Maternity Boudoir Shoot

So this weekend my cousin came over to take the gender announcement photos but also to get some maternity boudoir shots to add to her portfolio. And call me crazy, but I feel the 'sexiest' when I'm pregnant. Such a natural, beautiful thing so I was all for it. I decorated my room to make it look as nice as I could get it and voila! My other cousin, Surita, also tagged along to do some second shooting. I've added both their work on here. But please please check them out at jphomm and suritav.

I forgot to share in the previous post about our reaction to finding out about our baby girl. Last Wednesday Eric and I both took a half day for the ultrasound but also decided we should include Benson in our wonderful experience. And before I tell you about how it went, I have to say that I had the 'maternal feeling' that I was having another boy. Compared to when I was pregnant with Benson, I feel/felt the SAME way. No morning sickness (although a wives tale, morning sickness means girl). No crazy cravings. And aside from the acne I got in my first trimester, I figured the emotional roller coaster I was cruising on was from the change in lifestyle... I now work full time and am a mother. So it's expected to have a harder pregnancy in that aspect this time around. So Eric and I planned and planned for a boy. We were going to sort through all the boy clothes and split Benson's room so 'the boys' could share. So much for that!

Ok so back to the story. We told the ultrasound technician that we wanted to record Benson's reaction for the unveiling of our baby. So after she took all the measurements she needed of baby, got some pictures, she was ready to tell us. Eric turned his camcorder on his phone on Benson's face. I was hyping Benson up with "Are you ready to find out?!" The excitement on his face was priceless so when the tech said "It's a girl!" Benson quickly went from excited to pout face and turned ALL his attention to my cell phone where he was playing some motorcross game. And you hear Eric saying "nu uh. nu uh" and you can hear me in the background "Are you sure?" Completely priceless! I would post the video but it isn't good quality. The lighting was very dim so you can't make too much of it out. But great memory nonetheless!

So baby girl it is and we're ready and can't wait. I've been getting so many ideas from Pinterest for do it yourself crafts. I've already made a couple bows and headbands for her. And it's exciting when Eric rubs my belly and asks "How are my girls?" ahhh, so sweet! I'm really starting to feel her kick around. The other night I took Eric's hand and with a little pressure, he was able to feel her kick! I got to share it with him but as soon as I put Benson's hand on my belly she had stopped. Plenty of kicks to come for the both of them to feel.

These are the headbands I've made so far. (taken on my phone so it doesn't look great) I literally spent all day Saturday on my sewing machine and online looking up tutorials and browsing around for ideas. I'm one excited mama!

My very favorite picture from the shoot. I love our expressions (we tried to make them as real as possible) and Eric and Benson did a great job. I love my little family. I'm so happy right now :)

It's a...

I can finally share the GREAT news that we are having a baby girl! I wanted to do something cute to share the news, so we planned on doing a gender announcement photo shoot w/ my cousin to share with everyone (other than family). The photos came out AMAZING as they always do. Both my cousins, Judy and Surita, worked their magic to get some great shots. Here are some of the pictures below:

 

I also did a maternity boudoir shoot so when I get a hold of those pictures, I will have to post them up. Pregnancy is such a beautiful experience, I'm embracing all aspects of it! We're so excited for baby #2. Tons of name ideas. Tons of ideas PERIOD! I've already started making her headbands! I'll post pictures of them tomorrow. 21 weeks tomorrow!

20 weeks & Half Way!!!

20 weeks-half way
Baby is the size of a banana (or small cantaloupe)weighing 10.5 oz and measuring 6.5 inches head to bottom

How far along? 20 weeks 1 day- HALF WAY!
Total weight gain: I think I'm up to 9lbs!
Maternity clothes? Yep. I've been wearing yoga pants to work. So comfortable and you'd never know that they weren't dress pants. Clever I know.
Stretch marks? Still slathering on the cocoa butter. No new stretch marks yet.
Sleep: I'm starting to get uncomfortable. I'm spending half the night tossing and turning to get comfortable and the other half dodging benson's legs from kicking my belly! Who knew sleeping could get so dangerous. I'm still enjoying sleeping on my back but I need to quit.
Best moment this week: Benson gave me a hug yesterday but said he was giving me and baby a hug :)
Miss Anything? Well I did a lot of walking over the weekend and it really wore me out. So I guess I miss walking around the mall and not completely exhausting my body.
Movement: Lots of flutters and a couple kicks, very very exciting!
Food cravings: I've had a craving for chocolate covered strawberries since Valentines Day. Tried getting some at the Godiva store but refused to pay $5/strawberry so I made them myself last night and ate every last one. So freaking good!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing really.
Gender: We find out in 2 days!
Labor Signs: No
Symptoms: bloated
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? on
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy happy!
Looking forward to: Finding out if we're having a baby boy or girl and being able to bring Benson to the appointment to see the baby on screen.

My hair has gotten so long and I noticed how disgustingly long my nails got. Had to clips those bad boys. Usually they'll break, forcing me to chew them off on the spot. These prenatals are benefiting for sure! I can't wait for my hair to be even longer!
I had a quick photo session with my coworker this morning. After our busy weekend filled with all the walking I can imagine, I'm experiencing a lot of low back and pelvic pressure. So lots of resting for this week is in the plan. I think I've finally warmed Benson up to the idea of a baby sister. I told him that if we had a sister, him and dad could play video games while mom and sister "played barbies" (he finished the sentence for me). But on Wednesday we will know for sure. I ended up waking up way too early today because I was so excited. I kept telling myself, '2 more work days to get through'. And the best part of today (although Mondays don't come with 'best parts') it's Presidents Day which means no traffic! So I will breeze my way home, cook dinner, hit the sack and then one more work day! AH!

Happy 25th Birthday, Eric

On Thursday we celebrated Eric's 25th birthday! This was definitely one to celebrate, having reached and accomplished so much by a quarter of a century. I wanted to do something really nice for him because he's so hard working and does so much for Benson and me. He's always going above and beyond to get us the things we want and need. But, if anyone knows Eric, he isn't easy to surprise and very hard to shop for. The one thing he won't deny is good company and good beer. We played around with ideas on what to do for his birthday. I decided to text our close friends to come over on Thursday night after work to surprise him. He had no idea. He went out of his way to plan a celebration, asking everyone to meet at Taco Mac. It was hard to go behind him to keep everyone on the same track. So the plan was to have everyone rsvp to Eric's Taco Mac dinner, but in actuality they were going to meet at 7 outside our house to ring the door bell to surprise him! I got off work early that day to run to the store to get everything I needed to make dinner, came home to make homemade salsa, guacamole and prepare the ingredients to make quesadillas and the toppings to go with them. My plan was to leave the house at 6 to pick Benson up at school and make it home the same time Eric did (which is what our normal routine was). We got home and I tried everything I could to keep him out of the kitchen. Not an easy thing to do! Fortunately my brother Duke was able to coordinate with everyone. When that doorbell rang, we spent at least 30 seconds arguing with who was going to open the door. Apparently he was taken back by everyone at the door thinking "I thought we were meeting at Taco Mac....?" (Dear lord please help this man) But the night was spent eating, drinking, laughing, and just a good time.

Highlight of the night, as I went to light the birthday candles Benson warns "be careful mommy. Don't light up your baby" - He really says the darnest things!



Today we took Benson to Imagine It! Children's museum in Atlanta. He had a blast playing around with all their exhibits and getting some hands on learning experience. I was impressed with the facility but NOT impressed with the rude, impatient, ill mannered children. I have no shame in calling your children out for cutting the line or making a mess. I had to "politely" correct three kids for splashing too hard, throwing sand, and having a tantrum. Don't mess with a hormonal pregnant woman. That is no joke. I hope Benson learned a thing or two about being aggressive or else the other kids would have stolen things right from under him. We finished the trip with some Fellini's and visited an antique store and baby store in Atlanta followed by a quick trip to the mall. I am one tired mama from all the walking I did today. My doctor would be proud! Now I'm ending the night with movies and cuddling with my sweet hubs while Benson spends time with his grandparents. 3 more days until we find out what a peanut is. I've got lots of ideas in my head for both boy and girl. It's so exciting I could lose sleep over it. Except I'm too damn tired to. :)

Happy Valentines Day!

So a quick update on our Valentines preparation last night. Rice krispies came out terrible. They cooled down to be rock hard. Can't feed that to the kiddies! So I had to toss them out. They really looked like they were going to turn out good! Nope. Fail. And I'm not lying when I tell you Benson was chanting/singing "mommy doesn't cook great" hahah. He can eat nutella and peanut butter sandwich from now on! That'll show him.

I woke up to a nice arrangment in the bathroom (the first thing I do in the morning). After 6 years he still manages to surprise me! And he even got Benson a valentines gift. Sweetest man in the world. I just love him to death. Benson's v-day party is today. I'm hoping he'll give me a full report on the day. I wish I could be there to see it all happen. I got to glimpse inside this classroom yesterday. The teacher has decorated so nicely! Red table clothes, streamers, balloons. I know they'll have a blast today.

Sushi tonight! YEEE!

19 weeks

How far along? 19 weeks 1 day
Maternity clothes? Definitely !
Stretch marks? No new ones - religiously using cocoa butter!
Sleep: So far so good. Lots of tossing and turning to get comfortable.
Best moment this week: Arguing with Benson about the baby's gender
Miss Anything? Queso dip (forbidden because it can be unpasteurized)
Movement: Not quite - lots of flutters
Food cravings: Anything I see a picture of. Mainly breads and fruit though.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope! (very blessed for that matter too!)
Have you started to show yet: Finally looking pregnant instead of fat
Gender: We will know soon!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy but I can get bitchy/angry in 1-10 sec. I hate the emotional roller coaster I've become. It's gotten Eric to ask every 30 minutes if I'm "ok"
Looking forward to: Our ultrasound NEXT WEEK!!!


Happy Monday! Today I'm 19 weeks. Baby is the size of an heirloom tomato and weighs roughly 8 1/2 oz and measures 6 inches head to bottom. I've been feeling more "flutters" which will eventually be kicks. I bought some more maternity shirts that I'm exited to wear. And I've officially let everyone in my office know about my pregnancy. That has definitely been a weight off my shoulders. You never know how people will take pregnancy but everyone is happy for me.

We're still working on names. Benson is very positive on having a baby brother. "well maybe it's a girl" (in a louder voice) Benson: "WELL MAYBE ITS A BOY!" Seriously a battle I can't win.

Tomorrow is Valentines day and my baby has his first set of classmates to give them out to. So earlier last week the teacher posted a list of things she needs for the party. Everything was taken up so I had Eric ask her what else we can bring. I can't stand not being able to help out. I predict "classroom mom" in the future which is A-Okay with me! But she didn't need anything and said to bring whatever we'd like...and it didn't take long for me to figure out that I want to make heart shaped rice krispie treats in red and pink. I'm so excited! So treats aside, we picked out some valentines and I wrote Benson's name out so he can copy it onto his friends' valentines. Why did I expect him to write his 6-letter name on 17 valentines? After the 3rd one his "hand was sore" and he could no longer lift his arms up. Pathetic. So I wrote in the rest.

Eric and I are going to take my parents and Benson out for sushi to celebrate V-day. Thought it'd be a nice gesture for everything they've helped us with these past few months. Love them so much.

I got my 17-P shot yesterday. I decided that instead of alternating hips, I would rather just take it in the left. Seems like the left side gets less sore and heals faster..? So we'll see how much I can tolerate before needing to switch over.

9 more days until we find out the sex. I'm so anxious and excited! I can hardly take it!!!

 

18 weeks!

I really feel like time is flying by. Only 2 more weeks until we find out the sex. This will change the rest of our lives! If it's another boy, I can anticipate living a life where the toilet paper will never be changed, the toilet seat will forever stay up, dirty socks spread across the floor and I will constantly be stepping on Nerf bullets and Lego men. But nonetheless, so exciting! Originally Eric and I wanted a boy only because we saved everything of Benson's. Carseats, strollers, clothes, accessories. Everything! But we also anticipated on having another baby during the winter so those things would be reusable. But since baby #2 is a summer baby, all the clothes at least, will be 6 months too small. So we'll be starting over with clothes. Thankfully all the 'big ticket' stuff we still are able to use boy or girl. And I've opened up to having a little girl :) I don't think Benson would appreciate bows and pink and anything girly. And to this day, I warn him that baby may be a girl, he still screams NO! (what am I going to do with him)

We have yet to really prepare for baby #2. Although I still think it's too early but last night I felt baby's first kick, which made me realize "OMG! We're having another baby!". Everything is still put away nicely in the attic. We will not be making a nursery for the lack of room (my brother, Duke stays in our 3rd bedroom) so baby #2 will sleep in our room (I refuse to allow another child on my bed at night. That calls for uncomfortable sleeps and a foot in your face every morning. And it does not help when Eric tells me he slept with his mom until he was 12! WHAT!?) So crib next to the bed will do. And, if baby#2 is indeed a boy, it will work out perfectly for "my boys" to share their room together. Benson does have a  big room with everything a little boy would want. I still don't know why he isn't ready to move into his own room.

We're still playing around with names. I think we have a good list for our girl names but nothing set in stone for our boy lists. I don't know why, but we haven't been able to find a boy name we really like. Everything I throw at Eric he hates and everything he suggests to me is a "hell no!" Leave it to him alone and we will for sure have children named after super heroes and video game characters. Oh how terrible.

I thought I would start documenting (for fun and good memories) all the crazy, fun, silly things Benson says to me. He is so funny to me and really makes my heart melt with the things he says. And he's figuring out the things I want to hear to make me happy. For example, I know he's super thankful when I allow him to do something (like play on our Tablet) when he responds back "You're the best mom I ever had". hahhaa. Ok? Cool. Or when I picked him up yesterday from school I ask the typical "How was your day?" and his response "Great! I didn't get time-out or potty in my pants!"

Wonderful!!! Now that's what I call a great day too!! :)))

I also asked when he was going to start sleeping in his own room. B:"When I'm huge" -- When is that going to be? B:"A lot more days" I'm sure you can imagine my facial expression.... He kills me with the things he says!

It's almost over

This has been such a long week. I'm so glad it's coming to an end and I'll be able to relax and enjoy the weekend with my boys. Working in Atlanta has always been an adventure. I'm going on two years and I don't know how I haven't pulled out all my hair with the commute that I have to do daily. But this week has been especially emotionally straining. Every afternoon this week I have had to sit through at least 2 hours of traffic. Normally, it's around 45minutes to 1 hour commute home...not bad. But by some freak way, there have been major accidents causing major delays. What makes matters even more stressful is having to haul ass to make it to Benson's school before they close or we'll be charged extra per minute that they have to stay open. Not easy to do when you're at a stand still on 85N. Fortunately, Friday's I leave Atlanta around lunch time so I'm guaranteed no traffic today. (or so I think)

So this week I was determined to put a stop to our dining out splurge we've been having. Aren't people supposed to put effort into not going out to eat as a new year's resolution? Well not Eric and I. We were going out to eat 3-4 times a week! Ridiculous. So I searched pinterest for some recipes and quickly inspired and motivated myself to do some cooking! We whipped it up in the kitchen Wednesday night! Eric worked on making avocado fries as an appetizer to the "country chicken club pasta" I was making. Everything came out so good! I was so impressed with myself. It's almost a given that every meal I cook will either be too bland or too salty but this was perfect! And we even had left overs for lunch the next day! So tonight we're making a guacamole, bacon grilled cheese. Sounds delicious!
( I took a picture of the pasta. I haven't quite mastered the settings for my Nikon yet. But once I do, you better believe I'll have tons of pictures!)

Benson has been really attentive to my growing belly. He loves rubbing and kissing it. Sweetest thing. He is such a funny boy and only a boy can ask his pregnant mother if she "has a bomb in her belly". How funny is that? I asked him if he wanted a brother or a sister. His response : A BROTHER! And when I tell him that baby may be a girl, he gets upset. He's very determined on having a baby brother. And apparently that is because "he doesn't like girls". Well then.

And lastly, it's Friday which means I get my weekly progesterone injection. I don't like needles and it doesn't hurt too bad but the soreness that comes after is a real discomfort! It was sore in that spot for days. It's finally better only for the other side of my hip to get shot up again. Bummer.

Happy Friday! Go Pats!!!

Choummanivong party of 4

When 3 becomes 4! We're so excited for our new addition to the family. Only four more weeks until we find out the sex and that will also mark the "half-way" mark of my pregnancy. This pregnancy has gone by so fast. I'm almost there and sadly, I have yet to reach the uncomfortable part of what pregnancy has to offer. Yay. (enter sarcasm here)


I recently went through one of the worst things to go through during pregnancy...getting sick. What started out as a sore throat, quickly escaladed to full blown bronchitis. I was taken out of work for 1 day but ended up taking a full week off of work. I was miserable. I saw 2 different doctors that both said I couldn't take any medications and that I need to "let it run its course". WHATTTT. So I patiently laid in bed for days feeling terrible until I went to see another doctor who finally prescribed me an antibiotic pack. I okay'd it was my OB office (who said I should have been prescribed this to begin with) and Ta Da! I'm all better and back to work.


Today I reach 16 weeks which is when my OB doctor wanted me to start a progesterone treatment. So once a week until the end of my pregnancy, a home nurse will visit to give me an injection that will increase my chances of delivering full term. And the reason I'm having to do this is because I had Benson at 35 weeks and "full term" doesn't begin until 36 weeks. So all the better.