Sisters.

Irreplaceable. That is the best word I can use to describe my sister. Even though we had our fair share of fights and disagreements, oh and she was REALLY bossy (and she admits she was!), there wasn't much that could come between my sister and I. Growing up, she was the ultimate friend who I looked up to. When she took up piano, I wanted to too. I used to get so frustrated when we'd color together because she could always do so much better than I could. I never understood that she was 5 years older then me. We could play for hours on end.

We were rarely a nuisance to each other. I put up with the bossiness because I loved her so much and just wanted to be with her. She put up with an annoying little sister for the same reason.

Time made us grow up, and we have both found true love in our husbands. Life has us living so far apart, but we are just as close as we were in our childhood days, and even closer. I don't think there is anything that can change our relationship.

I really hope one day we are able to give Darby a sister so she is able to have what I do. Sisters are SO special and the relationship can NOT be justified by words.

It can only be FELT and treasured.

Looking Back...

Sometimes I just can't believe I am 27 years old (almost 28!), married and pregnant with our little Darby. I'm sure it's even harder to believe for my own parents, since I am their youngest! My Mom recently brought some pictures over that she had found, and I thought I'd be fun to share them with all of you!!

My Great Grandma (on my Mom's side) gave me my very first haircut. I was really little, like 2 so I really don't remember it, but from the pictures below it looks like it was a happy experience!!


Most of you know, but for those who don't I am the youngest of 3. I have an older brother (6 years older) and an older sister (5 years older). I think I got that right! Growing up with my siblings was always fun. Here is a picture of my first Christmas! My brother doesn't look too happy, but don't be fooled. It was Christmas, and we were always happy then!

Here I am playing in my Holly Hobby Kitchen, that I L-O-V-E-D. Actually, I don't even know if it was really MINE or if it was mine because it was my sisters first! At any rate, it provided me with hours of playtime and happiness!

More Nursery Projects...

Here we are working on another week - week 30!! Only 10 weeks to go (maybe less, maybe more, only Darby knows when she will be ready to come out!).

Over the weekend Eric and I got a few more things done in the nursery. We got a call on Thursday night that our glider and ottoman were in!! I was surprised since they had told us 12 weeks, but was glad that it wasn't quite that long of course! On Friday night Eric and his dad (who I lovingly call FIL - short for Father In Law) went to BabiesRus for the pick-up! The chair and ottoman fit perfectly!


On Saturday we went to hunt down a floor lamp, but ended up finding the cutest shabby chic wall lamp! The price was much better then the floor lamp we liked, so we couldn't pass it up!


Lastly, on Sunday we went to hunt down a cute side table for next to the chair and had quite a find! I love the roses all along the outside, so girly and shabby, it's just perfect!!


Here is a shot of it all! I still need to fix the tiebacks on the curtains, but I love how everything is coming together!

Baby Baby Baby!

I am SO happy to let you know that I passed my glucose screening with flying colors and am gestational diabetes free! Woo hoo! What a relief. I had told Dr. Gonzalez that I hope she had some good news for me because I didn't want to go do the 3 hour test! So glad things are ok. I got my rhogam shot too, keeping those RH antibodies away from me and my baby!!

I didn't have an ultrasound, but she measured my fundal height (my uterus) and listened to Darby's heartbeat with the doppler. She was a bit better this week at finding it. Of course, it still took a few tries but was nothing like the last visit! Everything is looking good and seems to be progressing just right!

Last night we had a tour of the birthing center at our hospital - Los Alamitos Medical Center. It was so exciting! Really made everything seem so real. Standing in the birthing suite I just kept thinking about how I am going to be giving birth in one of those rooms! I love our hospital. They keep you in the suites for your whole stay, but if they need it for someone else, you are still alone in a 2 bed postpartum room. Your spouse can come and go anytime, day or night and sleep with you in the room, even if you are in the postpartum room. The baby stays with you in your room the whole time too!! It was really neat and just put things into perspective. I can't believe how close it's all getting.

The next time we are in one of those birthing suites, are lives are going to change, and never be the same again. Thinking of it all is so overwhelming to me, but it's a day I can't wait to experience and one I have been dreaming about!! I can't wait to meet our little Darby to start our lives with her, help her grow and learn, and be her MOMMY and DADDY!

The Latest!!

Many apologies for the lack of posting!! The third trimester is in full swing for me and unfortunately a lot of the time I feel like I am back in the first! I have been pretty tired again lately, mostly do to the lack of sleep I get during the night. I just can not get comfortable, pregnancy pillow and all. I am starting to require afternoon naps on most days, and the heartburn is just lovely. I wouldn't change anything, honestly, but I am starting to get anxious to have this baby here with us already and start feeling normal again!

The latest on the nursery decorating is that we now have some fabulous handmade curtains!! Julie (Grandma to be!) and I spent all day on Saturday and most of the day Sunday sewing the curtains together. We got it down to a science towards the end and the last 2 seemed to go by so quick! The fabric is SO soft and was pretty easy to work with!

Instead of using a normal curtain rod (boring!) I decided to take a 2x1 piece of wood, paint it white and attach some antique glass knobs to hang above the window and the closet.

Julie and I made button holes evenly spaced on the top of each panel to loop over the knobs.

Here's Julie with our first 2 curtains right after we hung them up and "oooed" and "aaahhed!"

On Sunday we sewed the panels for the closet. I found some really pretty lace curtains at Ikea ($14.99 for both! amazing!) to go behind the ones we made. We don't have doors on any of our closets, I love the curtain look!!

I am going to figure out some tie-backs for the curtains. They will not be open all the time, but draped to the side. In the closet you will see the lace, and the window you will just see outside. I also installed a pull down shade to make the room nice and dark for nap time!!

The shabby chic mirror I had previously bought also got hung yesterday!!

When my sister and I were younger, my family took many trips into New York City and went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We LOVED it. Every time we went, we always had to go find our favorite painting called "The Calmady Children" painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence. The two girls in the painting are Emily and Laura Anne. We always said it was us, since the older in the painting was Emily (my sisters name) and the younger Laura Anne! (My given name is Anne, even though everyone calls me Annie).

About 6 years ago I went to New York over Christmas break (my senior year of college) to visit a friend for New Years. He took me to the Met and I just had to buy the poster! I've had it stashed away in closets since and just happened to come across it when I was cleaning things out to get the carpet installed. Once I saw it I just knew it was meant for Darby's room and I just had to get it framed! It's a shame custom framing is so pricey, but I decided it sat in the closet long enough and just went for it!

Well that is the update for today! We are working on our 29th week now at 28 weeks 2 days and we are touring the hospital on Wed night!! Every day brings us closer and I am just getting so anxious for it to be here!

We Made It!!

We have officially made it to the third trimester!!!

It feels amazing, and makes us even more excited for what's to come. I am finishing up my 27th week. I just can't believe how this pregnancy has both seemed like its taking forever, and flown by at the same time. I know it's the anxiety and worry that makes it seem slow, and the excitement that makes it seem fast! It's a bundle of different emotions, that's for sure!

Here's what my baby belly looks like at 26 weeks 5 days -

And here's a side by side comparison shot of the last picture I took...

Here's to 3 more months of baking our sweet Darby baby!!

A Baby Belly On A Sugar High

Yesterday I went in for my 1 hour glucose screening for gestational diabetes. My only word of description about the whole experience is "YUCK!" For those of you who aren't familiar with, gestational diabetes has no symptoms - it's a form of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy and disappears instantly after birth. For the test, I had to drink this glucose drink that was basically non carbonated syrupy soda, lemon lime flavor. You have to drink it all within 5 minutes. Yea, sounds easy, but for someone like me, who doesn't eat or drink quickly, (my college friends know I can't even chug a beer and I stink at taking shots) it was horrible! Shoving all that sweetness down was so difficult and I just wanted to barf!

Darby on the other hand, was energized by all the sugar and was moving around and kicking so much. Basically for the hour I had to sit in the waiting room I just watched my belly move. I am SO in love with this baby. She's not even here yet and I can't even describe to you how much love I feel for her. Included is her kicks and movements. I LOVE feeling them! However, it was pretty hard to enjoy them when I felt so sick!!

When the hour was thankfully over, they called me in for a blood draw. I am not a fan, but as long as I don't LOOK, I'm ok.

Our next appointment with Dr. Gonzalez is on the 23rd (I think) and I suppose we will find out then what the results where. Or if I failed, and I need to be tested again (which would mean a 3 hour test.. no bueno!) maybe they will call me to let me know.

At any rate, I PRAY and HOPE I am gestational diabetes free.

Other then that, this weekend there was no progress in the nursery. The next project is curtains, which Julie is helping me with. We got some pretty white soft chenille-ish fabric on Friday, they are going to be shabby chic! Once we have that under way, I'll be posting some pictures!

Just a Quick Update!

We had a DR appointment yesterday, and everything is looking good with Darby! I always get so nervous, which is something I don't think will go away until I'm holding her!

From our experience, Dr. Gonzalez isn't so good with her doppler. Yesterday she was ALL over my belly looking for Darby's heartbeat. I'd felt her kicking earlier, so I knew it was there somewhere, but all her searching was making me scared! Finally she said "Well, since she's not going to let me hear her, we'll just have to look!" and flipped on the ultrasound machine. I always LOVE seeing Darby on the monitor, she's so cute, so I wasn't disappointed! Just worried! Of course once we saw her on the ultrasound, and that the baby's head was up by my right rib, it was easy to locate where the heartbeat was! That sound is music to my ears I tell ya. I know Eric is just as nervous as I am, each time we go. I hate that we are jaded from the past, but that's the way it goes I guess! He doesn't show it as much. Me on the other hand, my face is always all red through the entire appointment because I'm so nervous! Just the other day I was telling Eric that I BET those nasty hives I had on my wedding day will definitely make an appearance when I give birth!

We got some information on childbirth classes, and within the week I'll get us all signed up for them! I also need to go have my 1 hour glucose screening for gestational diabetes and a blood draw to screen for RH antibodies. Our next appointment is in 3 weeks, and I'll get my Rhogam shot then.

Moving on to the third trimester very soon... and today my ticker says 100 days to go! I can't believe it!!