christmas in nashville

updated 34 week belly pic :)

this was hank and my first christmas not traveling, i don't have any time off around the holidays and i am getting close to 36 weeks, when they don't advise flying- so we stayed here :) my mom came into town and really made it feel like christmas. we ate an amazing dinner at cafe nonna, took a walk through shelby bottoms with the pups (pics below) and had a really low key and lazy christmas day. it was perfect.

the watson crew.

georgia in action.

mom and pups action shot with my new camera!

we got so many generous gifts, lots in anticipation of wee watson's arrival! hank bought the outfit her him/her to come home in, an adorable jumper. i can't believe we are ready to get our bags packed in preparation!

wee watson is getting big and running out of space, so inversions are feeling especially yummy. check out wee watson's elbow in this shot!

all in all i am continually reminded of all my amazing blessings. thank you mom for coming to nashville and celebrating an untraditional but beautiful christmas with hank and i and the pups in nashville.

xo

guessing game

click here and you can guess wee watson's arrival date, gender, weight and length :)

:)

christmas week and ice

34 weeks will ring in on christmas day, so much to celebrate and be thankful for. i must say, i think i have the best christmas gift right inside my belly- hank, it is going to be hard to beat what is coming our way with any exchange of gifts :)

my mom got into town last night, and as hank said, it doesn't feel like christmas until some family is around, so thank you mom for coming to nashville! it feels like christmas now that you are here!

the biggest change this week for me- i can't see my toes anymore! it is official :) i was showering yesterday morning, looked down to admire the beautiful pedicure sarah and i got the day before- and i couldn't see it! i had to lean forward :) i have to admit, i laughed at myself in the shower and smiled- its a milestone i think! just another amazing reminder that we are getting close to meeting wee watson and i just can't wait!!!

second piece of business- i am obsessed with ice. yes, ice. it is 30 degrees outside and all i want is crunchy, cold and refreshing ice. it must be a preggo thing. anyone else have this?! poor zoe's next door to the store, i go over there and stalk them for their ice machine! they must think i am crazy (and the ONLY person looking for ice in the winter month of december), but i can't get enough. oh, and don't even get me started on sonic's ice. it is the cream of the crop and always worth the drive :) and not bad that in order to ask for a cup of ice i also have to purchase a chocolate milkshake. yum yum yum.

my mom is armed with an amazing camera, so we will get some updated belly pics while she is here. until then, a sleepy hello from the pups.

xo and happy holidays from the watson fam!

33 weeks and oh, so thankful

i am not sure when the shift happened, but now i am counting the weeks to go rather then the weeks done :) i guess you could say i am getting excited and anxious to meet wee. i am also in complete shock that i can almost count on one hand the number of weeks until he/she comes into the world. what i also never thought about until now is that my due date is a good guesstimate of when wee watson will arrive, but not a guarantee! i could potentially go into labor anytime between two weeks from now and seven weeks from now! two weeks!!! i don't plan for that, nor hope for that but i have spoken with lots of women who have delivered around 35-38 and when you are counting down weeks shaving a few off makes a big difference!!

i don't have an updated belly pic for this post, will put one up as soon as hank gets home from getting bagels :) yum.

did have an appt. with my midwife this past week and all is still great. wee watson's heart is still the most beautiful sound, steady and strong. i will go back next week for my 34 week appointment, then at 36 weeks and then every week after that until i go into labor! i asked my midwife LOTS of questions last week. i think she thought i wasn't really educating myself because all of my appointments prior i wouldn't really ask anything. this time, i brought a list :) i am so happy i went the midwife route, she was so thorough with me, answering all my questions about labor, what happens when it starts, when i know is a good time to go to the hospital...etc.

what were her answers you might ask? listen to your body. i love it. just simple. i am a strong and intuitive woman, i will know what is right and what is wrong. i will know when it is time to go to the hospital and when i am ok to still be at home. so beautiful.

i think a part of why i am feeling so amazed that wee watson comes so soon is that i am still feeling mostly like myself. i am still actively working at the store on my feet all day, still spinning, doing yoga (sometimes in the same day!) and meeting friends at a bar for a drink (water for me). i feel so alive, so empowered and so lucky. i have a friend who i work with who was put on bedrest. she is just as healthy and fit as i am and yet, she needed medical intervention. it is in these moments i step back and realize- wow, i am so truly blessed to be engaged and active and living my life with wee watson every day. i really hope to carry this into our lives postpartum as well. realizing that this is a gift and an addition to my already amazing and beautiful life.

xo

32 weeks and snow!

hello from the pups!

this weekend marks 32 weeks, officially putting us in the 8 month of pregnancy! the bump hasn't changed that much in my perspective, although my belly button is starting to show! i find myself constantly touching my belly and belly button, i am so used to having such an innie! i have never felt an outie :)

this past week has been very busy at the store, keeping me on my feet and on the move. i still feel amazing, lots of energy and excitement. yoga is the best thing around these days, it takes the swelling out of my body, eases my mind and always reminds me that my body and mind are capable of so much as long as i focus my breath. every time i step away from my mat i am so thankful to have found this community, the people, the practice, the energy- it is all so healing and powerful. i know my yoga practice, my time on the mat, will directly transfer to my labour. i trust my body, i trust my heart, i trust my breath. i trust my labour experience will be amazing, and most importantly, the result of it will be the most beautiful thing- our firstborn baby, the one who will complete our family. with every week hank and i are just bursting with anticipation to meet wee watson.

and of course, because its me, i have already stocked up on diapers, cream, wipes...the whole nine yards. we are ready!!

8 more weeks to go :) and i am going to soak each and every one of them up!! wee watson is kicking and punching and moving around like a little soccer player/ballerina and i although i can't wait to meet wee, i also will be sad to have these movements go :) they are so special.

here is our house, snowy and decorated for christmas!

happy holidays! xo

31 weeks, baby shower and thanksgiving

so much to catch up on! sorry for my absence, time is slipping away faster then i can handle! i can't believe christmas is right around the corner.

hank and i had an amazing thanksgiving in pittsburgh with his family, they are the most wonderful and loving people- i feel so blessed to have inherited them as my family :) hank and i got lots of practice too with quinn, our newest nephew (and my Godson!) as well as a glimpse into our future as maggie and peter have three kids- we can only hope we are that together when that day comes! being with all the kids made both hank and i realize that the next time we are all together, we will have our own! one we get to take home with us when we leave :) SO exciting. we are so grateful to have such an amazing family who support us in this new journey.

thank you Watsons/Brittains/Kumars. much love.

i came home early as i had to work on black friday and since hank and driven with the dogs, i was alone in the house. it was erie! then my dad came into town and we got to spend 3 days hanging out and doing it nashville style! we saw emmylou harris at the bluebird cafe (she just showed up!), ran into nicole kidman and keith urban at whole foods and JUST missed the newest couple- taylor swift and jake gyllenhaal at fido. it was quite a weekend :) thanks dad for coming and making an empty house feel full and happy! love you.

we also put together the final touches on the nursery, see the result below!

the artwork was a present from my dad, it is an 1800's ABC book that he framed for wee, so gorgeous! thanks dad.

we also finally got our glider and holy cow, it is the most comfortable chair i have ever put my bum in! i sat in there for 30 min and teared up thinking of rocking my little wee watson there. it is such a happy space and i can't wait to welcome him/her into it!

wee watson is growing so fast! here is the best self pic i could get this morning....

he/she is kicking and moving like a champ, i go for my 32 week appt next week, then after that we visit the midwife every 2 weeks! getting SO close i can't believe it :)

hank and i toured the hospital this week to see the labour and delivery ward...i have to say, i was a bit scared when i left. it didn't give me any warm and fuzzies inside. but, i am choosing to focus on the end result- beautiful and healthy wee watson in my arms.

the highlight of my week though was saturday night. hank and i had chatted about celebrating the milestone of 30 weeks. well, it was right after thanksgiving and we weren't together, so we decided to celebrate 31 weeks instead. so, he made reservations at cafe nonna for us saturday night (or so i thought). we got dressed, got in the car and as we were getting close i started to be the front seat driver that i am and told him he was going the wrong way! i am too busy googling directions on my blackberry when he parks and tells me to get out of the car. i look around and realize we are not at cafe nonna but my friend blairs house! he told me we had to pick something up there before dinner...i was so confused! we walk up the door and SURPRISE!! all my besties are there waiting for me to throw me a baby shower!!! it was SO amazing, i have never been surprised like that! i was (and still am) overwhelmed with the love i am surrounded by. lucky, lucky me! it was a hilarious party, just a pure celebration of the fact that hank and i are surrounded by the best group of friends here in nashville and we are so blessed.

opening our nashville onsie!

caroline, me & sarah

mindy, me & sarah

lets just say it wasn't a typical baby shower, but it was perfect. lots of laughs, drinks and toasts (thanks caroline!). i couldn't have planned it any better myself! thank you ladies for your love, your support and most importantly for your unrelenting friendship. i love you all so much.

phew. that was quite a post. if you are still reading, thank YOU for your support and love. hank and i wouldn't be here were it not for you :)

xo