guess what?

I had a baby yesterday!

Jack and Jill are completely overjoyed.

Baby Bunny is adjusting to life on the outside, but is getting better at it all the time.

I am recovering nicely after an unexpected post birth hemorrhage. 

Will be back to fill in the blanks soon.

fall.

Fall is in the air. It's wonderful. I love the smell. I love how it feels in the morning when I drink my coffee. I love how it feels at night (aka right now) when I drink my tea. I love how it feels in the afternoon when I take my nap (yep, still doing that). I just love it all the time. 

I am 35 weeks pregnant today. I feel like I'm 35 weeks pregnant today. Everything is going well, and I am actually feeling really good. That being said, being this pregnant makes activities of daily living a bit challenging. 

examples-

Shaving my legs... I know it's cliche, but seriously. 

I was at coffee with a friend last week. We also had muffins, of course. Some of the chocolate from my muffin dropped onto my pants up on my thigh. I can't actually see there, and I proceeded to go to a meeting with melted chocolate all over my pants. Super professional. 

Hugging/Snuggling/Making out. The belly only allows a certain amount of closeness (and it's not actually that close).

Maneuvering around in close quarters. Think bathroom stalls, the shower, even my small-ish kitchen. I just take up a lot more room than I'm used to taking, but, the belly does a great job of reminding me. 

Anyway, other than a few logistical adjustments, this pregnancy is treating me wonderfully. I am truly trying to enjoy this last little bit of it, because I know that once it's over I'm going to miss it. It's coming up close, that due date of ours. Jack and Jill will be making their way to this part of the country in the next couple of weeks to wait for the big day. I'm so excited to have them close, and I can't even describe how excited I am for them to meet their bundle of joy. Wow. What a day that will be. 

In other news, I love college. This tidbit is going to get its own post here soon, but I just have to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to earn a higher education. This opportunity has provided me with countless other opportunities I wouldn't have even dreamed of otherwise. I know lots of folks value an education, but I feel as though I really have a deep appreciation for my own college career that is not necessarily found in the hearts of all undergrads. 

It's bedtime. Until next time,

Carmen

33/40

I am currently 33 weeks pregnant with Bunny.

Everything is going swimmingly.

My tummy is nice and round, and the little one hops around all day (and night).

Jack and Jill just came to visit and we had a lovely time as usual.

I really can't say enough about them, this journey, and this amazing thing I get to be a part of.

My cravings include burnt toast and ice cubes.

School is going well. 

It's hard to believe that I've been back for almost a month now.

Christian loves school too. 

He also loves soccer. And he's really good at it. And we're  kind of really proud of him.

Nolan is being three, and exercising his independence.

This is not always pleasant, but we're working through it. 

We're settling nicely into the new house. 

There is a mess in my living room and unfolded laundry in the basement to prove it.

It's almost fall and I love the cool mornings and evenings so much.

Life is good.

Until next time,

Carmen

a public service announcement:

do not tell pregnant women how big they look.

ever.

Okay so Yosi, the guys, and I were at a fiesta last night. It was fine.

Except all these women kept commenting on how big I am. 

This makes me cranky. You know what? Yes, I am big. BECAUSE I'M GROWING A HUMAN BEING.

A human that does not even belong to me. 

Pretty rad, huh? 

It's not even the surrogacy thing. I got this with my guys too, and it just baffles me every single time. What leaves me even more befuddled is that a whopping majority of these comments come from women.

Rarely will you find a man who comments negatively on a woman's size - pregnant or not - directly to her face. Why? Because it's rude. That's why. 

But for some odd reason, certain women seem to think it's completely fine to tell a pregnant woman how ginormous she has gotten. 

If this is you, please realize that it's not okay. She knows. Trust me, she knows that there is a 5 pound child occupying her entire abdominal cavity. She knows that every second of the day when she moves slower than usual. She knows it when she has to take a nap instead of go to the park, simply because the act of growing that child can be completely exhausting. She knows it when she's up for the fourth time that night to empty her teeny tiny bladder. She knows it when she's trying hard to put together a train puzzle on the floor and eventually has to look on from the couch because that baby has curled up in her ribs so high that the bones feel like they might actually snap. She knows when she goes to get dressed and... I won't even go there. 

But you know what? She doesn't mind. She gets to feel that baby rolling around and hiccuping. When she tosses and turns at night, hoping to find a comfortable way to sleep, she thinks about what wonderful things this new life will accomplish during their own time on earth. She knows that because of her sacrifice, a family will grow, and more love will come to exist in this world. 

Literally. Love that did not even exist before, will now be a part of the universe. Think about that for a second. Brand new love.

So yes, pregnant women get big. But we do not need your comments on the matter. Especially those comments designed to do nothing other than fill the air. The comments that do nothing to lift us up, but rather could only be intended to make us feel less anything less than remarkable. Because that is honestly what we are. We are over here, growing love, and all you can think to comment on is how big we look? 

Well, I think that you'd be better off saying nothing at all. 

Carmen

hi again.

when every bone in my body is screaming for this - 

the weather instead is doing this - 

sigh.

I'M BACK! 

The move left us internet-less (and cable-less, too) for a full two weeks. Talk about a serious first-world problem. Good grief I'm almost embarrassed to admit what an adjustment it was to be unconnected. Luckily, today at 10am the cable guy walked up to our front door and plugged us back in. 

WE'RE MOVED!

True to who we are and how things go in our life, the new house came to be seemingly out of thin air. After weeks of scouring the listings, driving relentlessly through town, and exploring and obsessing over every possible option, our new home was found on accident. But as soon as we found it, papers were signed, boxes were packed, and we were sleeping in the new home four nights later. We don't joke around about moving here. 

We're still getting settled, but it's coming along. Slowly but surely it is starting to feel more like home. There is more space here than we've ever had, and that is taking some getting used to, but I think it will turn out to be a welcome change. To help create a homey feeling we got a cat and brand new furniture. 

Both are helping.

SCHOOL IS BACK.

Not just for Christian anymore (but he is loving kindergarten something fierce), but my semester started a couple of weeks ago as well. So far so good. My schedule this semester is quite flexible and forgiving, which was intentional on my part. I'm glad I went out of my way to arrange it this way, because

I'M BUSY GROWING A HUMAN BEING.

Bunny is getting big, I think I am too. The number I see on the scale is the highest it's ever been in all of my life. I'm honestly not concerned, and I choose not to worry about how hard fun it's going to be to get back down to where I'm comfortable afterwards. I have the rest of my life to live thinly, and my gain is still well within the recommended limits. 

We are 31 weeks along this week! When I think that I'm due two calendar months from tomorrow, I can't hardly believe it. It's just wild that it's so close already. Am I ready? I don't know. 

I so have loved everything about this adventure. I love my relationship with Jack and Jill, I love the responsibility of growing Bunny, I love the baby wiggles and the (marginally, if that) better finger nails. 

That being said, I can hear in our phone calls how eager Jack and Jill are to hold their little bundle. I'm not uncomfortable per say, but I can't sit in one position too long anymore (especially sitting straight up - it feels like my ribs are being pried apart), I move a lot slower than usual, and I'm back to taking naps every afternoon because I'm pooped by about 2pm. 

The heat does not help.

Seriously.

I can't sleep through the night. It's not because I'm uncomfortable, it's because my bladder is the size of a grape. Though, even if this wasn't the case, Nolan would make sure to help me wake up at 2am. He's going on four......

This does nothing to improve the 2pm napping situation. 

But overall, I'm feeling really good and enjoying this last bit of this pregnancy. It really has gone so quickly.

I'LL BE BACK.

probably tomorrow or Monday so don't be worried.

Carmen

be right back.

please excuse my blogging crappiness as we settle into our new house.

 

that's right.

 

new house.

 

deep.freaking.breath.

 

be back soon.

life lately.

Am I the only person who finds this completely thrilling? Everyone has something to bring to the table. Every. Single. Person.

life lately

I'm bad at blogging. Sorry.

Bunny is growing! I am too. Jill was just in town for our 28 (!) week appointment and all looks great with the little hopper.

I passed my glucose test with FLYING colors. I was (overly) concerned about it, but it turns out that my body metabolizes sugar like a rockstar. I do have a low iron count - easily fixed with a supplement.

We are still living in our current house, while obsessively actively looking for a new home. This is hard work I tell ya. Maybe not as much hard, as stressful and emotionally draining.

Luckily, my husband is the best person ever and says things like "Let's just have some faith and take a deep breath." and "There is no wrong decision here, whichever place we call home will be the right one."

Clearly, I'm the luckiest woman in the world.

Christian starts kindergarten this week... I'm still not exactly sure how this happened, but evidently he is school-aged now and we are going to be people with a school-aged kid The all-day, every-day, eat-lunch-in-the-cafeteria, kind of school. He's ecstatic. I'm trying not to hyperventilate.

I start school next week. 

I'm excited.

 I'm trying to be excited.

 Okay, so I'm really trying not to be upset that summer has gone so quickly and now it's supposed to be my favorite time of year and we don't yet know where we're going to be residing.

I'm trying not to be upset that while I would normally be reveling in the delight of school supply shopping, and reviewing my course load, and preparing for my internship, I am instead scouring real estate listings, and waiting on call backs from potential housing prospects, and slowly packing our things.

I'm trying not to be upset that my tiny big guy even has to entertain anything in his beautiful little head other than starting a new chapter of his life. A new chapter at a new school, with new friends, a new teacher, and a new routine. That's a big enough deal, and I'm trying really really hard not to be upset that he also has to deal with move to a new house too.

Being upset does no good. And in reality, it's just a house. A container. We're all healthy and fine. We are not in financial crisis. We still have a reasonable amount of time, and at the end of the day, after all of my worrying, I am positive that all is going to be fine. Because it will be. This is just not -- at all -- how I pictured this particular time.

So, I'm trying hard to overlook that, just live and be grateful for this exciting time in our lives. Because, truly, it is exciting and wonderful. And when my boys are grown and I think back on the beginning of this whole school-aged kid thing, this housing situation will be something that's casually mentioned as a part of the background in the story.

 We'll chuckle about the poor timing (heat of summer, right before school starting, and pregnant of course) and sudden shortage of suitable homes. I'll laugh about how obnoxiously anxious I was about the whole thing, even though I'm an old pro at moving. Yosi will (someday) admit that he was a nervous wreck too, but he kept it together because he knew that one of us had to be calm and reasonable, and it very clearly was not going to be me. And I'd even be willing to bet, that the boys won't hardly remember the specific circumstances of the move.

It's just part of the background story. That's all.

Until next time,

Carmen