasound appt. was this morning @ 10am. The tech knew I didn't want to see or know, so she showed me the face and other features besides the "GOODS" then wrote the result in a card. I took the card to my friend/baker, and she made me an AWESOME cake....it's sooooo cute! However, the inside icing is either pink or blue, and my husband and I will cut it tonight with a bunch of family & friends! Holy cow I'm so ready to find out!!
I also will be suprising my family tomorrow with the gender....sooo, no talking to them on the phone tonight after the party or I may burst! :)
See ya next week!
Love, Em & Baby Arger

(Here are some pics from last week)