A Letter to my First Trimester Mamas: TiAnna's 9 Pieces of Advice

Congratulations! You've just seen a little pink line (even if it's faint, it DOES count :) ) and ready or not, here you come to parenthood! Here's the deal: you are about to embark on a crazy next couple of months. But don't panic; you're going to make it through with flying colors.

1) Use Pinterest wisely. When you start to feel the pressure creep to have some extravagant (out of your budget) nursery, or start some impossible take-this-same-picture-every-year-till-they-graduate collage that you know you're never going to finish, stop. Take a breath. And close your computer. Our mothers raised us wonderfully without all those ideas. And when they shift from ideas that inspire you to insecurity creators/ comparative judgement, that's when it's time to step back and take a break.

2) Eat what you can, but do it healthfully. You really are going to feel better if you eat often. Shoot for every 2 hours having something of substance. Think hard. Even when you're queasy, usually some sort of protein sounds manageable. Maybe it's an apple and peanut butter, cucumber and cheese, almonds, chicken noodle soup, etc. Find what works for you and don't give up trying. And when all else fails, crackers and ginger ale make the world a better place.

3) Preggy Pops. Buy them from Amazon by the truck load. Seriously.

4) Move as much as you can. I couldn't do my normal workout routine without getting queasy and lightheaded, but when I was outside for a walk, I felt the best I had all day. Again, find something that works for you and just do it.

5) Give yourself GRACE. Some days it's all you can do to sit on the couch, watching Netflix and eating a cheese stick every couple hours. Don't beat yourself up. Your body is doing some seriously hard work creating a person.

6) Buy some flowy tops. Bodies look bloated before they look pregnant, and when you've had your baby in 8 months, you'll be glad you have a few cute flowing options to flatter your figure again. Again, give yourself grace here. You can control your healthy choices, but your body need to grow and gain some weight. This can be emotionally difficult some days and feel like no big deal on others. That is totally normal.

7) Be quick to ask for forgiveness and for help. Between hormone changes and feeling slightly sick all the time, I found myself snapping at Joseph, the one I love the most, the one who is my partner on this grand adventure. But can I tell you what a difference it made to stop myself as soon as I realized what I had said (or how I had said it) and say sorry? These husbands of ours are amazing men. Allow them to hear your heart and share in this exciting time. It's not a time to alienate them in the name of hormones :)

8) If you are waiting to share your exciting news until week 12 or 13, let yourself have a godly woman friend in on the secret. Having someone who has been there and can be a source of encouragement and prayer makes this weird season less isolating. If you aren't waiting to tell the world (I get it! We didn't wait the "appropriate" amount of time either :) ), just make sure those closest to you hear it from your mouth before they read it on Facebook. Trust me, it's way more joyful to get to share this news face to face or voice to voice.

9) Most importantly, spend time in God's word. You are about to embark on the best journey of your life. You are being entrusted to nourish a little person for the next 9 months before you love and parent them forever. What a wonderfully large responsibility!

Evelyn is Here!

Our precious girl has arrived! Today she is one week old and the time together is flying by. Evelyn Collette Wright was born November 5th at 2:59 pm weighing in at 6 lbs 10 oz and 19 inches long. We've been snuggled up in our apartment, enjoying a beautifully slow pace of life this week. Resting and healing and figuring out this nursing and sleeping thing have taken up much more of my life than I could have realized. That whole "sleep when the baby sleeps" thing isn't just nice sounding advice. It's how you survive :) Well that, and all of the incredible help and support we have received. Thank you to all who have sent your messages of love and support, those that have brought meals, and especially to my mom who has been invaluable in helping around the house and holding this beauty while I shower or sleep.

I'm looking forward to writing out the story of her birth soon, but for now, let me tell you she has the most perfect lips, the cutest noises, looong legs, and Joseph's eyelashes (which I prayed for profusely!). Eye color is to be determined.

Evelyn loves:
-Sleeping. Sleeping. Sleeping.
-Making smiles and grimaces in her sleep.
-Drinking milk
-Making dirty diapers
-Snuggling with Daddy
-Napping with Mommy

38 Week Bumpdate

Total Weight Gain: 28 lbs

38 weeks and still going!

Symptoms:  I'm having a huge aversion. To Halloween. I hate everything about it- lol! I'm basically the Grinch of Halloween (not that I am usually a huge fan, but I just let it pass without much thought). So glad it's finally over! Bring on the best holidays!
-Also, I do Braxton Hicks contractions like a beast. Always present, never leaving, and strengthening my hulk of a uterus. Here's to hoping it makes for an efficient birth!

-And don't forget all the fun stuff like itchy skin, slightly swollen ankles and lower back ache. I can't wait for the time when I completely forget about my lower back's existence again.

-My stretch marks are getting darker and more plentiful, but I count it all as joy. There's a person on the other end of this sacrifice and my body is meant for function as well as beauty. 

-Hilarity. This week, all of these symptoms and changes are hilarious to me. Pardon all my pregnancy humor posts to come- they are just too good!

Size of the baby:  She's get-this-baby-out-now size. 

Sleep:  When I take my herbs, I sleep great, with usually 2-4 bathroom breaks in there.

Best Moment Last Week: This was my last week working my second job. I'm still enjoying Health Coaching from home, but it's nice to start the slowing down process. And it was SO nice to start stocking up some freezer meals. 

Movement: All over. She's head down, but sort of spinning on an axis. I keep thinking she must be circling around, ready to drop into position once she finds a spot she likes. 

Cravings:  I rotate between not really wanting to eat at all and being football player hungry. I'm choosing balance even when it doesn't come so easy :)

What I Miss: Walking like a normal person. You guys, the waddling is real and about impossible to hide. 

What am I looking forward to:  A fairly quiet week of finishing up some projects, putting away a few more meals, cheering on my clients, mentoring the health coaches in my practice, coffee dates, walk dates, and resting.

Milestones: I have learned that my Braxton Hicks contractions (the ones that are warm ups, the "fake ones") don't follow the rules: they speed up with walking, don't stop with resting or water, happen pretty much all the time, and even some of them come in wave-like patterns. Basically, I'm just learning to ignore them and try to go back to the comfortable waiting instead of the daily "today could be the day?!" frenzy. 

How is Daddy?  Evelyn is definitely responding to his voice and touch. It is so sweet to watch her play back when he touches my tummy. It's incredible!