37 Weeks :: Full Term!

Well, here we are at week 37! We've officially made it to full term! I wanted to write a quick update post since I haven't really done one in awhile. 

Things are all set for Baby Schmitt's arrival...the nursery is completed, our bags are packed, and car seat installed! All we need now is our baby boy :)

Since I'm coming down to the final weeks (maybe even days!) I've been thinking a lot about how fortunate I am to have had such a great pregnancy (praying that my delivery is the same!). I'm really not sure if I am in the minority or in the majority with other mamas when I say that I have truly enjoyed being pregnant. Now, don't get me wrong - the aches and pains and just general uncomfortableness of pregnancy is not exactly what I would call fun, and my 1st trimester of "morning" sickness wasn't exactly glamorous - BUT through it all, I've actually been enjoying these last 9 months. Yucky symptoms and all.

It is pretty amazing to think that our little boy will be here any week/day now. I'm not sure if there will be any more "pregnancy" posts on the blog, so if this post does turn out to be my last pregnancy related post, I just want to say thank you to all those that have been on this journey with us these last 9 months. It's been fun to share all of these pregnancy milestones with friends and family, and this blog has allowed me to keep much of these memories in one place. I do plan to continue blogging after Baby Schmitt's arrival, and am looking forward to sharing many photos, milestones, and memories in the months/years to come.

It's almost time little guy...let the countdown begin!

End of Wedding Season | Maternity Leave

Here I am at 34.5 weeks on my final wedding weekend of 2012. It feels unbelievably surreal to say that. Even though our season was relatively short compared to recent years, we completed 7 weddings in just 10 weeks all while I was pregnant. It was no easy feat, and I have to thank SO many people around me for their amazing support and assistance. 

As I begin my maternity leave and get ready to hand over my trusty clipboard + wedding tote for bottles + a diaper bag, I can't help but look back on all of the incredible moments I've witnessed at the 40+ weddings I've been lucky to have been apart of. 

To my Clients - As I've said many times in the past, I am extremely lucky to have worked with soooo many amazing couples. Many of my brides have become very dear friends, and I am so grateful for that. Today, I am reflecting on this post I wrote nearly 1 year ago. These could not be more fitting words for how I feel about all of you. Seeing so many of you purchase your first homes, travel the world with your spouses, and become first time parents is what I love so much about my continued friendships with all of you. Please continue to keep in touch!

To Meghan - Simply put, you ROCK! How can I ever thank you for all of your hard work and countless hours that we've spent together pulling off some amazing weddings?! I think we make one heck of a team!

To Rob - THANK YOU for your unending support that has allowed me to do what I love for a living. There are no words to describe how grateful I am to have such a supportive husband. I love you! 

Lastly, to Baby Schmitt - Thank you for not surprising us with an unexpected appearance at a wedding ;) Mommy is SO ready to meet you and fill her days with lots of cuddles and play time together! Just a few more weeks baby boy!!!

My official maternity leave begins today and will extend through the end of the year and into early 2013. We are currently in the process of restructuring some of our service levels, but I do plan to be back for the spring/summer wedding season of 2013.

Ok, now that I have cried through this post multiple times, I will wrap things up and just simply end this post with another huge THANK YOU! :)

xoxo,

Baby Schmitt's Jungle Themed Nursery

Well, we're in the final stretch of this pregnancy and Baby Schmitt's nursery is officially completed! Rob took a few photos of the nursery so we could share them with out-of-town family and friends, but I have to admit that I'm slightly bummed we can't share everything in the nursery just yet since we're keeping the lil' guy's name a secret. There are a few things that have been blurred/edited out...the most obvious is the missing wooden letters that spell out his name above his crib. I'm in love with the wooden letters, but those unedited photos will just have to wait to be shared until after his birthday :) 

Here are also a few detail shots of some various decor items around his room, including his book shelf/toy area inside his closet:

I hope Baby Schmitt loves his nursery as much as we do! It was a labor of love, and both Rob and I had a blast putting the room together for him. Everything is ready and in its place...baby monitors are set up and ready to go, his laundry is done and neatly tucked away in his dresser drawers, and we have a variety of other toys and equipment that have taken over the rest of our house. We are so READY for him! Less than 6 weeks to go :)

Hospital Bag

I am notoriously known for over-packing (what women isn't though, right?!) so I really tried to think practical when I was making my hospital bag packing list. I used the information from some of our baby prep classes combined with a few checklists online and some helpful advice from friends, so hopefully I have all of my bases covered. I will undoubtedly still end up over packing and may even forget a few things, but I feel pretty confident with the items I have.

I am sharing my hospital bag packing list below in case any other mamas are interested. I also thought it might be interesting to update this post after my hospital stay to see what items I actually needed and those that I could have gone without.  

Just a side note for any men that may be reading this :: There are some "girly" items listed below. You have been sufficiently warned :)

• Toiletries (basic shower + hygiene necessities...I basically just raided the Target travel section for these items)
• Chapstick (I have had SO many people tell me to bring this, since hospitals can be very, very dry) 
• Hard Candy + Gum (again, hospitals are very dry)
• Hair ties (I pretty much always have one on my wrist, but I packed a few extras just in case...there is nothing worse than having hair in your face when you are hot & uncomfortable...I am thinking these will come in handy during labor)
• Nursing bras + breast pads (self explanatory...I also threw in some Lanolin cream)
• Boppy pillow (for nursing)
• Post-delivery clothes (I am STILL debating on whether to bring some comfy pants combined with nursing tank tops or just opting for a button-down nightgown...I suppose I will try to figure this out soon)
• "Going Home" outfit (I packed a pair of comfy yoga pants, a tank top, and lightweight hoodie...I am not trying to win any fashion contests here) 
• Underwear + pads ('nuff said. Most mamas reading this will understand why)
  
• Prenatal vitamins (since I am planning to nurse, these will still be a part of my daily routine)
  
• Bath towel (this one might seem excessive, but I've been told hospital towels are small & thin, so I threw in one from home just for added comfort) 
• Flip Flops (for the shower) 
• Fuzzy socks (for walking the halls & staying warm)
• Magazines (for any downtime. I also threw in my breastfeeding book I received from our breastfeeding class...even though I've read through it already, I will no doubt need to reference it once baby is actually here)
• Extra bag for dirty laundry  
• Note book + pens (for taking notes and tracking baby's feeding/diaper changing schedule) 
• Thank you notes (for any gifts we may receive while in hospital...I figured it couldn't hurt to pack a few of these)
• Cell phone + charger
• Wallet + insurance card (obvious necessities)
• Birth Plan (which I am almost finished writing!)
• Baby Book (we learned on our hospital tour to bring this with us and the nurses will gladly make a duplicate copy of baby's footprints inside the book)

In baby's bag, I packed:

• Wipes (the hospital where I am delivering uses wet "activating" wipes, which I've heard aren't the greatest, so I picked up an extra pack of wipes to use instead)
• Onesies + sleepers (I packed a few of these in NB and 0-3 m. I want to have these just in case)
• "Going Home" outfit 
• Hats + mittens + socks
• Receiving blankets + lightweight blanket for car ride home

I did not pack any pacifiers for baby, since it is now my hospital's policy not to give any baby a pacifier in the 1st 3-4 weeks unless it is for a medical procedure (i.e. circumcision). I agree, and am leaving them at home. 

I also have a small bag packed for Rob as well, as he'll be staying in the hospital overnight with me. Some of his items include: 2 days worth of clothes, pj's, and toiletries. Rob is also in charge of the camera gear :)

Well, there you have it...my hospital bag checklist. I am just about packed...I still have a few of these items to gather up around the house, but hopefully I'll have all 3 of our bags zipped up and ready to go very soon.

What do you think of my list? Am I a crazy over-packer? Or am I missing some obvious necessities?

PA Baby Shower

Rob and I were lucky enough to have two showers thrown for us (this is the 1st grandchild for both sides of our families, so both grandmas-to-be are very excited for Baby Schmitt's arrival). Due to our busy summer schedules, I wasn't able to make the trip down to NC; therefore, my Mom offered to come up from NC to throw me a shower here in Pittsburgh. My PA shower was a small gathering at our house with some of my local mommy friends. My mom, sister, and I had fun decorating the house with our teal/green/white color scheme.

Here are a few photos from the shower that Rob took before everyone arrived.

Here is a photo collage of the decor that I put together with my iPhone.

A big thank you to one of my good friends, Sherry, for making such an awesome jungle-themed diaper cake!

Thank you again to all of the ladies who attended! We had quite a few people who were unable to attend the shower due to vacations, weddings, and even a few babies being born :) We missed all of you and can't wait to catch up with all of you soon. Oh, and a special thank you to Sherry's husband, Dave, for entertaining Rob for the afternoon while us girls had our fair share of baby/pregnancy talk ;)

Between both showers, Rob and I are just about ready to welcome Baby Schmitt into the world! Once we get the nursery all ready to go we'll share some photos on the blog. Stay tuned! :)
 
 

NY Baby Shower

This past weekend we ventured up to NYC for our baby shower that Rob's Mom so graciously planned & hosted for us. It was a really great afternoon, and both Rob and I feel SO incredibly blessed and grateful for everyone's love and generosity for our little boy. One of my favorite (and most simple) parts of the shower was that in lieu of cards, guests brought books for the baby instead. All of the books are signed, so years from now we'll be able to look back and see who gave him each book :)

Here are a few pics from the shower.

Thank you again to everyone that came! To those that could not attend - we missed you! Also, a big thank you to Carmilla and Michelle for making the adorable jungle-themed diaper cake and chocolate candy favors. Love you ladies!! xo

 

The BIG 3-0

This week marks 30 weeks for me. As in only 10.more.weeks until my due date! Wow! I cannot believe I am 30 weeks pregnant! I just keep saying that over and over to myself. It's a great feeling, and we are counting down the days and weeks until we get to meet our little boy. 

Here are a few updates :)

Pediatrician 

We found our pediatrician! From the moment we walked in the office, I had a good feeling. Once we sat down with the doctor and had a chance to talk about the practice and our questions, Rob and I instantly knew this was the perfect place for our little guy. If any of my local mommy friends are looking for a great pediatrician, let me know and I'll be happy to discuss more details. 

Baby Gear

Our house is slowly but surely being taken over by all kinds of baby gadgets + gear, and I absolutely LOVE it!! I think Rob is just as excited for all of the gadgets as I am because he puts everything together as soon as we get it :) 

3D Ultrasound

We went in for a 3D ultrasound (just for fun), but little man didn't want to cooperate and was more interested in snuggling up in a corner than smiling for the camera (the ultrasound tech said he's a mama's boy - hooray!!). We go back in 2 weeks for another shot at it, so hopefully we'll be able to get a good picture of his face. Even though we didn't get a great photo, we did get a few glimpses of his face before he snuggled up. We think he has my nose and Rob's mouth/lips. He's a cute little fella and loves to play with his hands. We even saw him yawning, which was pretty neat to see! Oh, and we confirmed for a 3rd time that he is in fact a boy :)

Wedding Season 

Over the past 5 weeks I've had the privilege of being apart of 5 incredible weddings. I still have 2 more (gorgeous!) weddings before this season officially comes to an end, but I feel so incredibly lucky to have worked with such amazing clients, rock star vendors who make my job loads of FUN, my trusty side kick, Meghan, and of course my always supportive husband for all he contributes to the business. Maternity leave starts in July!