Final 8 Week Belly Progression.

Happy Courtney? :)

And They're Done

All of the headbands and flowers are interchangeable.
So many options!

She's Gonna be a Girly Girl

All little girls must have headbands with flowers. It's just a requirement, and Laila will be no exception. I decided it would be more fun (and economical) to make a pregnancy project out of it than to just buy them from a store, so I went at it today. I got an idea from an arts and crafts market last weekend to make the headbands and the flowers with Velcro dots, so that you can mix and match and the colors can be interchangeable. You end up with so many more options that way! The headbands sold at the market for around $10-15. After all the supplies I bought today (including a pink glue gun!), as well as some good sales and coupons, I am making 9 flowers and 4 different colored headbands (but 2 of each) for $2.03 each! And I get the satisfaction of making them myself. So much fun!

The flowers are done, but I'm still working on hand sewing each headband. Anyone have a sewing machine I can borrow?? Here are some pics from along the way:

I will update when I finish all the headbands!

Babymoon Booked!

I mentioned a while back that we wanted to have a final babymoon before little Laila arrives and we finally scheduled it! We unfortunately could not book the hotel in Dana Point that was mentioned in my previous post, but found one we think will be just as great. We're also using this time to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary which falls on August 14, right around when the little miss is hopefully going to arrive!

We'll be staying here:

Sleeping here:

Lounging poolside here:

And eating a delicious dinner wherever Collin decides to make us a reservation. I have requested a celebrity hotspot in hopes of a sighting, but we will see. Any suggestions in the Hollywood or Beverly Hills area?

Mr. & Mrs. DiStefano

Yesterday my sister-in-law Courtney got hitched.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the wedding in Boston due to my current state but thankfully Collin was able to attend and be my representation for the day. And also thankfully, Laila chose not to arrive early while her very handsome Daddy was out of town for four days!

Yesterday was really emotional for me as I missed out on such a special day for two people I love so much. I didn't realize how hard it really would be to not be there. Family and friends were fantastic though and kept me in the loop all day by texting me, taking video and sending me photo updates. Thank you all so much for that! It really looked like a beautiful day and a perfect wedding, and being in communication with all of you made a big difference. One of my favorite photos was sent by our cousin Hayley. Collin was apparently a big hit with the 2 little flower girls for the wedding-they just couldn't get enough of him and everyone said he is definitely in "daddy mode"!

Courtney and Freddy, I am so sad that I couldn't participate in your day, but I am thrilled it was such a success. Courtney, you looked stunning and Freddy, just as handsome. I am so proud of you two and the decisions you have made throughout your relationship, and so excited that you are now husband and wife and get to spend the rest of your lives together.

Congratulations Mrs. & Mrs. DiStefano!

A Brother, a Sister, a Beach and a Bump...

My brother Grant and his wife Ahnika are visiting from Santa Barbara for the weekend while Collin is out of town. They are excellent photographers so I "hired" them to do a photo shoot for my ever growing but soon-to-be-gone(!) bump. We had a lot of fun.

Here are a few of my favs at just over 36 weeks along:

And a few with the photographers themselves:

Thank you Grant and Ahnika...
Laila can't wait to meet her Aunt and Uncle!

Ready for Launch

According to my Lilypie ticker, Laila is "ready for launch" and after yesterday, I am pretty sure I am ready for when she does. I spent the whole day going through her clothes, blankets, burp cloths, sheets, towels and wash cloths and getting everything washed and ready to go. That was pretty much the last thing I needed to do to be fully prepared for her arrival.

This girl has got a lot of clothes!

The Final Countdown

As you have probably realized,
my brain works well with goals and countdowns,
so I'm excited to say that since today is 7/12 it is the
one month countdown
to Laila's due date 8/12!
I am sure it's going to feel like the longest month of my life,
but I know she'll be here soon.

An Afternoon Adventure

This morning we jumped on the Catalina Flyer and made our way 26 miles across the sea to Catalina Island to visit with one of my best friends, Lisa. She and I have been great friends since high school and while "real life" has kept us apart since graduation, it's such a blessing to know that when we do get the rare chance to reconnect, we can pick up right where we left off.

The Flyer got us to the main city of Avalon this morning where Lisa met us, and then we jumped on a skiff and headed over to "Campus by the Sea" where Lisa's family spends every summer running an InterVarsity family camp. I was able to attend this camp the summer before my senior year of high school and had a fantastic time. Collin had never seen "camp", so it was fun to give him a tour. We also got the chance to catch up with Lisa's parents, Paul and Virginia, who are just awesome.

Here are some photos from our (way too quick) trip. Whenever Lisa and I are together time just seems to fly by. Hopefully it won't be as long before we get to see one another again!

Please note the very cool "surfboard" showers & the fact that Collin fell on the stairs (almost taking me down with him)

35/35!

35 Weeks Pregnant and 35 Days Until My Due Date!

I am totally copying my friend Sara's post idea for hitting the 35/35 mark but it is really exciting! I remember like it was yesterday when she was hitting this milestone and now she has a baby that is a week and a half old! This gives me huge motivation that Laila will be here before I know it :) We are just beyond crazy with anticipation at this point.

Yesterday we had another checkup and baby and I are both doing well. My blood pressure is good, my belly is growing right on track (35cm) and Laila's heartbeat sounded great. I didn't gain any weight since my last appointment but my doctor said that's pretty normal toward the end...baby starts taking up so much room that there isn't much left for food! The doctor couldn't tell if Laila was in a head-down position, so we jumped over to the next room and had a quick ultrasound to find out. Sure enough, she is just where she should be - head down (very low) in the birth canal. Good job Laila!! Starting now we are down to weekly appointments so we will be at the doctor every Wednesday from now until Laila chooses to grace us with her presence.

I can definitely tell she is growing by the day. I am now starting to feel her up underneath my ribs which can make sitting in certain positions uncomfortable at times. It's not too bad though - I just need to readjust often. She is still moving around like crazy and gets the hiccups ALL the time!

We also met with our doula, Rena', again yesterday and went over a bunch of logistics regarding our preferences for labor and delivery. We really enjoyed meeting with her again and left our time feeling very confident that we can do this! She is going to be a great ally to have during our labor and delivery time.

Last night we attended a 2.5 hour "baby saver" class and found it very worthwhile. We learned a lot about baby first aid including CPR and choking maneuvers, as well as gaining a lot of knowledge about babyproofing your home and dangers to look out for. There is a lot to know and you really do just always have to be thinking 5 steps ahead of your kid (and you STILL can't prevent all accidents from happening!)

Finally, we have pretty much everything set up that Laila will need! The last big thing we wanted to order was our BOB Revolution jogging stroller and it was delivered on Tuesday! I have made a personal goal to run in the Huntington Beach Half Marathon on Superbowl Sunday 2011, so I will need to be out there training as soon as I can! We're very excited to be able to run with Laila out on the beach path since it's right across the street from our house.

Doula?...Check! Pediatrician?...Check!

Today has been a good and productive day so far. We met with a doula this morning and loved her. We really feel that she will be a great resource during the labor and birthing process and will help be our advocate at the hospital when it comes to our preferences before, during and after birth.

I also had the third and final pediatrician interview today and we have decided on one! I really liked the woman I met with today. I felt very comfortable with her and could see myself being excited to have her care for Laila and watch her grow.

And finally, now that it is July 1st, I can say that Laila is due "next month" which makes it all seem really soon! While her due date is technically 6 weeks from today, it feels really good to be able to say she is due next month. Anything I can do to make her arrival seem sooner!!

We have our next checkup on July 7th and our first official pre-natal meeting with our doula, Rena' (pronounced Renay), on the same day. I seem to be getting more uncomfortable by the day (sleep is a lot harder to come by), but am thankful that there have been no complications or signs of early labor yet. As much as I want her here NOW, I know she still has some cooking to do.

We're getting there :)