Life At 36 Weeks Pregnant
Good morning!
How are you?!
It’s been a bit since I’ve blogged… I guess you could say I’ve been a little busy preparing for our BABY! 👶😂 It’s crazy how much preparation I’ve been doing (yup, nesting is real)… although I’m sure it’s more to keep my own mind busy than for any other reason. Anyway, as an organized person, I’m not hating it at all. In fact, it makes me rather calm.
The last few weeks have really flown by between keeping busy at work (we had two new team members join!), our wedding anniversary, baby classes, our California baby shower, my friend Caitie visiting LA, and all the little prep errands/tasks I’ve been doing to get ready for Baby B.
A photo from my “me day” a week ago at Proof Bakery in Atwater.
In no particular order, here’s a closer look at life lately at 36 weeks pregnant.
We Celebrated Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary At Castaway In Burbank
On June 10 (just 2 days after our “dating anniversary”), Sam and I went out for a lovely (and warm… it was a 90-degree night) dinner at Castaway in Burbank. If you’ve never been, you totally should. It’s such a beautiful hillside restaurant overlooking the Valley, and the food is top notch.
We ordered: Their Heirloom Tomato and Burrata starter, Roasted Tricolor Cauliflower (probably the best I’ve ever had), and then for dinner… Sam got a Steak with their Lobster and Truffle Potato, and I had the Wild Mushroom Pappardelle Pasta. All = delicious.
*My cocktail was their yummy “Freckles” drink—Lemonade with Candied Strawberries and Mint Aroma.
Dani & Dave Hosted An Amazing Baby Shower For Us
We had the best time at our California shower on June 15! We are the luckiest to have been thrown a SECOND shower here, thanks to our generous cousins Dani and Dave who opened their home to our family and friends to celebrate Baby B’s arrival.
Every little touch was so sweet and well thought out—from the decorations, favors and food, to the homemade desserts (thanks, Karen!), beautiful gifts, cards, and ambiance.
We had an awesome time!
We’ve Been Attending Baby Classes
Since my yoga training has finished, I’ve had a lot more time to fit in baby prep classes, so Sam and I have been attending a few: baby basics, labor and delivery, and breastfeeding. They’ve been informative. We also took an extensive tour of the hospital I’ll be delivering at which was really great/reassuring. I’m feeling very prepared and excited!
Sam, Holly And I Went To An Outdoor Concert
One of our favorite summer traditions has been going to La Canada’s free outdoor concerts each year, so we decided to check out one last Sunday. It was classic rock night!
We packed a bag of snacks and drinks, sat on blankets on the grass, and chilled out for a couple hours together. So much fun!
Caitie Came To LA
One of my closest friends, Caitie, came to LA to visit us for a day (what a gem) and it was so much fun! It’s crazy how seeing an old pal, it feels like no time has passed at all. I hadn’t seen her since last August so we had a lot to catch up on!
We made the most of our one day together—lunch outside at Home in Los Feliz, coffee/lemonade at The Guest House next door, catching up at my place with comedy specials and laughs, and then dinner at one of our fave local spots, We’re Pouring in Glendale, with Sam. All-in-all, it was a super fun day with one my favorite people. 😊
Caitie is one of the most generous people, so her gifts for Baby B warmed our hearts too. Thank you, girl!
We Saw The Movie Echo In The Canyon
The other day, Sam and I went to a local movie theater to see the music documentary Echo in the Canyon. It was right up our alley. Have you heard of it? It covers LA’s Laurel Canyon music scene from the 60s. ✌🏼
We’re suckers for anything music-related and love documentaries so we were all into it from the get-go.
My Yogi Friends And I Went To One Of Our Teacher’s Plays—Mama Metal
Courtney, one of my yoga training instructors, was the lead actress in a local BADASS play in Atwater Village called Mama Metal, so a bunch of us went to go check her out. It was INTENSE in a really good way, and we all walked away saying, “Wowww……” It was awesome seeing Courtney in her element like that and getting to witness her pure acting talent centerstage.
She rocked it. 🤘🏻
I’ve Been Freezer Meal-Prepping
One of the things I’ve really wanted to do before the baby’s arrival is meal prep so we have some healthy frozen meals ready during those first few busy weeks. So, the other day, I got busy in the kitchen getting started with that. I made: Veggie Egg Muffins, Smoothie Freezer Packs, Lactation Cookies (for when I’m breastfeeding and need a little boost), and Vegan Banana-Oat Bread (which I just kinda winged on my own).
It felt awesome to get ahead like that and store some tasty dishes away for when we’ll really need them. I heard that this was a real lifesaver for new parents when the baby arrived and they didn’t have time to cook/prepare food as much. (I’ve also heard prepping foods you can eat with just one hand is key… since breastfeeding every couple hours has your arms/hands quite tied up.)
In the next week or so, I want to also prep some more lunch/dinner meals like crockpot chicken dishes, a hearty soup, and maybe sweet potato/bean burritos.
Care to share any ideas?!
We’ve Been Narrowing Down Baby Names
Choosing a baby name has been no easy task. I swear it’s been the hardest thing for me! We have a running list with both boy and girl names, but as the weeks go by, I get more and more anxious about it and choosing the “right” one. So many people have said we’ll know when we meet the baby, so I’m really hoping that’s true. Right now, we have about 3-5 names per sex and are still brainstorming middle name ideas.
I guess I just really want to love their name, and I want he/she to also really be into their name too, once they’re old enough to grasp it haha. So much pressure. I know it’s just a name and everyone has one, but I want it to be GOOD.
Are you a parent? How did you choose your child’s name? HELP! 😂
I’ve Packed My Hospital Bag Already
I know. I told you I was organized… 🤣
The bassinet will move next to my bedside when Baby B is here. 🙂
When I started having “false”/practice contractions the other night (don’t worry, they’re totally normal), it really pushed me to finish packing my hospital bag JUST in case I go earlier than expected. Full term is right around the corner for me at 37 weeks, so I just wanted to be ready to go in case things moved quicker.
During the hospital tour, they went over some things to pack and encouraged us to not overpack (hah), so I tried to pack smart and just keep it to the essentials. There are so many articles written about this that I checked out for inspiration. Here’s one. Sam and the baby will also have a small bag of things. 😊
Well… that’s been what life has looked like this past month or so. Busy, busy.
With my final work day just a couple weeks out now, things are feeling more real than ever. I’m enjoying my work routine but I am ready to transition into motherhood at home for a few months and really savor the special moments of baby bonding and having Sam home too. This is all so new to us and we’re excited for the adventure.
Back at 35 weeks.
Thanks for reading,
Ari
