Today could be the day!

Today I'm at 37 weeks pregnant. All along, when people ask when I'm due, I respond, "My due WINDOW is June 10- July 22." There are several reasons I'm not up to sharing my due date: 1. is I don't believe in it! How many babies are actually born the exact day they were "due"? 2. Baby is fully "cooked" and would be totally safe and normal to come today (3 weeks early)! On the flip side, babies are safe, normal, and healthy to hang out in the womb for an extra couple of weeks after the "official" due date. Modern medicine doesn't like this, and will usually start pestering a woman to be induced if she is even one week late, but there is really no need to do that! I liked the warmth of my mommy's womb so much I hung out for an extra 2 weeks visit, and my birth was normal and uncomplicated (unlike the person I turned out to be - ha!). 3. Isn't putting a due date on a baby already setting expectations - even before the child is born? I hope to be a parent who doesn't demand/expect certain developments by a certain age, but rather allows the child to develop at her own rate.

So, if you want to make me happy, ask "what's your due window?"

She may be ready, but I know I am not. I still am liking my sleep, being to talk to Michael without having someone else vie for my attention, and being able to leave the house without having to pack extra bags and an extra person. Am I ready to be a mom? I am scared! Not so much about the birth, that will come and go, and be over sooner than a bad stomach flu bug, but parenting lasts forever! That's what I'm scared about - especially the first 3-4 years where they can't use reason or use logic to communicate. Even though I do have these fears of parenting, I am also trying to look at the exciting parts: like seeing her face, looking forward to her first words, and seeing Michael delight in her.

Here's to baby B being born any day, week or month, now!

Who knew babies could be this much fun?

Our clever friends Alaina & Travis (and their baby Caiden) sent us some unexpected gifts in the mail the other day: personalized onsies and bibs from CafePress.com.  Michael got the UPS box before I did, so he waited until I came home so he could open them.  (Once he opened one of the 6 onsies/bibs, he knew this was going to be fun, so he kindly waited to share the pleasure with me!  Isn't he sweet?) 

Travis, (super adorable) Caiden, and Alaina.  Thanks guys!

Perfect for photographers:  Michael's wearing one that says "Don't be negative"  Maren's bib says "Peace * Love * Photography"  How cute are those?

Naming someone for life.

Do you know how hard it is to choose someone's name?  The name they will have for the rest of their life.  The name that will be used multiple times every single day for their entire existence on planet earth.  This is stressful!  As the time dwindles down, we have to get serious about a name.  We've decided on one thing: that is to NOT name her until we see her.  We have a list of name possibilities, but we won't commit to one until we see her face and get to know her personality a bit.

Here's a little interesting note from an article I read recently that confirms our plan:

"Every parent has a favorite name picked out for a son or a daughter, but if you are wise, you will keep it a secret until the baby is born.  Never name a baby you haven't met."

- Teresa Bloomingdale, mother of ten

Grandma Carmen - mother of 16!

Michael's maternal grandma, Karriemen, had 16 children of her own, so when she blesses me with her touch and prayers, I indeed feel very blessed.  

Over Easter, we visited Grandma Carmen at her home in the small valley town of Fowler.  She was pretty tired, and in bed (I would be too after 16 children!).  She is so modest, she insisted we not take her picture because she wasn't dressed up - she is beautiful anyways!  So we agreed to have the picture blur her out of focus.  Above: Grandma Carmen's hand on Maren's baby belly.

Grandma's story is interesting.  She was in an arranged marriage at the age of 14.  All 16 of her children all living, and she has over 45 grandchildren, not to mention many great-grandchildren and even a few great-great-grandchildren.  To really get an idea of what her life was like, imagine being pregnant with your youngest, while your oldest son's wife is pregnant.  

We are so blessed to have her in our lives and we can't wait for her to hold our baby girl!

Our last wedding as a "trio".

This last Saturday we shot our last wedding as a "trio".  Maren was 8 months pregnant, but still getting down on the ground to get the best angle!  We had fun, and we will miss Baby B at our next scheduled wedding on August 22 - she will most likely be with grammy Julia!  

To see more pictures from the wedding, check out our photography blog.

Earth angel.

About 6 weeks ago, Michael and I took a little trip down to Venice Beach in Southern California.  We walked the famous (infamous?) sidewalk, eyeing all the interesting people and their wares for sale.  After about 1 mile of walking in my flip-flops, my feet were KILLING me! Even worse was we had to walk all the way back.  My feet basically didn't recover for weeks.  That is until my mom bought me a new pair of flip-flops: enter Earth Exer-Fit divine-creations-from-heaven.  I admit, they aren't the coolest looking shoes in the world, but that hasn't stopped me from wearing them EVERY day!  I even wore them to a wedding we shot last weekend.  (Normally, I wouldn't do this, but since the groom was wearing a Hawaiian shirt, I felt at ease expressing my own comfortable-sensibilities.)  Here's to Earth shoes, my new love!  (I wonder if I can get sponsored by them?  Would the sponsorship run out when I cease to be pregnant?)

7.5 month update

I continue to feel great!  My back doesn't ache, I am able to sleep fairly well, I feel rested, I'm not grumpy, I'm eating well, I don't have to pee every 20 minutes, and I can still see my toes!  I don't even know I am pregnant except for when I feel a little kick on my bladder or some other internal organ!  She is moving around a lot, and now that she is bigger, when she kicks it hurts sometimes!  That is my biggest complaint, the jabs her growing body is able to perform on my insides.  It is really fun being able to see her move from the outside though.  Sometimes, I will find myself just staring at my own belly, totally entertained, watching her make shapes and deform the round circle of my abdomen. 

3.5 months

5.5. months

7.5 months