Happy Monday!
Thank you all for your sweet words in my last post. I agree with so many of you, a little baby needs only love, love, love.
Today is a brand new day, and this morning when I logged into my bank account, I found out that the money we thought we lost wasn't gone, after all. We had put a deposit down on another car for when the baby gets here, only to find out that it wasn't a real transaction.
It's these times that I think about humanity and the cruel acts that we are capable of. I was not raised with religion, but I was raised with a strong understanding for what is right and wrong. One of my favorite quotes is:
When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad.
I wonder how it's possible for people to disregard any little voice they have within themselves and do wrong by somebody else. My only consolation is to know that these people are not truly happy, and never will be. With their behavior and negative actions comes a life of misunderstand for what is truly important.
Even though we are sometimes wronged, it should never change the compassion and respect that we owe every single person around us. We are all just trying to live our lives the best we can, without stepping on anybody else in the process.
We had a wonderful weekend, regardless. Michael's family was here, we spent a day with mine, went to dinner to celebrate my niece's 7th birthday, and I finally caved and bought 3 maternity shirts. My belly has gone through a growth spurt, and this morning I was surprised to read that she is nearing 4 pounds, and 18 inches in length.
I started a quilt for our little bee, and finished up a couple headbands for the shop.
The sun was warm and shining, which would explain my day of laying out on Friday that I mentioned. I'm sure some of you were wondering just how over-heated a pregnant woman could possibly be, in a bikini on a late January day. We had two days in a row that almost reached 80 degrees, and I took full advantage of them.
I went for a couple long bike rides, and stretched like a lizard on a rock in the sun, reading one of my current favorite magazines.
Sunday the cold front moved back in, and I went for the coldest bike ride of my life. It was in the low 30's and I felt like my face would surely melt off at any moment.
My little green dragon, Elsie, has been parked in the living room for a couple weeks. A cycling friend let me borrow her indoor trainer, and for those extra cold days, I just park it on Elsie and go for an indoor spin. It's nowhere near as gratifying or freeing as jumping on my bike and disappearing into that perfect moment, but it will do for now.
This weekend we also did a lot of eating, which has become one of my best hobbies :) I gave myself a much needed pedicure, and Michael rubbed my puffy feet.
I thought I was safe, but since I work on my feet and have a really hard time sitting still when I finally get home, my feet and ankles have started to swell the last few days. One of the only remaining things I still recognized, even my feet are new to me, now.
My belly has gotten so heavy, and has started to pull my spine off of alignment. Being in the tub for an hour and feeling weightless has been wonderful, and leaves me wishing that I could spend a few hours every day in the water. We got a membership to the YMCA when the weather turned cold and I couldn't spend as much time outdoors. I think I will take up swimming, and give this heavy body a bit of a rest. I guess that means I have to start shaving :)
These days it seems that as much as I try to steer my thoughts in other directions, I always seem to fall back to the looming reality of pregnancy. It has completely consumed my entire life, even though I have tried so hard to make it just a part of it.
I have a few things to talk about over the next few weeks. The changes through the trimesters, exercise, dressing the bump, favorite meals, and good products I've found along the way. If you're pregnancy-leary, it might be a good time to take a little break from this blog and find something more interesting to read :)
...
Tomorrow we have a cold front moving through, and a heavy winter storm. Snow, and a high in the teens. Big change from Friday in my bikini, right? There is a saying that goes: "if you don't like the weather in Oklahoma, just wait five minutes."
And it could not be more true. I am thinking of just calling my appointments tomorrow and rescheduling, and calling an extra day on this weekend.
Have a great week, friends.
Brand New Day - Joshua Radin.
54 comments:
You look so beautiful! And your weekend sounds lovely. I can't believe you are on this side of the hemisphere and in a bikini - I am a little jealous!
I just love reading your blog.
Very happy to hear that you're continuing to ride your bike and do all kinds of other things that make you happy while you're growing the little one. Kudos. =)
I thought I was moving towards a very minimalist approach to decorating, but seeing your pictures and reading your words make me want to display all my little things again. Thanks for providing the inspiration!
Emily in Philly
Aura - I want to read about all of it. All of your body products, what you wear, what you are making for baby, what baby will wear... It's all so beautiful.
we have that same saying about Omaha! it sounds like something most of us in the midwest have adapted to our cities/states to deal with the constant change in weather we have to deal with!
we've got snow coming down in sheets here right now - hopefully it's missing you completely!
i look forward to your posts about pregnancy ... much i need to learn!
I recently found your blog and I love it:wonderful pictures, great personality, good words :-)
Hugs from Italy!!
Daniela
It doesn't matter what you write about...I'm constantly uplifted and encouraged by your words. Hope you have a wonderful week!
I am envious of your new arrival.. Those colors u picked out for that quilt are gorgeous!...As far as that bank account... Karma works in mysterious ways...
Lol, are you kidding? We love hearing about your pregnancy! I think it would be impossible to not let this consume your life, it's a huge change in your life, something that is supposed to sortof redefine you.
I love reading your posts, and can't wait for the next! I'm so happy that you got your money back. Did you find out who tried taking it?
Good luck with everything Mama <3
Weren't those two days just perfect? My husband and I took a few blankets to a field near our house and spent the evening outside looking at the stars : )
And please let's hear more about your pregnancy! I've been waiting to hear about your experience with midwives and homebirth. Are you still doing this? I always like hearing other's perspective on this..
Stay safe in the upcoming weather. I hear it's going to get pretty bad!
aura, you are gorgeous. and i can't wait to see how your quilt comes out. i am currently working up the nerve to start a quilt... fabric picked out, some pieces cut... just gotta do it, right?!
as for your swollen feet, try bumping up your protein intake. pregnant women should be getting 60 grams a day, I think. some sources say to add 10-20 more grams than you normally ate pre-pregnancy, others say 71 grams. i ate a lot of eggs when i was pregnant because i don't eat a lot of meat and had a hard time meeting that protein requirement. but it really helps with the swelling.
Emily- I have accepted that I will never in my wildest dreams be a minimalist! I love looking at peoples spaces that can achieve this, and I feel a small pang of jealousy, but there are too many things in this house that I love to see every single day. I'm just learning to organize my clutter a bit better :)
Ashley j- Well we have his name, but it's probably fake. He said he was in Texas, but I don't even think that is true! We were supposed to drive down and pick up the car next weekend, I'm so glad we didn't waste our time.
Ashley- Oh, they were so amazing. Made me itch for Spring even worse than I already am.
We are still using a midwife, but have switched to OU Medical. They will allow a water birth and have the same philosophy as the home birth midwives. Insurance wouldn't cover the home birth if anything went wrong (or the cost in general) and we just couldn't afford to take the risk. I can take an extra 4 weeks of leave, now.
I will definitely talk about my experience with the midwives, they are wonderful!
NCavillones- I made "quilts" when I was younger with my Grandma, but it's been years! I don't have a machine that will even quilt. I'm just piecing fabric together and calling it that :) So far it's been so fun. I just adore picking coordinating fabrics and laying them out in different patterns.
I am trying so hard with my protein. My midwife told me right around 65 grams a day, which I NEVER got before. I don't eat a ton of meat, and never, ever ate eggs before I was pregnant. It's been hard for me to start eating them, because the yolk texture kills me. One of my biggest daydreams about no longer being pregnant is not constantly worrying about protein intake!
I am so happy to hear everything worked out on the money front.
And I am jealous you will get to swim. We have no pools close by (another peril of living in the ghetto) and I crave water, flotation and weightlessness.
Drea- No YMCA close by? I'm not particularly looking forward to it because our is always PACKED and swarming with little kids (that are probably peeing in the water) but I am just dying for that weightlessness.
I'm glad you got some sun before the snow that's coming! I hope you take some relaxing baths soon!
Do you sell your headbands online? They are so dang cute! I think I might need one or two... =)
Have a great week as well!
Good luck through all the trials and joys of pregnancy!
Reading stranger's blogs is such an odd experience. I've never met you yet I still think you are one of the most lovely people ever. I love the way you rock your baby belly with no reservations. I wasn't that confident my first time around but if ever I get another chance, I'm hoping to take inspiration from you.
great photos!
greeting from Poland:)
Oh wow, I can't believe how drastically the weather changes there!! It was snowing on Thursday and Friday here in Pennsylvania!
As always, I love your photos. And even though the pregnancy is taking over your life, I hope you're enjoying it! Before you know it, she'll be here.
<3 Kiersten
I love your photos and honest musings. Thanks for sharing :)
I agree, a baby does need love above all things. But I'm still glad to hear your money's not gone!
And I'll be thrilled to read your upcoming posts on pregnancy, since I'm hoping to be so myself within the next year!
Have a lovely week!
Your belly is so petite, it's very precious! Also wondering, if you had thought of any names for your little bird?
What is all of this talk about these headbands and a "shop?" I have been slacking in the blog reading world but I am back and trying to get caught up. I want, no actually I need one of the headbands :)
Love your blog. Would love to hear more about your journey through the last few months of being pregnant. I too am pregnant and nearing the end of my first trimester. Any tips on how to stay in shape, good things to eat, etc will be greatly appreciated :)
So happy to hear the money was returned to you. Some people can be so cruel and make it their goal to take advantage of the good souls in this world. Makes me sad ...
I can't wait to hear more about pregnancy. My husband are in our 3rd month of trying and hearing other women's stories helps set my soul at ease.
From http://www.katrinagelino.blogspot.com
I'm sorry to hear that you encountered people with compromised morals- I'm happy to read that you have such a wonderful attitude regarding things. Positivity begets more postivity which means you probably have some good luck coming your way. As far as the puffy feet (gah - I remember those) at least your toes look pretty. :)
Lol @ the shaving comment.
Happy Monday, Aura.
I have to ask you... how do you get such white teeth?? Sorry but I think that I will have to ask you until I find out your secret! So glad to hear about your money problem resolved. Looking forward your next posts :) Take care, xoxo!
Oklahoma sounds a bit like Melbourne, Australia. Four seasons in one day. They've even had a couple of white Christmases (our summer)!
So sorry to hear about all the money issues. I wish we could all live without it- I dream big! :) But I am happy for you that you had warm sunny days! :) Would love to see photos of the snow too, if you can bring yourself to :)
Have a lovely week!
Right before my husband and I left to run a few errands tonight we heard on the news that those in the Oklahoma City and surrounding areas should expect to be out of power for the next two days. I am really hoping that's their pessimistic take on it!
We were in Home Depo when we noticed everyone buying generators. While Mike bought items to complete home projects to keep himself busy on his 'snow day.' (& then we stopped for wine! Just to have the necessities...)
Either everyone is overreacting or we are out of touch with reality.
Hope you fare well in this weather!
Please tell me you have an online store where I can buy one of those headbands. My daughter (who we also call little bee ) NEEDS one!
When I was preggers I couldn't live without Aveda's Blue Oil. It makes a nice bath 8million times better!
Just wanted to say that I've had 2 fusion surgeries for scoliosis, and I'm slightly lopsided too; but through two pregnancies and subsequent breastfeeding, baby-wearing etc, my back really held up amazingly well. Yoga helped of course but in late pregnancy pre-natal aqua-aerobics is also so fantastic for keeping things stretched, moving and pain-free. Can be done! I'm sure you'll sail through. Much love from Australia. xx
Thank you, every one! I guess more of you are interested in pregnancy than I thought. I was keeping more quiet about it because I remember not being pregnant and extremely grossed out by all things pregnancy. I mean good grief, I'm knocked up now and still get grossed out.
I will get busy on a few posts!
For those of you who asked about my shop:
http://barkandleaves.com
For now everything is purchased through Etsy. In the next few months I'd like to set up an actual shopping cart on the .com so I can build up my stock and start an actual online boutique. I am super excited about it, it's been a dream of mine for years and years.
Michael and I set career goals a few years ago, a ten year plan on where we wanted to be in the next decade. For him it was more education, and a career change to Teaching. For me it was working on b & l online until I could open up my brick and mortar store somewhere with a decorated front window and big, stinky shop cat :)
Tomorrow I'm putting up all the new items for February, which would explain my empty Etsy shop for now.
Abby- I think confidence is a huge problem for pregnant women. I wish it wasn't that way, because it's a really interesting time in our lives that we should remember as positive.
It might be cliche, but we are growing another human being! INSIDE OURSELVES! If there's ever a time to respect and love our bodies, it is now.
Nikole- Yes, we named her before we even knew she was a she :) We are waiting until she's born to tell friends & family.
Katrina- Your day will be here soon enough, and it will be so much more sweet for the wait. I hope you're not worried about the third month of trying, because on average it takes couples 6 months to a year to conceive.
Just stay positive, calm, and remember that a baby comes from love, and not the plans we strictly make and try to follow in life.
When people used to ask us when we thought we'd be ready for kids, I'd say never. And that we would just one day end up with some Summer lovechild of a drunken night.
And oops, we did :) Sometimes when you just let life happen, it does.
Anonymous- No one has ever asked me about my teeth on here, before. Thank you for the laugh! That cracked me up.
One time I did the Crest white strips (before our wedding) but they killed my teeth with sensitivity, so I didn't finish the box.
I just try to brush often! :) Always twice a day, maybe a third time here and there. I like toothpaste with baking soda in it, I switch between arm & hammer and the Tom's natural stuff. Anything with whiteners hurts my teeth, so I don't use them.
Otherwise I have no idea! I have never been a smoker or coffee drinker, so that probably helps.
Kristyn- We have a propane heater with a 5 gallon tank in the garage, and we went ahead and got it filled. Otherwise, we didn't even go grocery shopping. We're within walking distance to one, and have enough food for a couple days. People act like it's the end of the world!
I will say that we stopped to have a huge, greasy and fatty dinner at Ted's. That way if we run out of food, we can work off our fat supply that we built up the night before the storm :)
Christy- These are adult headbands, but I am going to work on ones for the little bee's, next :) I need to find some sizing information, pick out fabrics, and get a couple made.
Mama Magantosh- I can not believe how much yoga has helped me during pregnancy. I think I would be crippled if it weren't for a good stretch! I can never stress enough to people to keep moving when they're pregnant, it has done wonders for me.
I agree! So hard! I get a lot of protein from greek yogurt, lentils, tempeh, chick peas and almond butter.
Aura, you look absolutely beautiful. :) I love the photos of you in your yard in the bikini, just precious. The photo of you in the white tank top when you were talking about eating reminded me of my pregnant belly, being pregnant during the summer time, I lived in tank tops! :) I wish I had known more about prenatal yoga when I was pregnant, but I do it now almost everyday so whenever we have another on the way one day, I'll definitely practice it.
I wanted to tell you something I found rather funny, I had a dream about you last night (even though we've never met face to face lol.) and it was springtime, you were still pregnant and talking with a group of friends, I saw you called your name, and you smiled, and we hugged as if we were old friends and we hadn't seen each other in years ( it was so vivid! are you laughing yet? lol), and both of our husbands were playing baseball for the same team (okay now I'm laughing) and we sat and visited and watch them play.
Weird but it was pretty funny :)
Have you ever had vivid dreams like that about people you don't know personally? Pretty nuts!
I hope you are doing awesome girl! Can't wait to hear more updates about you and your little one!
i adore your blog. period. i have been through pregnancy before - i have a 4 year old son. i used a midwife while we were stationed at Ft.Bragg. loved her/them. right now we are in talks of trying for another when my husband comes home from his deployment this fall. for us the first was a no brainer, a second puts a lot more pressure on me with him gone alot. oh anyways...i do know that i would do things differently or better. i would do yoga and stay more active for sure. i would take more pics of the changing me...
i look forward to reading your blog as time goes on for you...
I would love to hear about your pregnancy more! Life is a journey and I have been reading about yours now for years because I always find what you write so inspiring, even when you are going through difficult times or life-changing times.
I love your hair.
I'm glad your money wasn't lost.
I'm so glad to hear that the money wasn't gone after all. What great news. And it sounds like you had a great weekend. I just finished my second tiny quilt (which you can see here: http://thislittleport.blogspot.com/2011/02/my-warbler-mini-quilt.html) and I am absolutely in love with the process now. I hope to make many more. Looking forward to seeing what you've come up with! xo
I love that you embrace the beauty of your pregnancy. I am rarely able to do so, and it brings me so much joy to see someone being okay with all the changes (including swollen feet!).
You look beautiful as usual.
I love the headbands!!!
your pregger's body is gorgeous!! and thank you for writing what you did in the first couple of paragraphs. reading the news lately has made me question humanity and sometimes it makes me want to scream at people, etc but your words brought me back down to earth. also, in your last post when you thought you had lost a bunch of money but wouldn't let that define your day - i totally used that today when i was stressed about money and decided i wouldn't let it bring my day down, took a deep breath, stepped back and had a great day. i really am not into children (although have recently come around to the idea of having one someday, babies just kind of scare me though!) but i love reading your posts about being pregnant. i think you and michael are going to be really awesome parents!!! and i'm freakin jealous of your warm weather cos dc is covered in sleet and freezing temps.
I love to read this kind of writings on your blog. I hope your spine problems will get better, I can belive how the pregnancy can be painful. Swimming is really good, I should get myself to the gym and swimming hall too. I found one gym and I have been wanting to go there for 2weeks, I'm scared of these french people and i'm still at home! :D
So sorry to hear about the creep and the car. But I'm so relieved that you got your money back! I love hearing about your pregnancy and your honesty about the whole thing cracks me up. I think you are going to love swimming, my neighbor starting in month 8 and wondered why she didn't start sooner. You are such a beauty Aura! Inside and out.
Aura, I am so glad that you didn't lose the money after all. I also am so astonished by the amount of evil and selfishness in our world. I loved the quote about doing good making you feel good and doing bad making you feel bad. That is so true in my life! I don't know how people who routinely hurt others can live with themselves. Regarding talking about your pregnancy, please don't hold back for fear of grossing people out! I think most people are interested in pregnancy and by reading your blog comments, it seems everyone is really excited for you! I just love your blog and always feel such a sense of peace when I read your thoughts and see your beautiful pictures.
The title of your blog today was enough to make me smile... "a brand new day"... I had such a "Monday" yesterday.. nothing crazy wrong, just sort of blah with winter blues kicking in full force and motivation was no where in sight, but this morning when I woke up I thought exactly what you said "today is a brand new day" so forget about the not-so-great parts of yesterday and start new. Because it is never too late to start new!
PS: I am loving following along with you pregnancy journey. My baby, Jackson, is about to turn 1 in exactly one week and I as much as I try to figure it out, I have no idea where this past year has gone, but I'll tell you one thing- it has been the absolutely BEST year of my life.
Aura, thank you so much for reading Fit Pregnancy. I'm editor at the magazine, and I've personally been reading your blog for a while now. It's one of my favorites. Good luck with your pregnancy! Congratulations.
I understand about wanting to be weightless ... I still want that and I'm not pregnant anymore! How amazing that you had weather in the 80s ... I have to say I'm jealous ... We're in Indiana so it gets pretty blustery and cold here.
Wonderful that you didn't lose money ... we lost money via Craigslist once (somehow our account was tapped into) but fortunately we got the money back.
You're looking lovely.
Hi,
I usually am a quiet reader--but some things you said and my morning coffee have me writing to you.
Yes swim! It will help with your recovery. I swam one mile three times a week throughout my three pregnancies. I don't suggest that distance (I used to be a competitive swimmer, so that length is easy for me...) but do it just to move and for the weightlessness; it's freeing. It's a little awkward climbing out of the pool with a big belly getting in the way so use the ladder!
The day that my first born (now 18) arrived, my swim suit ripped open at the rear butt. My water broke later that day and I knew the birth was going to happen whether I was ready or not.
I didn't read anything about what to doing during the birth--just what to do once the baby was born. I figured I could figure it out and I did. There were a few things I was shocked about while it was happening--oozy things I couldn't control--body shakes from hormones--and hot sweats, after the birth. I had an epidermal and it really helped me.
But, with our third baby (10 years later), I read a lot about the birth and how to relax and use my breath, and save energy, and I had a 10.5 baby girl naturally in a birthing home.
You're right that being pregnant is all consuming; and having a baby will change your life--but in a good way. Just getting pregnant--and having a baby--is kind of miraculous.
Aura I'm so glad that you two were reimbursed the money! I can tell that your philosophy is really strive at not being materialistic and money hungry, but still... losing money that you've worked hard for is frustrating. And to have it almost be stolen is just terrible!
I'm a member of the Y too... I'd rather jog or ride my bike outside but I'm with you...when it's too cold it's nice to have a place to move indoors. Plus the Y will be great for your growing family! They have lots of programs for kiddos for when yours is older. I think Matt and I will take advantage of those programs for our kids when we happen to have them in the future. (although I haven't really looked into them or anything, but hopefully they're decent for an hour or so here and there...)
Hi Aura... we used to be livejournal friends waaayyy back in the day (i was "plaidpuke" i was in highschool. :/ ), and I always enjoyed reading your beautiful writing and pictures! I saw that someone commented and suggest to use Aveda Blue Oil, and that's so funny because I was going to suggest the same thing for your pregnancy aches and pains.
I work for Paris Parker Aveda Salons, and Aveda is just such a great, 100% natural product (I swear I'm not trying to market on your blog. ;) I know that you and Michael try to keep it natural in your home, so I was just trying to give you guys a suggestion... ....
The "blue oil" is awesome. :)
NCavillones: I've been doing lots of greek yogurt (it was hard to make the switch to greek) beans, peanut butter, and nuts. I just feel so heavy all the time from it! I'm used to a much lighter-protein diet.
Jessica- I got such a good laugh from your dream. I re-read it with Michael and we both thought it was funny.
Gaby- Thank you so much for the link!
Minnesotamom: I told myself from the beginning that I had to be okay with every step of pregnancy. Because really, I had no other choice! It's not like I could quit halfway through. So I learned to embrace my puffy, ugly feet :)
Maria- I love you guys! I haven't found a magazine I liked this much in a long, long time. Even the advertisements were wonderful, and gave me so many great ideas.
Kristin- Thank you for the tips! I'm certainly not a swimmer, so I'll probably just paddle around :)
Good for you for having that 10.5 pound baby naturally! I love hearing stories about women who embrace the capabilities of their body, and what we were built to do.
Plaid- Hello, sweetie :) Glad to see you still around.
I actually adore Aveda products, and wish they weren't so hard to come by. The first salon I worked in was an Aveda salon, and I just loved walking into a space that smelled all-Aveda.
You guys are so strict with your buying policies! My salon is actually in the process of moving towards becoming an Aveda salon, and I couldn't be more excited.
I will for sure try out the blue oil.
Aura,
I so look forward to reading about your experiences in pregnancy. I'm 18 weeks pregnant and it's fun to bask in the stories of other pregnant woman. I'm really looking forward to your next week of posts.
You are absolutely stunning with that sweet belly bump.
Aura - I am 32 weeks pregnant so pretty close to you. Like you I have also recently discovered the bath. We have a lovely deep one, so I have been rolling over on to my stomach in the water and almost going into a trance - it feels SO GOOD to have no weight on my back, hips, organs etc. I have just started swimming every second or third day, for the same reasons. Plus it is summer here in Australia and I am loving how it cools me down. Although the moment I climb out of the pool I can almost feel myself shrinking a few centimetres as gravity then takes its toll. I think you'll love it!!
your bump is adorable, and so are the clothes you dress it in!
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