My mom is pretty awesome

She of course has her own blog here.....and she is always super busy doing a million things at once (I wondered where I got that trait). Anyways, I have not been great about taking a lot of pictures of my belly progression:( I know, I know, I intended to but when you don't feel great or anything close to pretty your picture taking confidence seems to suffer.
So I asked my mamacita to come take some pics......she can make a paper bag look good:) Thanks mom:)

 The last one was just for fun:) I thought we were doing a funny face, while the hubs thought it was serious time;)

I'm 6 1/2 months:) Part of me feels like it flew by and the other part feels like the next 2 1/2 months are sooooooo far away.

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I get by with a a little help from my friends....

I love love love that I have friends who have survived pregnancy. I need them oh so bad sometimes. I mean really really need them to talk me off the ledge of my insecurities, my worrying, and of course giving me little nudges of "it will all be fine and you can do it." I've just started to get a lot of anxiety about the big delivery day.
I mean it has to come out at some point, my midwife did say she's never had one stay inside yet:) But really the whole childbirth experience is so scary. I know, I know...women have been doing it since forever...but I have obviously never done it and so there is some anxiety there. And I think about how many of my friends are on their 2nd and 3rd time, so it must not be too terrible...right? or maybe so bad you develop some sort of amnesia from it.
Today I started to have a little panic attack about how my baby will come into the world. Do I get an epidural? Do I try it un-medicated? And if so how in the world do you "train" for that? I just started to get so overwhelmed I thought.....I'll just call one of my besties who has DONE it and then pretty much verbally explode all of my fears to her.
She was great as usual:) She talked me down, let me know it will all work out and be oh so worth it. She spoke highly of her epidural but also said she would definitely think I was stellar if I did it without meds.  Then she said something funny...."either way you get the same prize at the end" really just reinforcing that it doesn't matter how you get there...but everyone gets there.

I'm lucky to have someone like her to shoot it to me straight but also give me a slap over the phone for my nerves....which today I desperatley seemed to need;)

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Summer is finally here in the Pacific Northwest

 Lately I am feeling good, relaxing a little bit more, and enjoying my stretch off. I have a lot of projects to finish and work on but I just can't seem to get started on really any of them.....or I am waiting for the timing so I can start A which leads to B which then makes me finish C. So for now I don't feel like doing C because I can't do A.....hope that makes sense.

But the weather is beautiful, I'm having a nice weekend with my Mr. Big Dog and hopefully this weather lasts. Oh by the way, it's nice to have a grandma with a pool at her clubhouse:)

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Mind on my baby and my baby on my mind

On the way home from work last night driving I just became overwhelmed with the fact that I am about 6 months pregnant and going to be a mother to a little baby. I say overwhelmed but it's not a negative thing, more like just a realization and this gratitude just washed over me. I was listening to this song.....and then next thing I knew I was crying (most likely some hormones had to do with that) and thinking about how much I already love this person I don't even know. Boy or girl I have been waiting for them for a long time, even if it's only physically been 6 months...it's really been a lifetime:)

I can feel my little one kicking more and more and I get so excited about how I get to meet them in October. It really feels like Christmas is coming but also like a race or exam I am preparing for is nearing the last stretch of getting ready. 

Mr. Big Dog and I are about to start all kinds of baby preparation classes, which should be fun and interesting...maybe even comedic at times. Our house baby prep is in full swing and Mr. Big Dog is doing so much to get everything all ready for our little family. He's been extra sweet with his paparazzi photos, he loves the belly and the dogs love our strawberries as you can see. 

And I am so happy I don't even mind that I am awake at 430am this morning, let the pregnancy insomnia begin.......oh and remind me I said that later;) 

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Little kicks give me a big kick

Well I have been feeling little baby Rios making a debut from the inside, but I can't feel it from the outside quiet yet. Everyone said how "you'll know" when it's the baby....and it's funny because I can just like they said. It's not too often yet, and actually sometimes right as I realize it....then it won't move or kick again:( But I do have to say it makes it more real by the second.
The Rios house is continuing to get ready for our little one, project by project...which by the end of June should be coming to completion. I promise pictures then:)

We also have been talking about all of our soon to be life changes and it's funny how sometimes God makes this the time to open up other doors and windows with options.......we'll see how it all pans out, but I have faith it will all be as it should. I feel like like our household is this little kettle full of water on the stove....it's just warming up getting ready to boil:)

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Happy Sunday

Well I have taken on the chores inside as Mr. Big Dog does the yard;) He loves it and today the weather is beautiful. My only real job outside has been picking strawberries from our little berry patch we planted last year. This year the berries have quadrupled and we are reaping the harvest daily, as well as the birds and our dogs...who I keep finding eating strawberries in the patch:) Nothing like seeing a St. Bernard munching on a little strawberry to make you laugh. 

And I can't help but laugh and smile when I watch my adorable husband mows his lawn, he has so much fun with his newest toy...the monster mower:) 

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My life in pictures as of lately.....

My life lately in pictures.....
Food have never tasted so good:) Whose idea was it to paint the crib? And I do not like having my picture taken at all:( This was a very forced moment with the hubs.....and NO I am not having twins...I am 5 months prego, half way mark!!! (but this photo was actually at 18 weeks...yikes). I think it just my shortness and build that makes it look a lot bigger.....at least that's what I keep telling myself.

It's been busy and about to get busier. But I do thrive best in chaos....somehow I seem to get more done;) Baby is growing well as I am half way through helping to create it, 21 weeks start Friday.
I have taken before pictures all over the house, since soon there will be after pictures of the nursery and our guest bathroom. I can't wait to show the finished projects:)

But for now, life couldn't be better....well except for that unexplainable crying at times:)

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