Friday, May 25, 2012

BowsByBellaBoo

Over a year ago, I started making bows / headbands as a little side gig, and it actually turned out to be a lot more than what I expected. I now have lots of fans on Facebook, and people all over the United States ordering these bows from me! (I also get people ordering from Australia and Canada - kinda cool, right?

When I first started making these, my hopes were to have endless supplies for Isabella to be able to wear - the only problem is, she doesn't like headbands! boo. She'll keep in the clips and will rarely let me take a picture of her wearing a new design, but that's about it. Even when she was a tiny baby, she didn't like things on her head - which was fine, because she has always had tons of hair - so I never had to put a bow on her to make her 'look girly' :)

I got so involved that my inlaws actually bought me a sewing machine for Christmas - I've been able to make little boy bowties so now I can cater to both boys and girls...

I hope that this business continues to grow, especially while I'm on maternity leave...I'll be able to work on more orders (hopefully) while little Ethan is sleeping! :)

Here's a link to my facebook page where you can place your orders :)
http://www.facebook.com/BowsByBellaBoo













Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Mother's Day / 25 weeks

This past Sunday was officially my 2nd Mother's Day. When I woke up and went downstairs I found a beautiful bouquet of tulips (my favorite) from my sweet Bella...and there was a little box next to them from my hubby...he got me my new perfume - Miss Dior (I LOVE it.) I was then told to just relax while Stephen and Bella went to grab coffee and bagels. I was able to catch up on the latest Grey's episodes - probably not the best show to watch on Mother's Day, since every episode has a major downer...but, hey - I still watch it.

After breakfast, we got ready and headed over to my parents house for lunch. Derek, Kris & the kids met us there and the boys cooked for all of the girls - it was perfect. We wanted to do something at home this year, and not have to worry about the crowds at all of the restaurants, plus the girls were able to play in the backyard. I got another gift from Bella (with a little help from her aunt and uncle) - she finger painted this lovely picture for me, and also took some hand prints - in the center of the frame there was a poem (I'll have to write it down later), it made me cry...

My parents got me a picnic basket, and my mom filled it up with all of the necessities that I would need...it's very cool - I've always wanted one. I am going to pack a few things in there and we're headed to the beach for lunch one day this weekend, yay!

I'll have to come back and post a few other pictures, but this one was taken of my mom, myself, and Bella...I love this picture. Bella will love having this when she's older, I'm sure.


and here's the 25 week photo - no chalk board picture this week...instead you get to see a picture of our perfect little family (although Ethan is hiding in my belly!)...he'll be here soon! I love the look on Bella's face!


Some updates for lil' E this week - we had a doctor's appointment (just the normal routine visit). Listened to his heart - it sounds amazing :) and oh, I gained another 7 pounds! yikes! I seriously need to S L O W it down a bit with this whole weight gaining craziness! I have to go sometime next week to take my glucose test to make sure that my sugar levels are on track. I'm not a big fan of this test - first of all, you have to fast, so no food or drink (except water after 6:00pm the night before), then you have to drink this nasty flat orange soda tasting stuff that makes you want to barf....then you have to sit and wait for 1 hour to let the drink go through your system before you get your blood work done. It's a long process...

Monday, May 14, 2012

week 24

Again, another fast week...I wish my work days went by this quick! We went to the Clipper game on Monday night, it was a playoff game, so the entire Staples Center was full. It was me, Stephen, Derek and Kristen...we were up in the very top section, I was afraid that I was going to fall it was that high. The music was so loud, and everyone was screaming and yelling - Ethan was going nuts in my belly! It was a great game though, they ended up having to go to overtime - I was NOT excited about that, considering my bed time is 9:00pm, and we were there until 11:00...ahhh!!! But, they won.

The closer we get to delivery day - the more anxious I get. I need to start meditating or doing yoga or something to take all of my stress away. It's bad for my health, and not only that, but Ethan can sense my anxiety too. I am really happy that I am doing this weekly chalkboard update - it's fun to look back on the beginning weeks and compare them to now....



week 23

This week has just flown by! We are now able to see our little guy moving around from outside of my clothes. This part amazes me - the thought of him just swimming around inside my belly is just a trip. For now, he's got a lot of space to move around, but in a few more weeks his living space is going to get tight. The only thing that I can complain about now is my constant back pain...it NEVER goes away. I can never seem to get in a comfortable position, whether I'm lying down, sitting, or standing up - it just always hurts. Another (small) complaint is the heartburn - it sucks, but I'm able to control it with my Maalox. We are almost in the 3rd trimester, I can't believe it!

Week 23 - baby is now the length of a pomegranate
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 23:
·         His little face is fully formed – minus the fat of course.
·         His sense of movement is well developed by now, he can feel when I dance J
·         Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that his increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now – such as a dog barking, the vacuum cleaner (or his sister’s voice) – won’t faze him when he’s here.

 A few updates from the mommy-to-be...
How far along? 23 weeks 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: 9 pounds.
Maternity clothes? Yep. 
Stretch marks? Yes.
Sleep: could be better – I’m just super sore all the time, between my back pain and the pressure (down there.) 
Best moment this week: we can now see him moving around from the outside of my belly – it’s so crazy to think that he’s living in there now, just swimming around in his “man cave”.
Miss Anything? Wine – STILL.
Movement: LOTS.
Food cravings: sweets – my take on this…he’s going to be a very sweet boy.  
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: ohhhh yes.  
Gender prediction: boy.  
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? It’s flat.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: call the chiropractor – I still have not done this.
Looking forward to: stepping into my 3rd trimester…only a few more weeks to go.


Friday, May 11, 2012

22 weeks.

22 is Stephen's favorite number - it has been his baseball number for years, and it might just end up being worn on the back of Ethan's jersey's (we'll see). On April 22nd (in my 22nd week), we were all laying in bed watching Sunday cartoons (aka Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) and I told Stephen that Ethan had kept me up all night because he was moving all night long. So, he put his hand on my belly and BAM! Ethan finally moved so that his daddy could feel him...that made Stephen's day. Our little E is a mover and a shaker, he's doing a few dances in my belly, kicking my bladder here and there (not cool). I'm just so thrilled that Stephen finally felt him, by far - the BEST moment of the week!


Week 22 - baby is now the length of a spaghetti squash
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 22:

·         His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums.  
·         His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
·         If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in.
·         Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

 A few updates from the mommy-to-be...
How far along? 22 weeks 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: okay, here’s the big one – I went to see Dr. Chu on Monday (4/23/12) and I gained 7 pounds! (that’s since my last visit, 4 weeks ago)…that brings my grand total up to 9 pounds so far for this pregnancy. It was expected for me to gain this much at this appointment, but when you see 7 pounds all you think is – s**t.
Maternity clothes? Of course.  
Stretch marks? Yes.
Sleep: tossing and turning a lot throughout the night.  
Best moment this week: got to get a quick little glimpse of him on the monitor at Dr. Chu’s office, he’s getting BIG! And Stephen FINALLY got to feel him move! It was awesome.
Miss Anything? Oh just the typical, wine, wine, and wine….I don’t have a drinking problem (one would think that by reading my blog), but I do love wine. I miss having a nice glass of red wine with dinner – very badly.
Movement: LOTS.
Food cravings: CHOCOLATE – this is a very, very bad thing!
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: Yes – and it looks like I’m carrying twins!
Gender prediction: it has been officially confirmed (again) by Dr. Chu that he is ALL BOY.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? IN.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: call the chiropractor. 
Looking forward to: Stephen going to San Antonio for a week and leaving me and Bella….NOT. so, I’m looking forward to him coming home J

We took Miss Bella Boo to the Long Beach Aquarium this past weekend...she had so much fun! We went into that area where you can feed the birds, and one flew up on my shoulder and totally freaked me out. I look like I'm going to cry in one of the pictures. Bella's probably thinking - "ya, you're real tough mommy!" ha!






Tuesday, May 1, 2012

HALFWAY.

Woo hoo! The halfway mark is already here! I can’t believe it – this has gone by too fast. With Bella I would sit counting down the days until she arrived. That’s because I didn’t have another child to keep me occupied…now, I find myself chasing Bella around the house, reading books, coloring, playing with puzzles…and boom – 20 weeks have already passed. Here’s a little message for you Time – S L O W down.

This week has been very eventful. On Wednesday, Stephen dressed up like the Easter Bunny for all of the kids at daycare (Bella was NOT having that, she kept telling him ‘bye’.) Friday, we bought my Aunt and Uncle’s Expedition from them – now we have a car big enough for our growing family…Sunday was Easter, so we colored eggs with Bella and Kenzie on Saturday…let me just say that this year was very different from last year. Last Easter- me, Stephen, Derek and Kristen were doing most of the coloring because the girls were so little. This year it was all we seemed to do is watch to make sure that they didn’t dump all of the food coloring on the patio J. It’s pretty cool to watch them try new things – by the time we were done with coloring, Bella’s hands looked like the Hulk’s (she was all green!). The Easter Egg hunt was also a blast, the girls were running around everywhere looking for eggs – I can’t wait until little E can join in the activities…I have a feeling that him and his sister are going to be verrry competitive (just like me and Derek J)

On Monday, we had our 20 week anatomy scan to make sure that everything is measuring on track for Ethan. Stephen and my mom met me at the appointment – this particular appointment is longer only because they measure every major bone in the body and look at all of his organs. It’s great to sit there and watch this on the monitor – I’m amazed with modern medicine (I should have been a doctor!). Everything looked great, and he’s a big healthy boy! We were able to be a few great shots of his face in 3D – and I can already tell that he’s going to be a heartbreaker…seeing him just makes me want to hold him that much more – only 20 weeks to go!



Week 20 - baby is now the size of a c a n t a l o u p e
Here are some cool facts about the baby at week 20:
  

·         Increased blood flow is making the pelvic area extra-sensitive, libido is re-surging, and the weight gain has just barely begun.
·         He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel, the length of a banana. He gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digestion - and these days, those taste buds actually work!
·         He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper – fun stuff!

 A few updates from the mommy-to-be...
How far along? 20 weeks 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: I only weigh at Dr. Chu’s office (this is a good thing) – so, it’s still been 2 pounds, although I’m definitely feeling larger these days…this belly is getting BIG.  
Maternity clothes? Yessssssssss – on the plus side, I am still able to wear all of my shoes J my feet haven’t gotten fat…yet.
Stretch marks? the same ones :/
Sleep: what’s that? Haha! Kidding, I can’t complain since I go to bed every night at 9:00pm.
Best moment this week: LOTS – we had our 20 week anatomy scan and he’s perfect! ANNNND, we got to see his little face in 3D. (amazing).
Miss Anything? wine.
Movement: LOTS.
Food cravings: MEXICAN FOOD
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope.
Have you started to show yet: Yes.
Gender prediction: this is funny, the doctor that was doing the anatomy scan said, ‘Dr. Chu told you that you were having a girl?’ and we said, uhhh no…then he told us, “well that was just my first guess, I haven’t even made it down that far, I’m still measuring the head…”  once he made it down to the ‘pee pee’ he said, “ohhhh yes – it’s a boy.” Thanks doc, for clearing that up.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In, I think it's working its way out though...hard to tell.
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy!
Weekly Wisdom: there’s this exercise called walking – I need to do it.  
Looking forward to: still waiting for daddy to feel this little guy move – COME ON ETHAN!!!.

Isn't it amazing how we can already see his face!? He looks so handsome, just like his daddy! Trust me, I've already compared his 20 week photo with Bella's, I think they look a lot alike :)

Easter Bunny (aka Daddy), Mommy and Bella...and Ethan's there too, he's just hiding in my belly...


The day we colored Easter eggs... (before her hands turned green!)


Finding Easter eggs with Daddy...