40 Weeks

I have decided that people are pregnant for sooooo long. 

I have been pregnant through pretty much every season.

4.5 weeks in the fall ------ 20 weeks in the winter

28 weeks in the mud* ------ 37 weeks in the spring 

*"Mud season" is the 5 season here in Vermont where everything is muddy in between winter and spring.

And now here I am at 40 weeks...

 ...still technically in the spring.

But summer is a week away and this baby may hang out in there until then anyways and we have had some days in the high 80s, which was kind of miserable as a human incubator, so I am definitely counting it as summer.

Physically, I really do feel great.  I continue to exercise 3-4 times a week, which has really decreased in intensity and usually consists of hiking 1-2 hours or walking 2-4 miles while listening to podcasts about motherhood.  I did manage to do some running in the mountains the other day while hiking because I was just feeling so great.  I continue to sleep pretty well, usually getting up only once to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  I now do shots of Heparin twice a day, which started at 36 weeks and after I have the baby I have to do 6 weeks of shots of Lovenox once a day.  So I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel for the daily shots which is just the best!!!  Also - random fact, my belly button is still an innie!

Emotionally, I am somewhere between excited and scared.  Some days more excited, some days more scared.  Today more scared I think, mostly because I had a meltdown last night - you know, about the usual:  How will I adjust?  What if I am crazy?  Hormones & sleep deprivation?  How am I supposed to be a mom?  I don't know what I am doing!  Everyone will leave, how am I supposed to do this by myself?

A few days ago, I jotted down some Motherhood Mantras that I think will be helpful for me on the days when I'm feeling more scared, like today:

This season is so brief and so joyful.

All children learn to sleep.

Newborns really only have a handful of needs.

I can learn my limits and ask for help.

I must consider my own needs so I can be the best mom possible.

Others have survived, I can learn to thrive.

I am not alone, I have amazing supports right and left.

I am a student of Motherhood, learning as I go.

I may write these up this using some brush calligraphy and put them where I can read them on the daily.  Anyways, we are just waiting for this little one to join us Earth side. Who knows when that will be?! I'm only doing my private practice now (dreams come true my friends!!) which I'm taking a break from starting this week.  So I am just enjoying life, going on lots of hikes, and eating lots of ice cream on the couch.  Life is good.  Life is a grand adventure and we are up for the next wild ride!

June Letters

Dear June,
You are one of my favorite months, mostly because the weather is really getting delightful and I know there are many more delightful days to come.  You also house the 1st day of summer which is one of my favorite days.  It's also a pretty big month for us since we are officially in the month that Baby Clover is due to arrive!!

Dear Vermont,
You are killing it lately!  Everything is full on green now and it's just incredible.  I am back in the woods hiking with friends or by myself almost two to three times a week.  I love it.  I just love being outside.  I am getting excited for the outdoor adventures that we are going to have all summer long!

Dear Charcoal Grill,
We love you.  We really do.  I don't know what it is about you.  It's not that you make dinner prep any shorter or anything, but for some reason it feels that way.  Probably because Jeremy takes on the grilling duties in our home while I throw together the sides.  And then we sit on our back deck and chat and eat and enjoy our woods.  It's calming and wonderful.  Again, we love you!

Dear Body,
I know I have said it before and I will say it over and over, you are incredible.  Thank you for doing so many cool things.  You are building and supporting life and all the while you allow me to have so much fun in nature.  I am nervous about the post partum version of you.  Jeremy pointed out that I was nervous about the pregnant version of you as well, which turned out to be so beautiful to me.  So I am working on embracing, appreciating, and being kind to you on our journey together no matter what comes.  Thank you for being so amazing!

Dear Baby Clover,
We get to meet you soooooo soon.  I am getting more and more excited to have you on the outside, especially with this abnormally hot weather we have been having.  It's been a really HOT few days, so I have been hydrating like it's my job.  I can tell that it is getting really crowded in there.  Sometimes it feels like your movements will cause my belly to burst and you will just be sitting on my lap - please don't do that though. Just know, good things are coming little one, good things.

Dear Furry Brown Cows,
I see you whenever we head north and I think you are about the coolest thing.  There are five of you, I think, and you're either barely visible hanging out by the trees or your somewhere in the field basking in the sun.  Also, you might want to lose the furry coat with the summer ahead of us - because that just might be unbearable.

Xoxo, Katie

37 weeks

This, my friends, is what 37 weeks looks like:

I am getting more excited and less scared... so I figure that's a really good direction to be headed in.  I can't wait to meet this little one and learn all about them - and also find out if we have a little boy or girl coming into our family.  The suspense is kind of killing me these days!  But really I can wait a little bit longer.  It's way easier to take care of them when they are inside of me - no diapers or sleepless nights.  I'm soaking it in!

200th Shot

A shot a day, keeps the blood clots away.  

May Letters

Dear May,
If this baby comes according to plan (set to arrive June 13th), then this is my last month being childless.  That's a pretty weird thought.  I will soak up all of these diaper-less days because we know there are so many diapers in our future.  May, I look forward to your flowers and blooming trees. They are slowly on their way and I am loving it.

Dear Mother's Day,
I have always celebrated you especially after I got married and convinced Jeremy that we should celebrate our potential motherhood and fatherhood. Mostly because I wanted presents, it's my love language after all.  This year feels a little different since I am actually expecting a baby this time around, rather than reflecting on my awesome womanly qualities.  I love that there is a day set aside to appreciate the woman in our lives and the amazing things they do.  Also, it's a great excuse to have Jeremy grill up a giant steak for me next Sunday!

Dear Baby Clover,
I am getting less scared and more excited for your arrival.  I just can't wait to meet you.  I can't wait to take you on beautiful walks in these mountains.  I can't wait to sing to you.  I can't wait to take a million pictures of you as you sleep.  I can't wait to get to know you.  We have a lot of learning ahead of us.  I have never been a mother before and you have never been a baby before... don't worry, we will figure it out together.  In the meantime, keep rolling around in there, because it is just about the coolest thing!

Dear Early Morning Seminary,
You come to a close at the end of this month.  I have really enjoyed having these great kids over every weekday morning to study the Old Testament together.  We are trudging along and memorizing scripture masteries along on the way.  I know that we are all really excited to sleep in soon.  I know I am really looking forward to not setting my 5:40 alarm.  Twenty more days... we totally got this!

Dear Sam's Club,
We just got a membership and I am so excited to go back to buying things in bulk.  We discovered that we go to Albany quite a bit, since it's only an hour away and they have so much more civilization than we do in Vermont.  So we are coming for you Sam's Club!

Dear Jeremy,
I am feeling more in love with you than ever.  I am just so happy.  Happy that we are living out our dreams.  Happy that we love spending time together.  Happy that we get to do this parenthood thing together.  Happy that you are so dang handsome.  Happy that you talk to the baby and tell it to come out and play.  Happy that we found each other 8.5 years ago.  Happy that you are my best friend.  Happy that you are so wonderful, supportive, loving, and funny.  I am just so happy.  I love you.  Forever.  And ever.

Xoxo, Katie

Mom in Vermont

 

My mom came to visit me in Vermont!

 

It was a quick visit and oh so good to see her.  She helped us make lists of the stuff we need to get for Baby Clover because we really only had a crib and car seat.  Now we have so much more and more is on it's way.  Online shopping is your best friend when you live in the mountains.  I showed her all around our little towns, saw 5 covered bridges, ventured to Equinox Pond, shopped at the outlets, bought some Vermont Maple Syrup (of course), had her meet my friends, and we had a great baby shower.  It was a blast.  My friends got me a piñata to bust open all on my own.  I loved it!

 

 

It wasn't too hard to say good bye this time, because she is coming back in about 8 weeks when this baby is born!  We laughed about how relaxing this visit was compared to how the next visit will be.  She will basically have to teach me what to do with a baby.  It's going to be really entertaining. 

 

 

Florida Phone Dump

Let's Babymoon Together

Jeremy and I spent the better part of last week playing at the beach in Hollywood, Florida on a lovely babymoon (a babymoon is when you go away together before you have a baby and your lives change forever).  It was the dreamiest vacation and I recommend babymoons to EVERYONE. 

I'm obsessed with blurry beach pictures!

First toe dip of the trip!  We rented this cabana every day we were there for only $12 a day - it was a steal.  We stayed in the hotel right behind it on the right (our room was the 4th row of windows up and third one from the left), we had the perfect ocean view.

We found a delicious taco bar right on the board walk for dinner.

This watermelon lemonade was about the best thing in my life!  Jeremy got strawberry... I think we both liked mine better.  :)  I should figure out how to make it.  Can you imagine watermelon lemonade all summer long?  Dreamy!

We rolled out of bed one morning right before 7:00 to catch the gorgeous sunrise. It was amazing and we were basically freaking out about how cool mother nature is.  Jeremy managed to snap some pretty sweet pictures of the baby bump (31.5 weeks) that I just love.  I think we may have to put one in the baby's room. 

More blurry beach shots.  Those teal and blue ocean colors... oh all the heart eyes!!

We packed cheese and crackers, fruit, and veggies for our lunches everyday which was so refreshing.  We also packed lots of water - salt water and that Florida sun will certainly dehydrate you.  I tried to read up on relaxation techniques to help me get through labor.

Yep, we went to the same taco place two nights in a row after we found it.  I just had to get a pina colada (virgin of course) and it was the yummiest.  Right when we were finishing up dinner, an intense rain storm rolled in.  We ran to the hotel, saw a complete rainbow out our window over the ocean, and then had a two hour crazy lightening show.  It was amazing!

Here is Jeremy's pride and joy: our 2016 Convertible Mustang we rented.  We would cruise around with the top down just for fun.

Basically, we had the time of our lives.  We played in the ocean, laid in the sun, took naps, chatted, read books, threw the frisbee around, had delicious food, all while enjoying the 80 degree temperatures.  We used about half a bottle of sunscreen trying to keep the burns away - we were semi successful.  Florida sun is way more intense than the Vermont sun we usually get.  My favorite parts of the trip: when Jeremy would sporadically translate the Spanish that was going on around us (lots of Spanish speakers in Florida!), playing in the ocean, the amazing rainbow and lightening storm, and that amazing watermelon lemonade!  I'm telling you... dreamiest vacation ever.

(phone picture dump coming tomorrow)