Truth. Faithfulness. Honesty.

for christmas i wanted a hand stamped necklace.

i wanted it to be small, gold and silver, and symbolic as well as sentimental.

so i found a creator on etsy and here it is.

my little dancers love for me to show them the secret hidden behind my heart.

Reuben is my everything. now more than ever.

show and tell

the icy pink oh-my ruffle cupcake dress

i saw it from a distance and ran down the isle...yes it feels as sweet at it looks.

couldn't resist the pandas...which have become emi's find.

Lynzee has claimed lambs since her birth...she LOVES lambs!

so naturally Ruby will have quite a collection from her sister.

now here's some newborn essentials...

gowns are my favorite

that's it for now...actually there are tons more clothes in her drawers from grammy and from "the collection" that went thru my two girls and my sisters two girls...survival of the fittest clothes. (yes it is true that gymboree clothes tend to outlast the others)

So I'm feeling the need to pack for the hospital...

as of last monday I am 50% effaced and just a little dialated still.

so no real rush.

she's stayin in there for at least a couple weeks for sure.

cheers to 35 weeks!

34 weeks

i count down my weeks in dance classes.

so come thursday night as i finish my 9th class of the week...if i'm not in labor

then i praise myself for surviving another week.

so tonight is 34 weeks.

cheers!

by the way...the baby has dropped significantly. she's head down.

i keep reminding her that the timer has not gone off yet.

at least 4 more weeks my darling...4 more weeks.

we'll see.

lynz was 14 days early. emi was 19 days early.

this next week starts my 4 week countdown.

tiff and tausha are taking over the afternoon classes so i will only have my 5 morning classes to teach...they are the youngest dancers. you would think it would be easier to teach them, but it's not. they are my hardest classes because i cannot just tell them what to do...i must show them. full out. if i hold my belly while i gallop around the room or pretend to jump half way...they imitate me perfectly. we are a bunch of pregnant ballerinas. and there is a lot more hopping and jumping and bending and twisting and holding little girls and picking them up. but it's in the morning when i feel my best...and the girls don't seem to notice any difference in me yet...although i get frustrated that i'm limited in the movement we can do together. i can no longer pick them up in their frozen shapes and twirl them around.

in 4 weeks i'm closing the studio for a 3 week spring break.

3 weeks to have this darling baby...and heal.

i know that's not much time, and i'm assuming the best labor and recovery, but it's all i can do to ensure these girls can have a spring performance.

after our break, we will have 6 weeks to prepare for The Wizard of Oz.

i can't tell you enough how grateful i am for tiff and tausha.

neither of them read this blog...but i must tell you how amazing they are

and how amazing it feels to have them.

so the girls can continue to dance...

even when i cannot dance with them.

so...cheers!

to 34 weeks

and counting.

by the way...reuben ordered me a battery charger for my camera.

from china. yes. china.

he insisted on ordering from ebay and assured me it would arrive in 7 days.

we'll see.

love you

Happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo

when i told my brother i didn't make one card this year

he said "that doesn't sound like you"

and he's right.

the thing is...i tried.

but sitting in a hard chair, or bent over on the floor, cutting and pasting tiny things...is not really fun for a pregnant lady who gets contractions easily.

and yet, Valentine's day happened without my cards.

without much preparation either

because love is very abundant in my life.

i felt loved.

i loved.

and i wish you love as well.

(if you need any love just stop by my studio and i promise you tiny hugs that will warm the numbest heart on the coldest of days)

RN

Reu passed his nursing boards!!!

it's been quite the journey...and finally this door is open.

(and yes it is green for a reason)

oh happy night!

to do

i think i only have one photo of me this pregnancy.
shameful i know.

so to do today:
find the charger for my camera battery...
so i can take a picture of my 32 week old belly.

and it would be super duper nice to find that gift card
to red lobster from my brother.
i'm craving king crab legs with melted butter and fresh lemon.

for my girls

because every day this is what i try to be about
for all the girls that enter my studio
especially for my daughters.
write your life my darling Lynzee...with beautiful movement
Emi, my fire, shine your inner light. and when you feel it has dimmed
remember...there is part of me in you. and we are fierce.

and i love you this much.

and my dear Ruby...tumbling in my womb...this is what it is all about.

so not fair

my legs were attacked last night...it was brutal.

there i was sleeping peacefully, which is no easy feat.
and then it happened
did you know the inside of your thigh can cramp up?
well it can.

and it's mean!
then my calf muscle joined in...right down to the arch of my foot.

and tell me...how do you stretch out all three of those muscles?
flex foot, straiten leg...and now what about this vicious inner thigh muscle?
that would require the splits.

so...that's how i slept all night.

my foot flexed up against the wall with a straight leg stretched up to my ear....all between my nightly hard contractions. so not fair. i'm trying to load up on water and salt today...so that never ever happens again.