Baby Shower with ICS

I started working as a staff assistant at the International Comparative Studies program at Duke in October 2012. Our faculty and staff hosted a terrific baby shower with a monkey and zoo theme! So grateful for their generosity and friendship.

Baby is doing well!

Today I had another check-up and the baby's heart rate was 140 and my weight gain is on track! Only a few more weeks until we meet our little one! Over the weekend, I was feeling pretty anxious and 'cried' to Paul to that I was overwhelmed. The next day, I picked up my 'Natural Hospital Birth' book and read that crying was totally normal a few weeks before the due date AND during labor. Paul said it was fine just as long as I didn't cry for the whole 12 or more hours of labor. The author suggests that crying is sometimes more helpful in accelerating labor than any type of medicine. If this is the case, I'm all for it!!!

34 weeks!

More marigolds and photos at 34 weeks pregnant!

Olivia Grace Southerland!

Our friends, Cindy and Kevin, had their firstborn baby girl last Saturday. Pics are of one-week old Olivia Grace! SOOOOO CUTE!

30th Birthday Photo

Posting this even though it passed. Paul and I celebrated my 30th birthday on August 2 with my parents and brother in NJ.

33 weeks- Community Garden and Gifts

Over the past few months, Paul spent his evenings tending to our plot in the community garden. The marigolds bloomed! We make salad with the basil from the garden, and we're hoping to get a few tomatoes. Last week I was also having a rough time because of lack of sleep, but I picked up two packages in the mail from friends and they totally transformed my mood for the day. I love having friends who travel internationally! A good friend and amazing artist, Katherine, sent a rattle doll from France while my childhood and best friend, Carolyn, sent a locally made jacket from Ecuador!

Some 32 weeks photos!

My husband took some photos of me at 32 week. I finished making a crib mobile for our little one.