hoping for a water birth

Sunday, June 29, 2014

i never considered water birth until talking with my friend j. she's the reason for me switching hospital as well :) i didn't know a lot about water births prior to talking with her. after talking with her, i was quite intrigued.

there is so much that you can read on water birthing here, here and here.

bd and i took the water birthing class a couple weeks ago in preparation for the big day. in order to actually have a water birth, you have to take the class and meet a lot of criteria on the day of birth. if something is slightly off, then you can't, for liability purpose.

water birthing is supposed to be more comfortable for the mother and since the "plan" is for me to go epi-free, the water is supposed to help with the pain and the whole laboring process. fingers crossed that all goes well, and we can have a water birth.

 
37 weeks, day 4

 
my feet is starting to swell a bit, but not too much so far. let's hope that continues to be the case!

in the meantime, have you seen this video? a coworker told me about it and i thought it was absolutely hilarious and a good eye-opener for the partners in our life who aren't going to be going through labor.

-kaolee


36 weeks

Friday, June 27, 2014


at 36 weeks (i'm now 37 weeks). he's getting larger than life.

 
this week has been beyond hectic, and that might be an understatement. i'm looking forward to a more relaxing weekend, and hopefully more (and better sleep). i have a few things to tie up at work, but other than that, i'm hoping these last few weeks at work will be a little calmer.
 
my work threw me a baby shower at work today and it was absolutely wonderful. and i got the biggest item on my must-have list: a stroller + car seat. also got some other fun goodies that the little guy will love. all thanks to my coworkers!
 
this weekend's to-do:
-get my breast pump
-clean the cars
-finish packing the overnight bag
-decide on a doula
-get another car seat base & install them both in our cars
 
i'll be seeing the doctor every week from now on. i can't believe all this time has passed by already. it's just absolutely wild to me. the reality of this little guy in our life.
 
have a great weekend!
 
-kaolee



the things beyond my control

Sunday, June 22, 2014

the first day of summer was spent looking for houses. we looked at what seemed to be a million houses (it wasn't, but being 8 months pregnant and all, it was quite a few). i keep going back and forth between moving back into another apartment and trying to make it into a house before my maternity leave.

and it is stressing me out. and after all those houses, i think i am fine back into an apartment. i know what an apartment entails, we've been in apartments pretty much our whole married life (besides the stint of housesitting for a friend & staying in another friend's house). we know the costs. we like having that little gym (or i do at least). there is no yard work involved. we can leave after a year. it's simple. it's noncommittal.

a house screams commitment. it screams permanency. it screams things breaking down and lots of money down the drain. and with this new baby, i don't want to go crazy worrying about everything. and i know i will.

bd is still looking at houses and i'm not going to worry about it until after he comes. i just can't let myself get wrapped into that, into work, into the baby, into all the stresses that i keep feeling on my shoulder.

the other day i read this great article and the part that helped me the most was about letting go of the things that i cannot control. whenever i have a lot of stressors in my life, i try to compartmentalize and focus on getting through those stressors. however, i have been feeling like there are a lot of stressors in my life, and i can't control those things which irritates me, and adds even more stress on me. somedays i just want to lay in bed, and not open my eyes. i just want to block everything out until he comes. and boy, i can't wait until he comes. when is he going to come? will i feel it the couple of days before? or will it all of suddenly hit me minutes before things are about to happen? i wish i knew, but i just don't. and i'm trying to let that go. again, beyond my control. i can't predict when this will happen.

work's been a bit draining. it feels like busy season still and it's nearly july. and yet, there are lots to get done the rest of this month. i'm trying to push through and get through as much as i can. some things are under my control, and others aren't. some days, i feel so drained and my mind is on slow motion. i am trying to focus my energy and get through what i can. prioritize the things that i need to do right now, and let go of the things that i don't need to do right now.

i probably sound like a hot mess. or worse, a beaten dog. it's probably true on both fronts. at the end of the day, it could be worse. i am grateful for this baby, for this job, for my sweet husband, for even being able to consider a house, for everything that i'm blessed with. everything else, i'll just leave it to my God to help me.

-kaolee

origins drink up-intensive overnight mask

Friday, June 20, 2014

i previously posted about this renewal cream that i've been using every night due to my dry pregnancy skin. in addition to that renewal cream, i use this origins drink up intensive overnight mask about twice a week in place of the renewal cream and this mask really helps. even though it's a mask, i basically apply it like a moisturizer in the evening. it is even more thick than the renewal cream.

i love the smell of this mask and love how moisturizing it is. if you have really dry skin and need a hydrating mask, this is perfect.
 
origins currently has 20% off going on right now so stock up!
 
-kaolee




4 weeks countdown

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

i have exactly 4 weeks left before my little guy gets here and i am so ecstatic but yet also nervous. there seems to be so much left to do and i wonder where all my time has gone. how in the world has the past eight months flown by?

these are the last things that I need to do before he gets here:

1. get a car seat.
2. get a stroller.
3. pack my overnight bag.
4. get enough chickens and herbs and rice for the chicken diet.
6. figure out his name.
7. finish all my work at work.
8. get his take home outfit.
9. get a mattress to fit our friend's cradle.
10. wash our cars and put the car seat in.
11. get a bath tub for him.
12. figure out our living situation.
13. get a diaper bag.

not too much to do, right?

in other news, sleeping has not great. there has been too many nights where i lay in bed as the clock slowly tick by to 6am and i'm dreading having to wake up for work because i know i will be super tired. i can also feel him right smack against my belly. it's crazy to think that there is just a little bit of skin between me and him.

the thought of labor is scaring me as well. i haven't taken a childbirth class yet, and i don't think i will have time anymore so i am going to find some time to research relaxation methods.

-kaolee

a baby-cue

Monday, June 16, 2014

my girlfriends threw me a fantastic baby-cue a couple of weekends ago. as this is our first, my bff had the fantastic idea of turning it into a couples shower so that bd could be there as well. we had a lot of fun talking with everyone that came and love all our gifts. we can't wait for him to play with the toys and use all the gifts that everyone gave us. thank you to all those that came, especially those that came from a far distance. we are very blessed to have such wonderful family & friends.

my girlfriend heather took these fantastic pictures. thank you so much for taking these lovely pictures. i used one of them for our thank you cards via shutterfly and thought they turned out fantastic!


my girlfriends made me a mother-to-be crown.

 
our beautiful cake - all the way from peachtree city.


the banner for our little guy.

 
popping.
 
 
parents to be!
 
-kaolee

anthropologie for the home

Saturday, June 14, 2014

anthropologie is having 20% off their home items. i lust over everything of theirs so money were no object, i would totally get these for our next place.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and a couple of these chairs
 
-kaolee

labor jam

Friday, June 13, 2014

for the past three weeks, i've been working at a client site that is a little further from home. the drive there in the morning takes about 40 minutes and the drive back takes at least that long, if not more (especially on a friday). this longer than usual commute means a lot of listening to the radio and the songs that come on. it's given me a chance to think about what music i want during labor.

i haven't decided if i wanted music that is more relaxing or music that will pump me up so my coworkers suggested two playlist, one that is more relaxing while another one that is more energetic. i thought that was brilliant and have come up with two lists. any songs that i should add to my playlists?

chill labor
1. lead me to the cross - hillsong
2. all of me - john legend
3. let it go - idina menzel
4. who am i - casting crowns
5. i will follow - chris tomlin
6. dust in the wind - kansas
7. push - madonna
8. angel - sarah mclachlan
9. with arms wide open - creed
10. one last breath - creed

active labor
1. am i wrong - nico & vinz
2. bailando - enrique Iglesias ft. sean paul
3. shower - becky g
4. i will never let you down - rita ora
5. new divide - linkin park
6. what i've done - linkin park
7. can't remember to forget you - shakira ft. rihanna

clearly, i need more help adding additional music!!! suggestions welcome!

-kaolee

a quick minnesota trip

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

we were able to sneak in a very quick trip to minnesota to visit my grandma, stepmom, stepbrother and son and my brother. my grandma has been in and out of the hospital so it was nice to spend some time with her and talk with her. due to our short trip, we didn't get a whole bunch of sight seeing in, but rather just hung out with family which was perfect, given my situation. we did get to see hmong village and mall of america.

 
my stepbrother and his son waiting for some bubble tea. we don't get to see my nephew a lot so it was a real treat to spend some time with him. he is so cute and such a funny guy. he's super talkative and loves showing us what he's doing on his ipad.


of course we had to walk through the foodcourt. there were so many vendors with all sorts of goodies laid out and ready to go. pho and papaya salad. 


i think these are papaya salad. i can't tell from looking at this picture now whether this is papaya or noodles. looks yummy though.


broiled fish in herbs. 


super colorful rice cakes. 


baked eggs.
 


all the asian skincare a girl could only dream of. 


super cute traditional hmong clothes for kids. 

 
a modern take on a traditional outfit. 

 
harem style pants with a hint of traditional style.

 
anyone missing a headpiece?

 
super cute.

 
the aisles remind me of a storage unit. each vendor has a space where they can sell all sorts of goodies, including clothes, movies, toys, etc.

 
bd checking out this vendor.

 
i spotted this bright outfit. super cute.


all the hmong movies and music you can dream of. 


herbs, medicines and so much more. 

 
 there's even a produce section in hmong village.
 


it was good to see my grandma smiling. she's lost a lot of beautiful long hair, but that smile is always continuous. 

 
us with my stepmom. she was an absolutely fabulous hostess and cooked me so many yummy food and also baked us some of her yummy rolls. best tasting rolls ever.
 
-kaolee

the last homestretch

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

this last month and a half is going to go by so fast. i've been putting a little more time in working, trying my best to get things wrapped up. i am hoping he doesn't come early, but better to be safe then sorry.

i'm seeing some stretch marks under my belly. i'm keeping at it with the creams that i talked about in this post. a friend told me about an after birth cream that i will most likely look into after all is said and done.


@ 33 weeks

 
it's definitely not as comfortable sleeping these days. according to my what to expect app, this little booger is 19 inches and 4.5 lbs, and the size of a honeydew. and honeydews aren't tiny either.

 
-kaolee

origins high-potency night-a-mins mineral-enriched renewal cream

Monday, June 2, 2014

 this last trimester, my skin has been especially dry (see article here). my favorite moisturizer needed a little something extra. instead of changing my daytime moisturizer, i opted for something a little more moisturizing at night. ever since i started using origins last year, i've been loving a lot of their products so when i needed something extra, i decided to look into a moisturizer from their line.
 
when i told the origins lady my dry skin concerns, she recommended this cream. i love the smell of it and the consistency is perfect. it is definitely a lot more moisturizing than my day-time moisturizer. i've been using this at night time after cleaning and toning and i am loving it. it definitely restores the moisture and i'm less dry during the day and can use my regular daytime moisturizer.
 

i love the packaging. it looks fancy and looks good on your vanity.
 

because it's thicker, this will definitely last me a while. i'm actually worried that my skin will go back to being more oily and i might not be able to use it all before then.


you can see here how thick it is, but by morning time, it's all absorbed into my skin and my skin feels super soft.
 
-kaolee

family fun

Sunday, June 1, 2014

is it really june already? this year is just flying by. and this weekend flew by as well. we had family in town for my baby shower and it seems like just yesterday i was anticipating them coming and today they are all gone. after looking at these few pictures that i have of the whole trip, i realized how much more pictures i need to take. it's a double edge sword, to capture pictures that will last forever, and to always feel like every moment needs to be captured, and thus missing the point of living in the moment. however, i have never regretted taking too many pictures because they make me remember all the little things that happen. and these pictures make me happy.


my little niece was so excited for some pool time. it started raining 40 minutes after we went down to the pool so that was a little bit of a bummer, but I'm glad we got to dip a little in the pool. 


this is their silly face pictures.  


my little brother teaching me some ab moves. these will definitely come into handy after baby boy is here. 


two of my brothers. i'll get to see another two brothers this upcoming week, which i'm ecstatic! 


my sister in law is also preggo. and due in july as well!  


my brother's daughter and the first grandchild in our family.
 
missing them already but can't wait to see them all again soon!
 
-kaolee
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