Dear Ava

Dear Ava,

I passed the 37 week mark yesterday, so technically we could meet face-to-face any day now, although I think you're going to make me wait a little longer. I'm telling myself you won't be here until 41 weeks, so that I can stay productive and patient until then.

I hope you're comfy in my belly. I know I haven't been sleeping well lately (apparently this is normal in late pregnancy), but it seems you took the opportunity to have a dance party in my tummy last night, so I hope it was a good party. I never thought I would love having a big belly, but I've really grown quite attached to having you nearby.

We've already gone on lots of adventures in the past 9 months and there will be many more once you get out here! Your very first trip was a pilgrimage to Williamsburg, VA (we will take you there again one day) to celebrate my 30th birthday with some friends. Of course, I couldn't do a lot of celebrating, but that was okay. We also went to our first MAE concert together. They never play shows live anymore, so we really lucked out with that! I finished up my last semester of working at GW University in DC (a lot of metro rides) and then your dad and I moved to TX in May! I had to fly back home briefly to say goodbye to your great grandmother, who is my mom's mother. I will tell you all  about her one day.

South TX is completely different from where we're from, but we think you'll like it. It's always warm and sunny, but sometimes there are storms, so your dad and I ended up exploring Dallas with you for almost a week during August to escape Hurricane Harvey. When we got back to Corpus Christi, it actually felt like home.

We moved here for your dad's job, so while he has been working, I've mostly been getting to know our new home and cooking a lot. I also write a lot of our blog posts:) I'm not sure if/when I'll try to go back to work after your born, but we'll take it one step at a time and make sure you're in good hands either way. Sometimes, when I make your dad breakfast before he leaves for work, he thinks that is probably worth foregoing the extra income. I never  wanted us to fall into such traditional gender roles, but we also believe that each of us is strong in different areas, and one of my strengths happens to be making breakfast.

Your dad has been very supportive of us this entire pregnancy. It took him a few days to realize I was actually pregnant instead of just making a big deal over nothing (as is NEVER the case). But when we found out you were a girl, we already had the name. Ava is the first name of one of your great grandmothers, even though she doesn't go by that. I remember us deciding to name you after her on a trip to Philadelphia a few years ago. I'm a little apprehensive about giving you my middle name, only because I don't want you to think I want you to be me or anything, I just have always really loved my middle name and I hope you will too:)

Recently, I've seen your dad start to get really excited about you getting here, although he shows his excitement in different ways than I do. He came with me to your 36 week appointment and immediately after started doing a daily spinning ride. I think he is training for fatherhood. We also went to Target last week and he tried to take me to the baby section BEFORE the electronics section. One day you'll realize how big of a deal this is. He was also invited on a last minute trip to Florida for work that I told him to go on (he is very competent and generous and so people invite him for stuff like this a lot), but he was so relieved when he found out he didn't have to go. I very rarely see him stressed, but he was so worried you would decide to show up without him here, and he wouldn't miss that for the world!

We don't know a ton of people in Texas yet, but you have had people all over the world sending you presents for the past couple of months. I'm not sure if you will ever appreciate the cuteness of your clothes and shoes at this point, but your dad and I will definitely appreciate having things to put you in when you get home.

At this point, mostly we can't wait to meet you. I'm so excited and nervous that I think that is making it harder to sleep....think the excitement of a thousand Christmas Eves combined with the anxiety before you take a test that will determine the rest of your life! There is so much we want to introduce you to here. I have no doubt that the warmth of my belly is a lot more comfortable and calm than the real world (even with me jostling you a million times a night), but there is so much good in the outside world, even though it isn't always comfortable. Some of my favorite things about this outside world include music, food, different kinds of people (SO many different kinds), stories, sunshine, breezes, and mountains. Oh, and animals! We have an animal called a cat who is a part of our family. You will love him.

You are the first child we have coming out of my tummy, so we want to thank you in advance for your patience with us as we figure out how to be parents. We promise we will get better at it as time goes on and that we will NEVER stop trying to be better. We are lucky to have lots of friends and family members who have helped raise us and will help support us into being the best parents for you that we can be. I don't think you can ever be 100% ready for the life-changing role that parenthood brings, but we are ready to show up and give it our best whenever you want to make your appearance.

Love,
Mom
(That's the first time I have ever called myself that. I hope I get used to it.)

One Month To Go!

First things first: Mike was extremely disappointed that these pictures from our time in Dallas did not make the last blog, so he insisted I include them here. This was a morning when I made Mike wake up early to go on a long walk on the Katy trail (a long biking/walking/running path downtown) and we found this little guy by the path. 

We are the same

Twins

36 Weeks Update:

Cravings: My cravings have not been too too strong this pregnancy, but some things that are odd. I've still been really into dairy, especially whole milk and sour cream. I put sour cream on a banana nut muffin the other week. Mike thought I was so weird, but then he realized it was genius and delicious and ate it.

Workouts: Still doing prenatal yoga, walking, strength training, and the occasional spin ride (although that will probably end soon). I've noticed that I need to walk in shorter spurts or I start to feel a heaviness in my uterus after a while. I'll elaborate more on this below!

Feeling (Physically): I'm physically feeling fine. My belly is definitely prominent (my belly button could become an outtie at any second), but I'm not getting any swelling or anything. The weather has been much better here in Corpus lately, so that could have something to do with it too. When we got checked at our appointment today, we found out that Ava is measuring in the 89th percentile of babies for size, so it looks like we have a big baby on the way! Ultrasounds can be a little off, but according to the findings, she is due to end up around 9 pounds, so we'll see! Ava is also head down and apparently very low in my pelvis (why I feel heaviness when walking a lot). My cervix hasn't opened at all, but I'm 75% effaced, so I'm hoping this means she won't go past my due date too long.

Feeling (Emotionally): While I'm physically feeling fine, I've definitely been having a little more anxiety lately and have had difficulty sleeping. I think it's just a product of feeling like I have a lot to do before she gets here. I have been getting in some naps during the day and feel so fortunate to be able to do that!

Left to Do: SO MUCH! I need to pack our hospital bags, finalize our birth plan, freeze some meals for the postpartum period, wash all of Ava's clothes and linens, and make sure I have my playlist/affirmations/coping skills down for labor. It actually doesn't sound that bad, but since babies can come early, it's best to be prepared sooner!


Who knows if we'll get in another update before she gets here!

Hurricane Harvey

We knew it was hurricane season in South Texas, and one of the first things people told us when we moved there was that one hadn't hit in almost a decade so we were due for one. Still, although I did have "make a hurricane emergency kit" on my to-do list, you never actually think it's going to happen. Well, Hurricane Harvey seemed to pop up overnight. At the beginning of the week, we were making plans for the weekend. Tuesday, I told Mike there might be a tropical storm we have to watch. Wednesday, it was looking like the storm could get worse so we were planning to shelter in place so I grabbed some non-perishables, and he told me he'd gather more information the next day at work. Thursday, Mike texted me from work and told me to book a hotel for us and Rupert for the next week in Dallas and to start packing because we were leaving that afternoon...alright, then. Looking back, the Navy did an incredible job being decisive in its plan to get people out when it did. We still dealt with some traffic Thursday afternoon, but it was nothing compared to what people endured Friday after the rain had already started.

I booked us a room at an extended stay in Dallas that took pets. Mike normally books all of our trips, so I made a rookie mistake and used hotels.com (their customer service is not good), but we did have a kitchenette in our room and free breakfast every day, so I did well there! We'd never been to Dallas (we've never been to a lot of TX), so we planned to make the most of our time there, since we didn't know how long we would be evacuated. 

Day 1: Thursday evening

We arrived super late so ended up eating dinner around 10pm. I researched nearby takeout spots and this Lebanese place ended up being an awesome choice!

Rupe did well on the 8 hour trip! 15 minutes from the hotel he couldn't hold his bladder anymore, so I had to clean that up when we got in. Besides that, he only meowed in the car for an hour. Maybe two. Considering this was his first car trip over 2 hours AND his first hotel stay, we are proud of him!

Day 2: Friday in the arts district

There was free entrance for military families at pretty much all of the museums we went to which was really nice!

The sculpture museum was right beside the Museum of Art: Decaf cappuccino for me and iced tea for Mike when I needed a break from walking.

The heat in Dallas was not as bad as what we were used to, so walking outside in the courtyard didn't feel unbearable.

Beautiful flowers and plants and Mike in the background!

Went to the bathroom (always) and came back to find Mike playing in these interactive sculpture chairs. Ween: he may have been talking to you in this picture!

Gotta watch those chairs!

A pic of downtown Dallas while waiting for the trolley.

Another pic of downtown Dallas. Mike really loved the architecture of the buildings. I loved this green park right near the arts district!

Day 3: Saturday at the Arboretum

The cloud cover on Saturday was a perfect chance to visit the arboretum, especially since I was eager to spend as much time outside in cooler weather as possible!

The gardens are so beautiful at the arboretum! We saw many many people getting pictures formally taken for pregnancy, engagement, wedding, quincienera, etc.

Pink & Green

Tangly Trees

So much green!

With Shakespeare! Don't know why he was in Dallas...

Bump!

Selfie

Day 4: Sunday at Perot museum & Holocaust museum

The Perot Museum of Science & History is a super interactive and family-friendly museum in downtown Dallas. I'm not into interactive exhibits as much, but this guy definitely is:) The only problem was the museum was extremely crowded!

Another photo of downtown Dallas

Mike & I weren't able to get to the Holocaust museum in DC before leaving, so I really wanted to make it to the Dallas Holocaust Museum. It was small, but the exhibit was wonderfully moving, heartbreaking, and so important for us to see. I'm so glad that we had the opportunity.

Rupert enjoying his time in the hotel:)

Days 5 & 6: Hanging out at the hotel (Monday) and heading home (Tuesday)

On Monday, we just relaxed around the hotel. Mike had some work to do, and we went out for dinner at the same Lebanese restaurant we'd gotten take out from on the first night. We also decided that we'd head back the next day because we got word late on Tuesday that power was being restored in our apartment building (the power had been out since Friday and we knew we'd have to throw out all of our food). 

Tuesday, I woke up Mike super early since I wanted to avoid any traffic on the way down. But I took first driving shift. We ended up making it back in about 6  hours. When we started getting closer to the coast (we didn't go near Houston at all), we started to see some of the devastation that the hurricane had left behind. I had been watching the news, but I still could not believe a lot of what I was seeing, and a lot of this destruction was in towns that I had not heard mentioned on the news. So I'm sharing these pictures in hopes that we don't forget these smaller towns.

Water-filled trenches on the sides of the roads

A Shell gas station

Boarded up buildings and destroyed signs

Power lines tangled in remnants of buildings

I think most of these pictures were taken near Refugio, TX and, when we drove through, there was no gas, water, or power to be seen anywhere. It was heartbreaking. We did see people on the side of the road handing out free food and water, so the rebuilding had begun. However, after seeing what happened in Houston, it will probably take longer for a lot of resources/money/aid to reach some of these smaller communities. I know that a lot of these communities need money right now, and here is where I initially donated to try to get the money to those towns as soon as possible: http://www.victoriafoodbank.org/get-involved/donations/

After missing a days of work, Mike has been very busy with his job since we returned, and will be traveling to DC next week to finish up a case he has worked on before. Hopefully, I'll get another pregnancy update blog out while he's gone!