preparing for 'D-day'

Every day, I try to remember to take a moment and think about Delivery day.

It's quickly approaching, at a mere 56 days according to my i-Phone ticker. So wether I'm late [heavens, please no, not again] I'm 'ripe' and ready, or even early [gasp! do I even entertain the thought?] time is ticking away. Tick...tick...ticking away. So today I prepared for birth by watching A Baby Story. I usually avoid it completely because as a home birthing mama, the hospital intervention/mantra completely stress me out. But today's episode was a home/water birth, and it was so real. She was in pain, for sure, but it was still peaceful. It was beautiful. She birthed her daughter in the water and pulled her up to her chest. 

AND I LOST IT. Bawling-my-eyes-out LOST IT. It made my heart swell up with overwhelming excitement and anticipation for MY moment. For that first moment when I get to hold my little baby girl in my arms. To finally see the life that I've been growing and dreaming about.  

I can say with all honesty I have about 98% confidence and peace in my heart when I think about labor.

So that leaves a mere 2% of me that is FREAKING out. 

Question for the mamas reading: how did/do you prepare for labor? The first time is so scary and unknown, so is the second[+] time easier because of having less to fear?

I welcome any encouraging advice, prayers and wisdom. I'd like to eradicate that 2% if at all possible ;)

Love, Yana   

November Showers bring PINK girly stuff

My incredible Mother, MIL and best friends showered Little Miss and I last night. Best party ever!
Pink champagne for the ladies, cider for me. Delicious stinky cheese and crackers [my love language] Dried fruit and nuts. Turkish lamb meatballs and chicken kebabs. Tabouli and Fall inspired salads.

The gifts were outta control. Little Miss' shoe collection is quickly overshadowing mine, receiving 8 shoes and booties, all pink and silver. Add those to the 4+ pairs I have already for her, and she owns more shoes than I do! She got a tutu and a crown [YES!] a rad quilt, some sweet headbands and the most incredible hand made baby book. So much pink! I love it. That is just a tiny taste of the love [in gift form] that she received. I can't wait to dress my little fashionista.

I was honored to be sitting in a room full of women that truly love me and are cheering me on as I bring another little life into the world.

The food

The flowers

The Invitation

Cheese & Fruit

Beautiful friends

Beautiful friends continued

Little Miss, Mom, & Me

The handsome Moses Kingsley

Imagining my cider is champagne ;)

My Mother-in-Law & Pastor's wife

Pink cake pops!

Gift bags for the ladies

Opening gifts

Loving friends

oohing & ahhing

Ladies

with my 'baby'

My Beautiful Moms

The man responsible for it all ;)

sand in all the right places

Florida. Was. Lovely.

[ignore the improper grammar and hear my sentiment.]

[I need to pause between each word for emphasis.]

Florida. Family. Vacation. Was. So. Lovely.

!!!

I *actually* rested. I didn't think that resting & relaxing on vacation was possible with a toddler. Honest. But we did, and it was magnificent. We grilled. We swam. We sunbathed. We walked. We played shuffleboard with the rest of the 65+ snowbirds. We fed seagulls. We rented a boat. We talked about baby girl names. We laughed. We played speed and Taboo [& I kicked Chris's butt] We didn't watch tv. We didn't sleep in [thanks to Runi]. We went on a date night to a swanky foodie restaurant [thanks to Coco for babysitting]. We got sand in all the right places. 

It was a glorious final vacation as a family of 3!

Photos to come.

xo.

instagram happiness

his first snow day

27 weeks            

morning snuggles 

feeding the ducks 

snow walk           

               

rue getting cozy   

old chair, new home

  ruff day                   

  loving on his Coco    

 wet cheerios, fat chin

  

   naked alphabet time 

the most beautiful Anthro rug I've ever seen is now laying on my living room floor. 

It was a surprise gift from my mother. 

I am freaking out.

                        

[Re] fresh

I recently shared some fears about the next baby. There's something to be said about getting things off your chest, sharing, putting yourself out there...and with the right support team around you, there's no judgement or shame. Just encouragement. Love. Support. And that is the case for me. I am in a MUCH better place. My heart is refreshed. I'm thankful.

I am also thankful for......VACATION. Saturday my family and I are headed to Siesta Keys, FL for a week. This is our first vacation in over a year! My parents are joining us for 5 days too! I am so looking forward to some good QT time. It will be Rue's first trip to the beach (well, we took him to Hawaii when he was 5 months old, but that didn't count because then he was just eating the sand! Now we will be playing, building sand castles and searching for sea shells!) AND, it's my gorgeous mom's birthday! I see lots of laughs, delicious food, and fun in the future. And, 80 degree weather. HELLO. It snowed last weekend...so I'm thankful for some sunshine! 

I should go pack. But that would mean pausing this Grey's Anatomy rerun, getting up off this couch and out from under this warm blanket. 

Ain't gonna happen.

;)