Meant to post this on December 31st… time flies when you’re getting settled into new routines.
The week of Christmas we moved into our house here in Oklahoma. My dad took time off work to come help move all the furniture, then help unpack everything and clean leading up to Christmas.
Traditionally we celebrate Christmas on the afternoon/evening of the 24th but due to the move my mother arrived that afternoon and we met my brother and his girlfriend Helena out for dinner. Then on the 25th, like most Americans, we celebrated Christmas with our traditional family meal. Felt a bit different but I was so happy my family made the trip up to celebrate with us.
The first Christmas of many more to come for Tove. It’s going to be so much fun 🎄🤶🏼
I was so worried we were going to have to re-home him when Tove arrived. Alas I worried for nothing. He’s as gentle with her as he is with me. Plus now that I’m not pregnant he’s back to getting two solid walks a day and I know he’s loving it.
Last night when Ben got off work we all got ready to head out for dinner. I had texted him social capital…? when he was on his way home.
We ordered our usual chicken nachos, Ben also got a fajita chicken taco but the elotes…. WOW I could eat that all day every day.
I told him when we were sat on the patio enjoying our food that it reminded me of our dates we used to have when we first met.
The thing is though, last night was so much better than the early dates. We had Tove with us, Ben drank a Topo Chico since he was driving and I had one canned wine (which got me tipsy 🤪) and we were so much more content. I didn’t feel the NEED to drink more or stay out later because I had everything that matters to me.
I’m so proud of Ben as a father and thankful he’s my partner in all of this. We’ve been through a lot together that’s tested our relationship but never once has he given me a reason to doubt his commitment to me and now us. I love you so much babe and I’m honored to give you the chance to create the most special daddy-daughter bond. I love my dad more than words can say and I just know in my heart that Tove is going to feel the same way about you. Thank you for making us feel loved and for rolling with the punches… quite literally when Tove gets at ya 😛
The closer we get to our due date the more and more prepared I feel we are at home. Changing table has arrived from IKEA and we got a changing pad recently from Keekaroo as well. Plus after the baby shower so many of the items on our registry got purchased that the only thing left for me to do is mentally prepare for an unmedicated birth. I told Ben not to let me chicken out when the time comes and ask to go to a hospital just cause I want pain meds.
When we took our birthing class the instructor recommended we put together a few items to bring with us to the birthing center (which could also be brought to a stale hospital environment in case of an emergency transfer) so I decided to start working on an inspiration board today. I found some phrases on Pinterest but also drew from my own personal mantras and created some super simple affirmation cards on Canva.
If you want to see all 12 of them you can do so here. I’m no graphic designer but they are simple so you can use them as a template if you click the pen in the bottom left hand corner and change the phrases to fit your own birthing experience!
I got spoiled rotten this past weekend by my parents who came to visit. They cleaned our entire home AND my mom cooked a bunch of meals for our freezer meaning we can eat easily once baby girl arrives. Dad also helped Ben put the bases in both cars for the car seat. I feel like we are ready for her to come into the world any day now. Luckily we reserved Sunday for my Pappa!
We ate brunch at Cafe Cuvée in the Ambassador hotel in Midtown. Luckily they could squeeze us in because my dad had accidentally made the reservation for Monday morning.
Good service. Good atmosphere. I would definitely go back to eat here! Ito and I actually stayed at the Ambassador hotel for my birthday last year but we ordered champagne room service from Cafe Cuvée then instead 😝
Unfortunately my Mamma wasn’t feeling good, like at all, but I love this photo Ben snapped of my Pappa and I outside the Ambassador hotel. 🥰💕
Next year’s Father’s Day we will be celebrating Ben being a father & amy dad being a grandfather!
I wanted to blog/journal throughout this pregnancy but honestly haven’t had the extra energy to put into it. So many unwritten blog posts and topics to cover, I wish I was just pregnant full-time and didn’t have to work so I would’ve been able to do more. Here’s a photo journal instead from the second and beginning of the third trimester. A lot of these are just mirror pictures but I still love seeing the progress and changes over time ☺️
I guess I finally felt like I was ‘showing’ at this point. Comical looking back on it now, she was still tiny in there.
I got approved to wear a different uniform at work. Tights being the main perk! Also had to pick up some larger t-shirts and sweaters from work.. living leaf and loving life in this picture.
At this point I was transitioning into wearing maternity clothes exclusively. Note the same outfits in rotation in the following pictures 😅. Since I spend the majority of my time at work in uniform, or at home in some state of undress I didn’t feel like it was necessary to purchase a bunch of maternity clothes/outfits.
Dad (Ben) and I took Tex to a park in Norman and got some exercise on a day off. First time I started feeling a bit short of breath and a bit ‘weaker’ during our walks.
Found an old skirt from Monki that worked with my growing belly as well. Finally felt a bit cute!
Felt like I was properly starting to show at this point!
Ben and I goofing around and getting excited to meet Tove.
Still been able to rock the heels throughout this pregnancy! Ask me again in a few weeks, answer might change.
At work selfie, just cause I felt like the pregnancy glow people always talk about finally caught up to me! My skin cleared up and I think my hormones started to balance out after a full year of ups and downs. I do feel like I look older in this photo though.. already aged and she hasn’t even been born yet 😅
Out on the golf course with Ben on a lovely spring day. Had to document that I was carrying precious life!
At the beginning of April you couldn’t quite tell I was pregnant straight from the front or the back, but once I turned from the side it was starting to be like SURPRISE.
Tex has been a momma’s boy throughout this pregnancy, very needy of attention.
Beginning of May we got a visit from Ben’s parents. Decided to dress up for Mother’s Day even though it felt a bit like cheating celebrating it before we even had a child born into the world. I will say I have a new found appreciation for my own mother this year.
All back ensemble before meeting with our midwife and doula.
Ben outside the Birth Center where we have our clinic meetings with our midwife and her assistant.
Some presents from our registry started to arrive and I was WAY TO EXCITED to not get everything out of the box and set up immediately. Really in love with how functional the travel set we got from Maxi-Cosi is.
Since we haven’t moved into a house yet and will (hopefully) only be at the townhouse with our newborn for a few months into the fall/winter we decided to wait on buying a crib and decorating a nursery. Bassinet for the bedside seems like it’s going to work great for us.
Ben and I joke about our daughter getting his ASSets instead of the ‘plat arsle’ that runs on my side of the family.
Wanted to set up the baby monitor the second it arrived I was so excited. I always am with new technology but the Nanit comes with some awesome features so Ben told me to wait until she was born, that way we didn’t miss out on a few months of free perks. Damn my impatience.. but I got it back in the box without much fuss.
My Pappa was generous enough to order us a second Maxi-Cosi car base, that way we can drive both cars without the hassle of having to reinstall the car seat every time. We still haven’t gone to the fire station to get them installed properly, but it’s on the June to-do list.
This is one of my favorite photos from the pregnancy so far. Not sure why but it reminds me of photos from when I was a child at our summer house in Sweden. Maybe it’s the half nakedness outside or the warm colors. Either way this is very typical of me.. plus Tex is always nearby.
Another selfie because damnit I want to remember life before sleep deprivation and no time for make-up!
At the end of May, I felt like I really started picking up speed in terms of belly growth!
A less than flattering photo of me outside the birth center. Not sure if it was the weather that day or the shadows, but them under eye bags would not quit!
Learning to adapt to pregnancy life includes always having to lay on my side to be comfortable. Preferably with a pillow in between my legs as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up on my back in bed and forced myself to fall back asleep on my side. CANNOT WAIT to be able to lay down on my stomach again either.
Tex has been the biggest cuddle/snuggle bug throughout the last couple of months. I feel like the bigger my belly has gotten the more gentle he is around me and with me. He also has to have his face touching my belly if we are laying down together on the couch. He’s going to be very protective of baby girl when she arrives, I can already feel it.
My motto for this unmedicated birth and pregnancy has been “She believed she could, so she did.” I often wear the bracelet Ben’s mom got me a few years ago as a reminder on the daily.
More Tex + Tove bonding on the couch
Ben and I got back from Costco after buying some diapers and baby wipes and looked at each other, “It’s getting so real!”
I had my prenatal visit with a lactation consultant at Thrive Mama Collective. Was a very informative initial meeting and I am very happy with the level of care I’ve received since finding a network of midwives who have recommendations for nearly every aspect of my pregnancy. Shout out to Jessica Cheatwood for the time, knowledge, tips/tricks, and for guiding me through how to work my breast pump!
Hopefully there will be another photo dump from the last part of the third trimester as well.
When my parents came to visit we took advantage of the good weather and explored some of what Oklahoma City has to offer downtown.
Are you even in OKC if you don’t get at least a few shots with Devon Tower?!
We got some Lime scooters and decided to scoot our way around a bit. I was a little apprehensive at first, being pregnant and all, but honestly felt very safe and the new parameters they’ve set up around different areas meant we couldn’t go above 5mph in some areas. We also took advantage of the bike lanes in OKC to stay out of traffics way.
We scooted by Scissortail Park and then saw Scissortail bridge as well from one of the overpasses! Before making our way through Midtown and ending up in Bricktown.
Ben snagged this shot of me outside the Exhibit C Gallery in Bricktown. Oklahoma City was recently voted best in the country for their public art and I for one can’t wait to explore and see more.
At one point we decided to pause riding and walk the Bricktown canal. It’s reminiscent of the riverwalk in San Antonio and I love walking along the water every time we go downtown here in Oklahoma City.
My parents were staying at a hotel just on the other side of the railroad from Bricktown. I love that the underpasses to get to/from Bricktown are even artsy.
I cannot get over how creative and unique these children’s books are! I was casually scrolling through instagram when I came across The Little Homie and decided to check out more of their books on their website. I immediately wanted to purchase all of them. Thinking about adding one or two to our registry… or maybe I just treat ourselves to reading from the four book pack!
I liked Who Run The World? mostly cause GIRL POWER (of course I want my daughter to be a fearless female) plus my curiosity is wondering who all is in this ABC book. Also how fun of a spin on the traditional ABC book isn’t this?
I immediately thought of my Pappa when I saw the ABC⚡️DC version of the traditional ABC book. He’s a fan of ACDC and rock music but then when I was looking at the page views Tina Turner popped up; Dad’s favorite fearless female singer. So now I feel like I have to have this book for him to read to his first grandchild. 🤗
1 2 3 with the Notorious B.I.G. is a BRILLIANT take on numbers. I could totally see Ben reading this to our daughter in between rapping his favorite songs to her 😂 . As a matter of fact I feel like this book would make me start replacing lullabies with other nighttime tunes. She’s already been listening to hella different genres in the womb through me. Ben didn’t seem too impressed when I told him we’d listened to Young Jeezy Thug Motivation, Lil Wayne The Carter III, and Kanye West Graduation albums in the car to and from work recently.
Honestly I think I would want the entire collection of the Raised On Hip-Hop series. It would be too hard for me to pick just one out of the three they have. The pages above are en excerpt from Vol. 1. I’m starting to think I want these books for myself, and not for my child… oop.
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If you’re expecting or attending a baby shower soon, I feel like these are GREAT gifts to give or buy for yourself. I mean if I’m enjoying the book I have to read over and over again to my child then maybe it won’t feel like a chore.
I haven’t had too many opportunities to explore OKC yet but I will say my favorite patio bar so far has got to be Social Capital across from Scissortail Park. If you enjoy craft beer or great views then this place is a must visit!
My mom and I discovered Rose Wine Water on one of her first visits to OKC, and now it’s a must have. It’s a rose wine mixed with water and it’s refreshing as heck! Ben and I abstained from drinking, le duh for me, but we sure did drink up the atmosphere.
Now that the weather is getting warmer it feels even better to be able to enjoy being outside, even it’s still windy in OKC all the time. Plus those views of Devon Tower are GORGEOUS as the sun begins to set.
Social Capital has two levels, the inside downstairs is a bit too loud for my liking but if you want food- that’s where it’s at. Their nachos always go down a treat. There’s plenty of seating downstairs outside; I feel like that’s where most families tend to stay.
Then there’s the rooftop patio bar, me likey! It has a gorgeous view of Scissortail Park, which is literally one of my favorite parts of OKC. Bonus- there’s a dog park at Scissortail Park as well if you need to tire out your pup before visiting Social Capital.
My parents drove up from Dallas to OKC last weekend for a quick visit before they went on vacay in Mexico. So last Saturday we met for brunch at The Collective in Midtown.
Ben and I went once before and it’s a neat spot. The Collective is a food hall with different options to choose from; tacos, salads, Hawaiian fusion, sweets, coffee, a big ol bar, and more. They also have a rooftop area I have yet to see, and their patio is dog friendly 🤗. It wasn’t the best weather when we went so we sat inside by the bar.
I hate these pictures of me but sharing is caring, right? I think we were all hungry because none of us got pictures of our food 😅. Ben and my dad got some Phill Me Up Cheesesteaks and mom and I both chose The Salad Bowl. We also got some samples from Big Buns Bakery and their cinnabomb was just that, the bomb.
The Collective feels like an influencers dream to go to. They have artwork hanging on the walls for sale on the lower floor and the ladies bathroom is also very chic, so bring your camera for some pics with the girls when you gotta go.
Felt like there was a clear message to my baby girl written on the wall. Plus I loooooove their “I’ll be ready in a Prosecco” poster in the bathroom as well.
Can’t wait to go back when the weather is warmer, so we can enjoy the outside spaces and I can indulge in a mimosa… or two 😋.
Pinksaint 
