So, This is Labor

"As mothers we must learn to be flexible, for the rigid tree breaks in the windstorms of life. In birth we are utterly taken apart. In this way God guarantees that we emerge anew. This is how Mother Nature builds a new mother, by first burning down our pre-existing lives. The survival of this precious being you hold close today depends upon your undoing." -Robin Lim

Showered With Love!

We had two baby showers to celebrate this new life inside of me.

Here's the cute lil' baby cake at the first :)

And CLOTHES. Lots and lots of clothes.

I don't think half of these even got worn!

And here I am... opening some clothes ;)

That's what happens when the first baby girl is on her way!

Here's a glimpse of what our future daughter may look like ;)

"Someday I will demand a pony" - from her Great Aunt Viv and Great Grandma Polly

Aunt Raquel & friend Daniela

Our second baby shower was less traditional, but lots of fun.

It was co-ed, so Joe got to stay and play!

The boys got to join in fun games like feeding each other jarred baby food (yuck!)

diapering each other...

and chugging beer out of baby bottles ;)

I got to practice holding a friend's new baby - little Madison.

...and cut my beautiful pineapple upside-down cake.

And the prom queen & king!

The Traveling Belly

Just a week or two pregnant here (& didn't know it yet!)

visiting friends in Greenville, SC

tree-huggin' in Biloxi, MS

at the hurricane Katrina memorial in Biloxi
Our childless getaway to New Orleans Joe's High School Reunion - 10 years!

The last pre-baby mural

Labor Day with friends on Siesta Key

Halloween fun

Disney World!

Efest - 2 days before my due date

My Least Favorite Part of Pregnancy

I thought I'd throw some not-so-fun pregnancy photos into the mix...

My feet started swelling after I began my 3rd trimester.

I woke up with fat feet, and they only grew as the day went on.

Of course, I had a hard time staying "off" my feet... which may have helped.

Anyway, here are the lovely piggies.

a couple of weeks before baby arrived...

and a couple of weeks after...
I am SO GLAD these things go back to normal!!

Celebrating the Baby Bump

Making a plaster mold so I will never forget that belly :)

& showing it off... Freshly applied henna mud from my sister - this was at 40 weeks
And the beautiful stain it left!
40 weeks, 4 days. Thanksgiving Day, to be exact!

And what does the shrunken-up henna look like?

Here I am showing it off, 1 week after birth... faded, but still there :)

Our First Glimpses From the Outside

We had our one & only ultrasound done at 19 wks.

Here's our baby's profile.

Another profile... but a bit blurred.

And this photo. This picture confirmed what mommy knew all along... that she was carrying a girl! I didn't want to find out the sex, but it was so close to Father's Day & daddy wanted to know so bad! (Such a nice present from mommy, huh?)

This is our 37 week visit with our midwife, Harmony.

She felt around a bit and drew us a picture of our little one. So cute :)