eee! contractions begin!!!

yes, contractions have begun...it's painful, but not unbearable. it feels like a truly awful menstral cycle. =( so, not fun, but not awful. anyway, the dr. measured my belly, we're right on track! she thinks he's around 15" right now, and a little over 5 pounds. he should gain 1/2 a pound a week from now until delivery. which could be any day between now and september 16th. i have a feeling he will come early. we'll see if i'm right or wrong. micah thinks, for some reason, that he'll come on the 10th of september. he's been saying that...for a while...how weird and cool would it be if he was right? very weird! anyway, we've been walking at night. last night, around the neighborhood. tonight, the dog beach w ava. =) and oddly, the contractions feel better when i'm moving. so the walking helps a lot when i'm having a contraction. i know it's nothing compared to real labor. but, maybe i'll trooper through real labor like i am with these pre-labor contractions. you never know. i'm actually getting really REALLY nervous about birth. please pray for my anxiety to go away. i know that everything will be okay. women have babies every day and do just fine! =) well, we will keep you all posted!

XOXO,
alli

For more updates on my journey, sign up for www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com.

packing for the hospital! =)

tonight i put everything in a small suitcase for the hospital =) it was fun. i had been collecting things to put in the bag, but tonight i actually put it all together =) we packed nursing gowns, pretty panties, huge ugly panties too =), toiletries, breastfeeding stuff, stuff for deige. stuff for micah. stuff for me to feel pretty again after birth. like, hair stuff, pretty smelling soap, shampoo, and a pretty going home outfit. i said from the beginning of pregnancy that i wanted to wear a cute dress home from the hospital...well, i haven't found it yet. but i'm on my way out to get it tonight =) stay tuned...baby is on his way! any day now! =)

XOXO,
alli

For more updates on my journey, sign up for www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com.

Too many tears...

all i do lately is cry. it's annoying. i'm the most emotional i've been this entire pregnancy. i'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that i'm entering into my 9th and final month. so...hormones are getting the best of me. plus, i just feel HUGE. i know i'm not huge, i'm just feeling that way because i'm normally so little. i've gained a total of 22 pounds now. i have a little over 4 weeks left. so, now is the time i'll probably gain even more weight. it's fine by me, it's just uncomfortable when it comes to wearing clothes. nothing fits. i live in my bra and panties when i'm home. and at work i wear the same few dresses over and over again. i was wearing a size 4 up until this point. now, none of my pants fit. and i refuse to buy any since i have one month left of pregnancy. anyway, size aside...i'm just feeling icky. i'm ready to have this baby. being pregnant has been so much fun. but i definitely feel ready now. my body is tired. and my emotions are spent. poor micah. he's so patient with me. everyone is...i was getting my hair cut today at the salon and i couldn't hold the tears back. i looked in the mirror and just lost it. it was embarrassing. but all the girls are so sweet and they just let me cry without reservation. anyway, please pray for me as i finish this last month.

XOXO,
alli

For more updates on my journey, sign up for www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com.

getting ready!!!

So I finally feel like we're getting ready for the babe to come =) my mom, micah's mom and my sisters and his sister threw a beautiful shower for us on sunday! it was so much fun because it was such an eclectic group of people. friends, family, neighbors...everyone! it was so nice. when i get pictures, i'll post one for sure. =) anyway, our registries were cleaned out! which was really nice. we were even able to get the big items with gift cards. so, our last big items we needed are now bought and waiting to be assembled in the garage =)

all day yesterday was our day to get everything we were given at the shower, and wash and put it all away in the appropriate place in the nursery. it was a tiring day for me, cause i get so tired easily...but it was so fun at the same time! and it's super fun washing all of his little things because Dreft smells SOOOOO good! =)

I was also able to run a few errands for me yesterday. I'm starting to get my hospital bag ready. i have 2 really cute nighties for the hospital. and yesterday i bought some sassy panties =) i was told that the panties in the hospital are disgusting, so i bought some cute full coverage panties to bring with me. =) i don't really know what else to bring...but i think the dr is giving me a packing list today when i go in for a visit =)

anyway, we're all getting ready around here! it's fun! Thanks to everyone for a beautiful shower...you spoiled us rotten! we really had a great time and appreciate all your love and generosity! thanks especially to our families who put the party on! we love you!

XOXO,
alli

For more updates on my journey, sign up for www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com.

4 more visits =)

so i went to the dr this week. i was 34 weeks and 5 days when i saw her. she said i only have 4 more visits! how crazy is that??? this pregnancy has FLOWN by!!! so crazy! i can't wait to meet the little guy! micah and i are getting super antsy. micah's super cute with deige. he always talks to the baby through my belly button! =) haha. so funny. it's cute, though. we're both so ready for him to come. we set up the crib and the mobile and all the fun bedding and stuff. it's so fun! feels so real now that all the baby stuff is actually set up and in a nursery! 4 more dr visits...IF i go full term, and IF the baby doesn't come late =) this is the fun part...countdown!

XOXO,
alli

For more updates on my journey, sign up for www.getchicmail.com at ChicBlvd.com.

prego pics at the beach

tonight we took our pregnancy pictures at the beach in corona del mar. i am so excited to see how they turned out. i wore a vintage looking bathing suit, did my hair like marilyn monroe, wore my pear necklace, earings and hair piece from our wedding day...i even wore fake lashes! =) ooh la la! so fun! micah was in a few, so was my sister anna. and of course, ava my dog =) it was fun. we only took a roll of film because the second one wouldn't load properly in our photographer's camera. so...hopefully we got lots of great pics on that first roll =) we'll get to see the proofs tomorrow! i'll post one up as soon as i can!

Hey...5 more weeks! almost here!!!! start the countdown....

XOXO,
alli

really? is that true?

so, i was told that when you have bad acid reflux during pregnancy, it means that the baby will have tons of hair when he/she is born. is that true? i wonder if it's true...i hadn't had any acid reflux until this week. it was HORRIBLE!!! still IS horrible! i take tums but most of the time, i just sit up in bed and wait it out. or i eventually just fall asleep anyway from sheer exhaustion. anyway, i guess we'll see if the rumor is true...or if it's just an old wives' tale. =)

XOXO,
alli

mini baby shower

so my friend megan threw me a mini baby shower because she will not be able to make it to the shower that my mom and micah's mom are throwing. she invited one other person, sophie. because sophie and megan are going on vacation together the same week of the shower! =) it was really cute that megan did that. i loved it. so sweet. she took us to sugar shack in huntingon beach. she had everything decorated with blue and brown. so sweet. there were balloons and flowers and cutie diaper napkins. she made ice cubes that had frozen plastic babies in them. and we all had to guess what time our ice cube babies would be born. sophie said 45 min. she lost. i said 20. megan said 25. megan technically won, but she gave the prize to me because she said she couldn't be the winner. =) anyway, that was fun. they spoiled me with presents and fun and i couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my sunday morning. =) thanks, megan! thanks, sophie!

XOXO,
alli

itchy from pregnancy

so, to update all of you on my itchiness...=) i went to the dr this week and she said she believes that i am just allergic to pregnancy. a lot of women have this apparently. it's more so an allergic reaction to the hormones your body produces. but for simplicity, she said, "allergic to pregnancy". i checked online and with several other sources and it IS very common. so, the only thing i can do for it is take benadryl and sit in cool baths. i use aveeno oatmeal body wash and that helps a lot. and when i am not in the soothing bath waters, i use a topical cream that was prescribed to me. anyway, 7 more weeks to go! we're on countdown! especially now that i'm so itchy! =)

XOXO,
alli

The Forgotten Coast

Micah had a movie premier last night at the surf theatre in huntington beach. it premiered at the santa barabara film festival a while back, but this was the local premier. it was fun. a lot of our family and friends were there. the movie is really good! they are distributing it to nationwide retailers such as target, walmart, and blockbuster. so you all will be able to see it sometime soon! i think you can google it and see a trailer to the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykr3DLlwqUE

hope that link works! you'll really like it!

XOXO,
alli

salon baby shower

last night was the baby shower that my salon threw for me =) it was so much fun! the girls i work with are so wonderful! it is such a wonderful gift to work with people that you genuinely love and care for. all of them. there isn't a single person there that i don't love with all my heart. they are so sweet and kind. i'm so thankful for them. =) it was a really fun shower. we didn't play games, cause i don't like games =) so they did a diaper raffle instead =) i have so many diapers now...it's great! they spoiled me rotten! i was literally SHOWERED with gifts for my son. so sweet and generous. we are blessed. it was so nice. they had my favorite flower displayed everywhere...gerber daisies. and even the cake had daisies on it =) the cake tasted like a perfect brownie! oh my! so good! they had my favorite pizza there, mushroom lasagna, and macaroni and cheese =) and a yummy salad with strawberries in it! literally to die for! they made a baby shower into a baby party! =) micah came at the end of the shower to hang out and help me load up the car with all the gifts. it was fun to have him there. we stayed til after 1030. that's a late night for me! i'm usually in bed or at least ready for bed by 830 or 9 =) so, anyway, it was a blast. i'll post pictures as soon as i get them =)

XOXO,
alli

deige's family tree

So, i recently joined ancestry.com. let me tell you...it's the most fun i've had in a long time! such a great project! it has kept me so busy and occupied. and it's really been a fun way to bring the family together. my grandparents on my dad's side have given me a lot of pictures of the family. and so have my parents. i still need to get photos from micah's family. although, we did get a ton of great ones from his grandma. her family is from mexico, so it's super neat to see those photos. his mom's side is from italy so those pictures will be fun to add as well. what we've done is taken the original photos to walgreens. there, they make prints that match and literally they look ALMOST original. =) without the wear and tear. =) but, it's so much fun. i encourage all of you to do this project at some point. it's so neat. i have my mom's family dated back to the 1500's. so, it's a really neat thing to have. and i plan on making scrap books full of the family tree info and pictures. i already started the one i'm giving my parents. i still have so much work to do. trying to get it done, though, before deige comes! =) i know i'll have no time to do it after he arrives. and i really want these finished by christmas time. anyway, thought i'd share this project with you all. it's so great...seriously, try it!

XOXO,
alli

okki baby gift pails

there is the most darling website ever called okki baby. =) they make the cutest gift pails! i recently got one for one of my friends. she is having a little girl. so, i ordered a few cute onesies and they stuffed it in a cutie pail decorated with little paper dolls. =) oh my word, so cute! it made my friend smile so big. it's just a cute and very fun way to celebrate a new baby on the way! check them out for more ideas. =)

XOXO,
alli

preggie pops save the day again!

so, i know i talk a lot about preggie pops, but....they are amazing!!! i recently gave some to a girl at work who has a pregnant sister. her sister is super sick with all the morning woos that go along with pregnancy. she said the preggie pops saved her! they are literally so amazing cause they work instantly. and they don't taste nasty...even if they did, i'd eat them just because they work! but, they DO taste really good. and they DO work. so, double plus!! =) i'm also going to send some to my newly pregnant cousin in virginia. =) i'm sure she will love them as well. and, for those of you who aren't pregnant, they have products for non prego girls. like stuff for motion sickness, or just nausea in general. check them out. and always remember what a great gift they make for any mom to be that you know! =)

XOXO,
alli

not online afterall

so, i guess they aren't putting the contest online afterall. we're bummed. it's a huge contest and for some odd reason they aren't web casting it! so strange! but you can check out micah's scores and stuff like that if you google the usopen. it will show how the contest is going and you can kind of follow him that way. he left right now to go down to the pier. it's only 930am. he's going to watch the contest for a while. just to get a feel for how things are going. and then surf for a while before he competes. it's kind of a weird day today. all cloudy and breezy outside. the news said we should expect rain. very weird. i'm excited about today, though, because the salon is throwing me a baby shower! =) it's at 4pm, and i just can't wait! it should be really fun. the group of girls that i work with are all super fun and sweet. i genuinely love them all. i will take pictures and write all about it tomorrow. =)

XOXO,
alli

US OPEN

so this weekend was the start of the us open. it's the biggest surf event of the year. micah is really excited about it. he didn't have to do the trials, cause he had enough points from previous contests to start AFTER trials. so, he first surfs on monday. around 1245pm. you can watch him online. it's really fun. today he's at the pier signing autographs. its so cute to watch him sign autographs for all the little kids that look up to him. being a pro surfer is a big responsibility because they typically have a "lazy and ignorant" reputation. a lot of surfers have the "party" reputation as well. i lucked out with micah. he's such a great guy. micah is a strong christian. he loves his family, loves his friends, and loves his job. micah is so smart and has really made a name for himself in this industry. i know deige already knows how great his daddy is. i can't wait to watch micah and deige grow together as father and son. 8 more weeks and the little guy will be here! =) so fun! anyway, make sure you all watch micah surf online. hope your weekend is extra pretty! will write more later...

XOXO,
alli

why so itchy?

So the last few days i've been super itchy and i can't figure out why! it started in the middle of the night...my hands were burning and itching so badly that i couldn't go back to sleep. i tried to soothe them with lotions and cold water. but nothing helped. then i started itching everywhere! my armpits, my legs, my toes, my elbows...literally everywhere. but the weird part is that there was no rash! it looked like normal skin. i went to see the dr after the 2nd day of itching. to my dismay, the dr couldn't see me because she was called into delivery. so they sent me to urgent care. the dr there didn't have a clue what to do for me. he said that his best guess is that it's pregnancy related. i totally disagree. and only because this isn't the first time i've been this itchy. i remember last year being really itchy and the dermatologist didn't know why. eventually it passed. but it was miserable in the mean time. so, the urgent care dr told me to take benadryl and he gave me a topical cream to use as well. its better. but not gone. and i feel SO bad for deige cause i'm taking benadryl every 4-6 hours just to stay sane! but i hate taking medicine because i know he's taking medicine whenever i do! =( it makes me feel like a bad mommy. he's so helpless in there. and here i am itching to death and basically eating benadryl tablets. i hope this passes soon! and if anyone has ideas or suggestions as to what this could be...i would love to hear from you! i will keep you posted as to how all of this plays out! =) have a pretty weekend!

XOXO,
alli

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Deige's Auntie turns 20!!!

Deige's auntie, anna, turned 20 this week. =) it was a really fun birthday. my two sisters and i flew home to colorado for a week. it's been really fun, but really busy! we drove to the mountains on saturday night and spent the evening in breckenridge. it was nice to smell the fresh mountain air. =) although, it's a lot more tiring for me out here. i think it's the higher altitude. anyway, we just got home and i only have two more days here. i leave on tues. it was fun being here with the sisters because it's the first time we've been together as a family like this in a long time. aimee and i even slept in bunk beds like we used to when we were younger. =) i will make sure to write some more when i get home to california on tuesday. hope everyone is having a pretty week! ps, does anyone know a good brand of nursing gowns for the hospital? i'm in the market for one. so keep me posted if you do! =)

XOXO,
alli

ChicBlvd.com shares ThreeLollies.com with Me!

the ChicBlvd girls shared the site threelollies.com with me... and I also got some samples. They have Preggie Pops and Drops, naturally flavored and specially formulated lollipops and drops made for pregnant women--to ease morning sickness.

i like the preggie pop drops the best. those actually really did help me through my first trimester, and into my second trimester since i was so sick. i also find myself using them again now that i'm in my last trimester. i've been unfortunately queasy this whole pregnancy =( but...great product! it really works!

Check out threelollies.com.