Back in Dallas TX

What a great trip to NH!!! The Baby Shower was great! It was SO nice to see everyone again and you've all started spoiling the baby already!!!! Thank you SO much for all the wonderful gifts! I was able to bring most of them back in my suitcase!! I'm really looking forward to decorating the nursery this week. Aurelio was busy while I was gone putting together the crib and getting everything set. So, now it's my turn to pre-wash all the baby clothes and blankets and get them folded/hung and ready for baby!! If you have some pictures from the baby shower, I'd love to have them! If there not too big, maybe you could e-mail them to jenniferlynnreis@gmail.com ? :) Thanks in advance! :)

Here are a few my mom took during the shower!



You can tell by the way the couch looks that my suitcase was filled pretty full :) Thanks again everyone!! I can't wait to share baby photos with you!!

18 hours left in the NH countdown!! :)

What a week! If you haven't checked out flylady.net; you should! :)

It's really helped me with my daily schedule and I've gotten SO much done without feeling completely overwhelmed. I'm really looking forward to my flight to NH; though I admit I'm a little nervous to be flying pregnant - on my own.

I've been working on crocheting some baby bonnets; but have not had success with the booties. The ones I made looked like little elf booties...pointed toes and everything! LOL! There's no way I'm going to have my child wearing those! haha. So, I'm still trying to figure out how to make them look cute.

The weather here has been really nice; and although they are calling for thunderstorms this afternoon, right now it's 76 and sunny. I should go for a walk around the neighborhood, but my lower back has been really painful lately. My midwife really wants me to get some more aerobic exercise, but it's hard to push yourself to do so when it's painful.

Wish I had some more exciting things to share with you; but I'll have some great pictures and thoughts to share when I return from NH! :)

I hope you all have a great weekend!!!

(For my family members: SEE YOU SOON!!!!! :) )

Just finished packing my suitcase...and found my old camera!!!!! :) Here are some oldies but goodies :)





This picture was taken in PA; the weekend Aurelio proposed :)







This picture was taken just after he proposed! We were horseback riding in the woods of PA.










This was the day we got Aurelio a new iPhone and I received his 'hand me down' and pink-de-fied it. :) Back when I had a flat stomach.....

First Day of FlyLady Program!

Well, it's official; I'm a FlyBaby. I'm sure you're wondering what that is exactly. It's all explained at flylady.net...but it's basically a cleaning/organizing program that's free and gives you certain tasks to do each day so that you're household duties don't overwelm you. The very first "baby step" is to shine your sink...which I normally would think crazy and 'who cares if you have a shiney sink'...but Fly Lady said to do it...so off I went to first soak it in bleach - then scrub it down with backing soda. I couldn't believe how great it looked when I was finished!!! Who knew those black lines all over the sink would come off with some baking soda and elbow grease? Her second challange is to get up every morning, shower and "dress to the shoes"; meaning you must get dressed INCLUDING your shoes, do your hair and make up...then make your bed. This sounds simple and normal enough; but I have to admit I do not always do this each day. Especially since I'm at home now full time, I have found myself staying in my PJs while doing housework well into the afternoon and that bed - hasn't been made in weeks! So, today I started my first full day of the Fly Lady 'chore list'.

Back to FLYing!

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter Everyone!!!




Aurelio and I started our morning with waffles and some Easter egg decorating.


The Pooch Parade was canceled due to inclement weather...but of course we didn't find out until we were already in downtown Dallas, with the dogs in their little dresses ready to go. Should have called first; but I just couldn't believe they'd cancel because of a little rain. We were all a little bummed...



We didn't do big baskets or anything this year - though we did indulge a little. I got some peeps and Aurelio got a giant hollow chocolate easter egg. We also enjoyed decorating our glitter easter eggs :).

Next year we'll have plenty of fun hiding eggs for our little one :).

He/She's been moving around a lot lately. A sign that he/she's healthy :).

31 Weeks

After a few rough nights; I finally got some good sleep!! The baby has been pretty quiet this week; but must know the weekend is here. She/he's been kicking and moving around a lot Friday and today. Which is a nice change after the lull. I can tell room is depleting in there for baby Reis, and although I feel bad about how squished she/he must be I'm really not looking forward to my belly growing anymore. I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday and I'm already at 151 Pounds!! Which means I have at least 10 more pounds to gain in order to reach the ideal 26 pound weight gain mark. We also determined that I'm not getting quite enough protein in my diet - so I've had to start drinking protein shakes...but I can't have the yummy chocolate kind because they contain coco...so I'm stuck with the vanilla...and not loving it. I thought it might help to use milk instead of the water...um...NO! It became all chunky...ugh. On the bright side my belly is measuring just perfect - 31 cm; so it seems like the baby is doing just fine. :)

Yesterday I went to Babies R Us for the first time...what a HUGE store they have here!! I got a changing pad for the dresser we bought and sheets to go on the mattress; and I couldn't resist this one girls summer dress with matching hat! I also bought a boys polo onezie to be fair. I also found this yellow onezie that says "Daddy's Little Alarm Clock" HAD to purchase that too! :) I did however show some restraint...I found the cutest little tutu and somehow pushed my cart away from the rack.

Aurelio has lots to do this weekend; cutting the grass, finishing the washer/dryer stand, completing our taxes...so I'm going to try and leave him to it. I've got plenty of cleaning to do and I've got to put the finishing touches on Lily and Daisy's Easter dresses. We are entering them in the Dallas Pooch Parade tomorrow. I'll make sure to get some pictures to share with you! :).

The weather has been up and down this week; I'm really looking forward to a steady heat so our pool warms up to bearable temperatures. I am looking forward to floating around in the pool. It's nice to have some relief from the weight of baby.

In 6 days I'll be boarding a plane to NH!!!!!! :) I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone! Feels like it's been a really long time.

Hopefully Aurelio and I will have a chance to enjoy some nice weather today and maybe make it down to the Dallas Arboretum. We'll see how it unfolds. I hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!

On Saturday Aurelio and I went for a bike ride near the Arboretum in Dallas. They have a beautiful lake there that you can ride around. Though I don't think we'll be going again until the end of summer. It was a little too far for me to ride with my big belly. Hard to put enough air into your lungs when they are being squished by a baby. It was really nice to be out and about and the weather was just perfect for us. Aurelio kept seeing the dads carrying their kids in a cart behind their bikes and it was great to see him looking forward to that. By the time we got home around 5pm; I was exhausted and took a nap.


Sunday we went to the Renaissance Festival in Scarborough, TX. We both enjoyed walking around seeing all the different shows and booths; but of course; I was an idiot and wore high heals (because I insisted in wearing my rennfest dress - that amazingly still fit) and by 3pm my feel were torn up and swollen and it was time to go home. Aurelio made some fantastic steaks on the grill and mommy and baby were happy. :)



Last night I had the craziest dream about our baby - my first. I felt some pressure on my belly button and when I pulled up my shirt the baby stuck it's arm out! I though this was cute and immediately put my finger near his/her hand, she/he held my finger tightly...then more pressure and before I knew it the whole baby had come out my belly button! I was freaking out trying to get everything ready to go to the hospital because delivering via belly button is not "normal". I couldn't find my cell phone and therefore couldn't contact Aurelio...I just kept running around the house holding the baby who was now cooing playfully...then I woke up and had to pee...

We got our crib and dresser on Friday; a surprise to the both of us since everyone and every book told us that they take months to arrive and you should order them early...though now we have plenty of time to assemble them. Any suggestions on where we should put them? I was thinking the nursery - but I've read that for the first 6 months you should have the baby sleep in the same room as you. Should we set up the changing station in the master bedroom?

Crafty Hump Day

Well, I actually did it!! I completed my first baby hat!! :) Something I certainly didn't think I'd be able to do so well. Not sure what has gotten into me; but I'm becoming crafty :).

I am almost done with the dogs Easter dresses; and I've started a new project - cross-stitching a baby announcement, to hang in the nursery.

After a long day yesterday researching cribs, I've finally picked out the perfect one. Affordable, safe, and I like how it looks...It will take months to get here; but we have a bassinet for next to the bed if it doesn't arrive in time.

I got my first 'charlie horse' last night - woke me out of a sound sleep screaming "Aurelio! Help me!!" Poor guy probably thought something major was happening. I couldn't believe the pain and how the muscle just wouldn't loosen up! My girlfriends had warned me that as I progressed those things could happen - but I wasn't prepared. (Two of my pregnant girlfriends have already given birth and another is already doing the nesting thing - so I think she's going to deliver soon.)

The baby has been entertaining me by wiggling my belly all around in little kicking frenzy's. It tends to make me a little nauseous when he/she does it, but it's so neat to watch and feel that I don't mind too much.

I spent the better part of the morning in the bath; it was SO nice! I read almost all of my nurse-midwife book right there! I absolutely love baths; not that I haven't always, but they seem so much better these days.

In Texas you have to have sprinklers all around the base of your house to keep the foundation moist throughout the warmer months. Aurelio just learned how to program these...only problem is that now everyday at 10am our lawn gets "sprinkled" for about 15minutes - by the time the sprinklers turn off the grass is just one large puddle. The poor dogs don't know what to do and where to go potty. There pen was so full of water today that they were unable to play in the backyard. It got up to 90 degrees today - and yet the water stayed!! :/ Now Aurelio just has to figure out how to change the timer on the sprinklers so they don't drown our house!

Well, I should get back to the books. Aurelio and I are studying up on home births so we'll be prepared in June. I've already done so much research on everything from what diapers to buy to what kinds of positions work best...but there's so much more to learn.

I hope everyone is having a great week!!