33 Weeks

7 Weeks To Go Baby Update!

please excuse my hot mess look! i forgot to take a pic before changing out of my work clothes and i haven't felt too good today.

Due date: April 16th

Size of baby: Emma is the size of a pineapple. That's a little over 4 pounds and over 17 inches long.

How much total weight gain/loss: well, I've hit the 40 lb. mark, so I think from now on I'm not keeping track! More on that tomorrow.

Maternity clothes: plenty.

Movement: a little less. She's not as active at night, but now all throughout the day. I feel less kicks and more stretching.

Sleep: it could be better.

Latest food craving: I was actually craving ice cream this week, like the real thing. We went to Cold Stone and that's the last time we'll do that! I guess we've gotten used to frozen yogurt because the ice cream was waaayyy too creamy and sweet! Usually I finish my frozen desserts before we get home, but it took me like 2 hours to finish this because I couldn't eat too much at one time! Now that NEVER happens!

Are you more scared or excited: how about freaking out? That's how I'm starting to feel. I'm not freaking out about birth and a new baby, but more about getting stuff done. I have work stuff that I need to do and tons of stuff at home. I'm also freaking out that we won't have our shower for another 2 weeks and I'm nervous about not getting what we need and then having to buy a bunch of stuff.

Happy or mostly moody: still just kind of in between.

Last time you cried over something ridiculous: I've cried alot this week, but not over ridiculous stuff. More on that tomorrow too.

Any pregnancy brain stories: Sunday morning I asked Tray two times in a row what he wanted for dinner. I didn't know why he didn't hear me the first time, but then I realized what I had said!

Weirdest dream you've had since being pregnant: I had one dream that involved a cockroach, and lots of other weird dreams.

Worst part of the week: The cankles have definitely started to appear. And it feels like someone's ripping my stomach open below my belly button every time I get up in the morning and after sitting for awhile.

Best part of the week: hearing Emma's strong heartbeat and we picked up her dresser.

Meet the Family: Mariel

Name: Mariel

Age: 28

Occupation: Early Intervention Specialist with Early Childhood Intervention, Mommy-To-Be

Hobbies: shopping, watching TV, thinking about scrapbooking, organizing, wannabe decorator

Specialty Skills: I can play the Bassoon (truth: I used to be able to play the bassoon. After 7 years of playing in school, I only remember about 5 notes!)

Personality: quiet, shy, laid back, procrastinator, indecisive, good listener, loving, optimist

Likes: dogs, my family, brownies, dancing, romantic movies, my job, The Texas Longhorns, watching football LIVE

Dislikes: cockroaches, mean people, disrespect, grocery shopping, getting gas

26 Random Facts About Yours Truly

1. I have a thing with numbers. I need things to end in 1,3,6, or 9 (hence, the 26, not 25 random things.) I set my alarm to 6:31 or 5:46, etc., when I microwave things it's for 1:46 or 2:01, and the volume on the TV or on the radio has to end in those numbers.

2. I was a dancer in high school. My dream job would be a Janet Jackson dancer. I think she's one of the most awesome dancers I've ever seen and her concerts are AWESOME! I'm so bummed I won't get to see her at the rodeo!

3. I want to spend a day with chimpanzees. I think they are fascinating and sooo human like. (Or are we so monkey like?) I want to be able to hold a baby chimpanzee and just play with them.

4. I love animals, but especially dogs! I can't imagine not having a dog! They are so loving, funny and caring. I used to say when I was little that I wanted to own every breed of dog.

5. I wanted to be a veterinarian for the longest time......until I realized that I would have to put some dogs to sleep. Seriously, that was the deciding factor in me being a vet. I also wanted to be a zoologist and marine biologist.

6. 6 is my favorite number. Don't ask me why.

7. I used to be mildly obsessed with Abraham Lincoln. It started in 3rd grade with my wonderful teacher Ms. Sanders who had the perfect teacher handwriting. I used to know everything about Honest Abe and even have an antique doll of him.

8. I love the beach, but am sort of terrified of water. I had major ear problems when I was little (that I pray Emma won't have) which caused me to never like to swim or go under water. I will get in the ocean and go swimming, but if I go under water I freak out. It makes me feel severly claustrophobic and I hate the way it makes my ears feel.

9. My first time to fly over states in an airplane was my freshman year of high school. The band flew to Disney World in Florida. I asked my friend when we would see the borders of the states, to which he quickly replied "Mariel there are no little men that paint white stripes between the states." For the record, I did not think there were little men, but I did think that it would look exactly like it does on a map.

10. I am very gullible and naive and don't always think before I say or ask things. Resulting in lots of situations like #9.

11. I love my job. I work with children birth-3 with disabilities and delays. Every day is different. I work on a little bit of everything and I love that. Some times I work on language, other times motor skills, and sometimes I just get to play with babies that were born premature and make sure they stay on target. I have worked with children with Down Syndrome, autism, very rare syndromes, 23 week preemies and everything in between. I really do love it!

my wonderful team that I used to work with in Allen at ECI of LifePath Systems

12. Tray was and is my first and only boyfriend. Well, not technically if you count the 2 week stint with a 7th grade boy while I was in 8th. I don't.

13. I really love and like my husband!

14. I love a good bargain! I love when I find something that would normally cost $150 for $30 dollars!

15. I could literally spend hours in Ross, Marshalls and TJMaxx. And not buy anything. I'm a good window shopper when I need to be.

16. I'm a very emotional person. I cry for everything. I cry when I'm tired, happy, sad, sick, mad, stressed, worried and especially when I'm pregnant!

17. I'm an extreme worrier. My mind wanders to places that I really wish it wouldn't. For example, if Tray isn't home when he's supposed to be and he doesn't answer the phone when I call, I automatically think he's been in a crash and it scares me. I hate this about me.

18. I don't like to be rushed. For this reason, I'm usually running late.

19. My favorite book is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

20. I've always wanted to visit Connecticut because that's where the Babysitters Club was.

21. In the 7 years that I played the bassoon in band, I can literally count on my fingers the number of times I practiced at home. And I actually wasn't too bad either. It makes me wonder how good I would have been if I had actually applied myself.

22. I was a collector as a child. My collections included rocks, balls, miniatures, books, stuffed animals and nails. Don't ask.

23. In my whole life I've only had 1 Barbie. I played more with actual baby dolls and Polly Pocket type of toys.

24. One thing I wish I was able to do half way decent is sing. I've already apologized to Emma for my terrible singing.

25. I'm a major home body.

26. I love my life and everyone and everything in it!

32 Weeks

8 More Weeks To Go Baby Countdown!

Due date: April 16th

Size of baby: Emma is the size of a large jicama. About 3.75 pounds and about 16.7 inches long!

How much total weight gain/loss: my next apptointment is on Wednesday

Maternity clothes: almost all.

Movement: still all the time. I'm starting to have more of the alien-like movements where I'll see my stomach raise up from one side to the other like she's scraping the inside. It looks so weird to me! I've also seen one side of my stomach gradually get a bump on it like she's sticking her butt out or something and then go away.

Sleep: I had a pretty good week of sleeping.

Latest food craving: there's 2 things that I've started eating alot of lately. Instead of chips, I snack on the 100 calorie bags of kettle corn popcorn and for dessert at night I've been eating alot of frozen fruit with fat free whipped cream. So yummy!

Are you more scared or excited: still both. I'm soooooo excited to meet her and see what she looks like! But I get scared since Tray's been counting down to Spring Break and all that means for me is that there will only be 4 more weeks until she's here!

Happy or mostly moody: just kind of blah and in between.

Last time you cried over something ridiculous: I cried a couple of times this week, but on Friday when Tray got home, I just started crying for no reason again. I was in the middle of warning him that I was emotional and could cry at any second, and of course I started crying!

Any pregnancy brain stories: I think not remembering is my sign of pregnancy brain!

Weirdest dream you've had since being pregnant: too many to remember!

Worst part of the week: I've officially started waddling and getting swollen. I've been drinking tons more water to try and keep the swelling down, but then I have to go to the bathroom ALL THE TIME! Funny thing is, the waddling isn't even because of my belly. It's because my feet hurt because of the swelling, my southern region hurts because of the stretching and I'm trying not to pee on myself whenever she hits my bladder (which seems to be all the time)!

Best part of the week: seeing and feeling so much movement, talking about her more and more, and continuing work on the nursery.

Just Some Things

1. I had a regular check up on Friday and everything is still looking good! My BP is still perfect and all my blood work came back fine. So that means I still don't have an answer for the pain at the top of my stomach, but I have noticed that if I arch my back and stretch it out it goes away almost immediately. Maybe something's being compressed? Emma is growing and her heartbeat was between the 130s and 140s. She recommended I start taking a couple Tums a day for extra calcium since Emma's going through a big growth spurt and is taking my calcium!



2. Progress in the nursery! The walls are painted and I love it so far. We just need to put the chair rail up and the biggest stuff will be done! Friday night Tray decided to put the crib together because he wanted to see what it looked like. After it was done he stood back and said "I'm scared." It is a little scary, but very exciting! The colors of course look off in the picture, but it's a really pretty lilac/lavendar on top and light green on bottom.

3. Yay for being crafty! This is part of one of my DIY projects I wanted to do for her nursery. I didn't want a regular mobile, but got the idea to hang a tree branch from the ceiling in a Pottery Barn catalog. I wanted to add birds and found a template online and started cutting and sewing. I'm pretty proud of myself and now just need to make them look pretty on the tree branch. I think I might hang it above the glider or changing table so she can look at it. Tray was even a little surprised at how good they turned out! Her bedding has all different colors in it, so I wanted to bring those colors out in other areas.



4. We took maternity pics on Saturday and it turned out to be a beautiful day! It was a little chilly, but still felt good to this hot flashin' mommy to be! I have to admit that I had no expectations for these pictures. Not because of the photographer or his wonderful skills, but because of my body issues and the fact that while yes I'm pregnant, I've never weighed this much before and it's hard to feel comfortable when you're not used to it. We went to lunch afterwards and I was able to look at the pictures on the camera and I saw several that I loved! My mom snapped this picture behind the photographer and when I saw the actual picture on his camera, I LOVED it! I'm already thinking of how big I want it and where we'll put it. I can't wait to see the rest!

5. I've been able to put one of my Christmas presents to good use lately...The Pioneer Woman Cooks Cookbook! I made her meatloaf and twice baked potatoes and they are delish! I haven't worked up the courage to make her famous cinnamon rolls, but I'm thinking I definitely need to make some and freeze them for when Emma gets here. I'll also be looking for recipes that freeze well so I can stock up for at least a couple weeks.

6. I have absolutely LOVED the cold weather and always have, but this may be the first time I'm excited about Spring, and especially flip flop season! Why? Well for one, I put some shoes on the other day that I hadn't worn in awhile and they were super tight! I've noticed that with some other shoes too. My feet really haven't swelled much, but apparently they have! I'm fortunate enough to have a job where I can pretty much wear whatever I want, including flip flops and the outfit in my 31 week pic, so I'll be living in flip flops until Emma gets here. Secondly, now I have a valid excuse to get pedicures because there's no way I can paint my toes with this big 'ol belly!

31 Weeks

31 Weeks Baby Emma Update

Due date: April 16th

Size of baby: Emma is the size of about 4 large navel oranges. That's over 16 inches and about 3.3 lbs.

How much total weight gain/loss: +2 at my doctor's appointment.

Maternity clothes: yup. What I'm wearing in my pic above is my go to outfit for nights and weekends because it's comfortable and fits.

Movement: all the time. She's still most active at night, but I love to feel her in the middle of the day when I least expect it.

Sleep: after not sleeping well last Sunday night, I slept GREAT the rest of the week. Some nights I sleep so hard and barely move that I'll wake up with imprints all over my belly and side.

Latest food craving: well I had my first official craving for something I really wanted, but it'll have to wait for awhile. I was craving a frozen margarita really bad Saturday night, but instead we went to DQ and I got a mini Oreo blizzard. It wasn't quite a margarita, but it was still good!

Are you more scared or excited: both. Excited because the nursery is painted and the crib is put together, but scared because that crib will soon have a tiny baby in it! But even that is still exciting.

Happy or mostly moody: not too moody this week.

Last time you cried over something ridiculous: I don't think I cried this week.

Any pregnancy brain stories: not that I can remember.

Weirdest dream you've had since being pregnant: I did have some weird dreams this week, one of which involved The Situation from Jersey Shore, but I can't really remember them.

Worst part of the week: having a mom ask me if I was having twins. Not a good feeling.

Best part of the week: of course getting to hear Emma's heartbeat again and continuing to be healthy and happy!

How the Saunders Family Came To Be: Part 2

In honor of one of the happiest days of my life 5 years ago, I decided to write the 2nd verse of our love song. Enjoy this trip down memory lane!

Tray and I dated for almost exactly 20 months (one day shy) before we got engaged. I actually knew pretty early on, well I think we both did, that he was THE ONE! I don't remember the exact moment but I know there was one time where I was heading back to school and Pat Green's "Three Days" came on the radio and I just started crying because I missed him already! We started dating in June 2004 and at the time I was living in San Marcos but soon moved back to Austin. He was in Nacogdoches. That first year we would travel back and forth the 4 hours between Austin and Nacogdoches and I have very fond memories of that drive and being so excited to get there or for him to get to Austin! Not to mention that East Texas and Nacogdoches are beautiful with all the trees!

Once Tray graduated in May 2005, he moved back home with his parents and started teaching and coaching at Barbers Hill while I was still in my last year of school. That cut our drive between each other to 3 hrs. and by that point I think we were seeing each other almost every weekend! It helped that we only lived 15 minutes away from each other back home so anytime I would go home, he was there too!

At some point while we were dating we started talking about the future and getting married. Tray knew exactly what I wanted as far as proposal and ring and would always tease me about it. I distinctly remember 2 times where he was teasing me (or so I thought!) and it never hit me that the proposal was so close! One time we were talking about the ring and he pretty much told me exactly what size it was! I have a weird thing with numbers, as in I like things to end in 1, 3, 6, or 9. (weird, I know!) So, I always told Tray that my ring would have to be one of those carats (joking of course!). Well, we were talking about it and he said, "Well what if it's only .97?" Technically that's considered 1 carat so I told him that was alright and what do you know, that's what my ring is! Another time I was leaving my parents house and Tray was there and when we were saying bye to each other he wasn't leaving at the same time (like he normally did.) When he gave me a hug he said, "Now hurry up and leave. I need to talk to your Dad." I think I said something along the lines of "Shut up you're joking" but come to find out that's when he asked for my hand in marriage!

The big day was February 11, 2006. Tray had gone to visit me in Austin for Valentine's Day and we had made reservations at Eddie V's for a fancy dinner. Tray got there on Friday after school and everything was normal. Saturday rolls around and we had planned a picnic lunch at Mt. Bonnell and then dinner that night. Looking back I don't know why I didn't suspect anything but I really had no clue! Now there's 2 funny stories about this day. One, we were joking around in the kitchen that morning and up to this point Tray had been teasing me again and saying things like "What if I have your ring with me." He had said it a couple of times so I finally said "Well then, give it to me!" I probably sounded so bratty, but it was all in joking and I really had no clue whatsoever! Secondly, we get outside to leave and what do you know, Tray's truck had been towed! Our apartments had recently started towing non-residents if they were in the wrong spot and unfortunately, that was Tray. Luckily he had the ring with him so we just waited until after our picnic to go get his truck. I wanted to go then, but Tray had a plan I didn't know about.

totally clueless on Mount Bonnell

So we get up to Mt. Bonnell and it also happens to be FREEZING that day! I'm talking high 40s, super windy and we were on top of a hill. So we take some pictures, me still being clueless and then eat our lunch on a rock. Then it's time. Tray tells me he has another gift for me, I'm still clueless and he pulls out a little heart box. I know he said "You know how much I love you right?" and then I don't remember much after that because I saw the ring and he was down on one knee! Of course I said "YES!" We hugged, I admired and then he asked if I was going to call my mom. Of course I call and tell my mom and start crying and it sounded like my mom started crying too. Only she wasn't crying, she was walking up the hill at that point with the rest of our families! I turn around and see them all walking up and it was just perfect! Tray knew that I wanted our families there, but I wanted the proposal to be private. He couldn't have done a better job or been any sweeter and that's why I love him!

right after the proposal!

the saunders family-niece Morgan, mom, dad, niece ashlyn, sister sha

the campos family-dad, mom, sister marilu (missing other sister andrea)

tray and future mrs. saunders before dinner at eddie v's

All in all it was a wonderful day that I will never forget! After dinner we went to the book store and Tray bought me my first wedding magazine and the madness began! It was sooo hard to say goodbye to Tray the next day, but I was still the happiest girl in the world!

30 Weeks!

30 Weeks Baby Emma Update

Due date: April 16th

Size of baby: Emma is the size of a head of cabbage. She's 15 inches and almost 3 lbs., but I'm going to go ahead and guess she's probably already 3 lbs.!

How much total weight gain/loss: my next check up is this Friday.

Maternity clothes: of course! I need to go get some shirts and tanks to wear around the house and to run errands because my belly is starting to hang out of all my regular ones! Tray thinks my belly looks cute hanging out, I just think it makes me look huge!

Movement: still bunches. She's moved lower in my belly and I believe has taken residence on top of my bladder! Any time I get up from sitting down I feel like I have to pee.

Sleep: well, considering I'm typing this early Monday morning, I would say not too good! I woke up at 3 am and couldn't sleep so I did some work and now this. I still sleep good most nights, but I definitely have nights like this!

Latest food craving: still craving cake, so I caved and made the red velvet cupcakes. Hubby actually wanted some for the Super Bowl, so now they're sitting on the counter just calling my name!

Are you more scared or excited: I've actually been really excited this week! The nursery is almost finished being painted and we found her a dresser that we're waiting for to come in. After that we can put the crib together and start hanging decorations!

Happy or mostly moody: mostly happy with a little bit of moody mixed in.

Last time you cried over something ridiculous: I haven't been quite as emotional this week, but I've still cried a few times. Just talking about Emma and daycare makes me cry.

Any pregnancy brain stories: there have been a few, but I can't remember them.

Weirdest dream you've had since being pregnant: my crazy dreams are back and I can't remember any of them (which isn't a bad thing!) For awhile I hadn't dreamt much and then these past 2 weeks have been crazy! When I got my weekly baby email on Saturday one of the first things it said was that your vivid, crazy dreams might be back, and that is definitely true for me!

Worst part of the week: considering it was only a 4 day week, it wasn't too bad. However, I did wake up on Friday morning super excited thinking that I would find 1-3" of snow like they said. Yeah, not so much. A little bit of ice and that was it!

Best part of the week: finding a dresser, family time and "just us" time.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good: We scheduled maternity pictures for next weekend.
The Bad: I feel huge and not cute.
The Ugly: I can almost guarantee that I will not like the way I look in any of the pictures.

The Good: I got off early from work today and no work tomorrow because of weather!
The Bad: Hubby's school isn't on board with the rest of the Houston area so he's still at work and doesn't know about tomorrow.
The Ugly: I tend to eat and just be lazy when he's not here instead of be productive.

The Good: The dogs are loving this weather.
The Bad: We don't have a doggy door.
The Ugly: They know how to open the door but obviously can't shut it.
Even Uglier: They tend to bust in just when I get comfortable.

The Good: Valentine's Day is almost here!
The Bad: We've been in money-saving mode for baby.
The Ugly: No presents this year. (I'll find a way to still make it special!)

The Good: I registered for my breastfeeding class.
The Bad: Tray can't go because he has a track meet that night.
The Ugly: I won't have anyone to giggle with and make me laugh.

The Good: Janet Jackson is coming to the Houston Rodeo!
The Bad: I'll be 36 weeks pregnant.
The Ugly: I'll feel like a whale and won't be able to bust any moves. (Being a Janet backup dancer is my dream job! Love her!)

Weekend Recap

Our weekend started with my doctor's appointment on Friday morning. Everything still looks great! Emma's heartbeat was beating in the 150s and slowed a little as she held the monitor on my belly. I always love hearing that sound! My BP was back to normal and I told her what happened and she said that it's normal and to relax and drink ice cold water if I start to feel bad again. I've been perfectly fine since then. I had some paranoid first time mom questions at this appointment. She kind of laughed when I said I was worried that I only felt her on one side and she said that as well was completely normal. Babies tend to prefer sides and she also said it can depend on the placement of the placenta. She did take more blood to check my liver and gallbladder levels because I've been having this pain at the top of my stomach for awhile. At first I thought it was just my skin stretching, but then it progressed to a burning sensation and now it's a dull ache that I feel on and off throughout the day. She wanted to make sure it wasn't my gallbladder or something else and said to watch it and see if it happens after I eat. She also said to watch my fatty food intake. I know looking at how much I've gained it may seem like I'm eating nothing but fatty foods, but I'm honestly not. I guess the fattiest thing I tend to eat everyday is peanut butter, but even that is the reduced fat kind, so I guess I'll lay off of that until my next appointment. Speaking of my next appointment, it's in 2 WEEKS!!! I can't believe I'm starting to go every 2 weeks now! This pregnancy has flown by and I'm praying that once Emma gets here my maternity leave won't fly by as well! I was kind of hoping I would have another ultrasound, but she said there's no need at this point since everything has been going great. Unless we want to do the 3D ultrasound (which we don't), the next time we'll see our little one is when she's in our arms!

Friday night I went to a baby consignment sale here in town and was a little overwhelmed. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. They didn't have as much as I thought, but I did find some cute Ralph Lauren paisley pants for winter and a cute Thanksgiving dress. I also found one thing that I was looking for. We registered for a tummy time play mat, but I wanted to have a smaller one to keep upstairs and to be able to take with me when we go visit family. I found a really cute girly one for 5 bucks and even though it says it was used, I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it and it looks brand spankin' new! When I got home Friday night my sister and her family had just gotten there. Tray made some chicken and ribs on the grill and I had stopped by HEB on the way home for some beer for the boys. Yes, I was the very pregnant lady in HEB walking around with a box of beer! I felt so tacky!

Saturday the boys went fishing while my sister and I headed home to start decorating for my BIL's surprise 30th! That's why he went fishing with Tray all day and Tray was responsible for getting him back home without spilling the beans! I was really worried because Tray HATES surprises and I was afraid Joe was going to start asking questions and Tray would tell him. In the end it all worked out and everyone had fun!

SURPRISE!

I didn't realize how big I actually was until seeing this picture!

I started to feel really emotional Saturday night so we headed home so we could wake up in our own bed and relax the next day. Which is exactly what we did! We didn't go to bed until after 1am and stayed in bed until about 10:30 the next morning. We did something we don't normally do and let the dogs get in bed with us for awhile before getting up. That's exactly what I needed, time as "just us"! We proceeded to be lazy all day Sunday since the house was already clean. That involved watching TV and taking about a 2.5 hour nap! I didn't feel bad since I know we won't have too many of those in our future!