A Year Ago Life Changed

I clearly remember that a year ago, I woke up in the morning feeling exhausted and not at all like my normal self. I had suspected that I was pregnant...but I had thought that many other times and it was never the case. This times, I got a pregnancy test, read the instructions 200 times and proceeded to pee on the stick. Before I ever put the cap back on the pregnancy test showed the positive sign.

In disbelief, I looked at John and asked: What do we do now?

We enjoyed that moment together and excitedly shared the news with family and friends! We prayed that God would protect our little baby in the womb, we prayed for a safe birth and we prayed that God would prepare us to become parents.

Today, we are so thankful for our little girl! We enjoy every day that we get to spend with her and we pray that God will bless us with many years together.

 

She takes bubble-making seriously!

 



 

Thank you, Hailey Rahm Photography for these photos!!

Pregnancy #1: Third Trimester

The third trimester was filled with excitement and anticipation to finally get to meet little Sariah!

• I experienced a lot of hip and pelvis pain. I guess that is just what happens when ligaments and joints are loosening up for birth.
• John and I attended a great birth class, learned lots of practical information and got to meet other soon-to-be mommies and daddies.
• Chocolate became a bit too yummy!
• I started a TO DO list for after I have Sariah. I wanted to make sure I have some small goals to work on even when I am tired and sleep deprived.
• We finally made a decision to use the Flip cloth diapers.
•  I had to focus to not pass out after fasting for more than 12 hours for a glucose test. While the needle poking and sugary drink were not pleasant, that worst part was not eating for so long.
• None of my bras or underwear fit anymore. 
• We were still able to enjoy the outdoors and to my surprise, I managed to hike a few mountains.
• John and I celebrated our 4^th anniversary at the coast and I loved the fresh sea food.
• We were abundantly blessed at two baby showers. Sariah’s wardrobe is not lacking anything!
• Everyone says I look tiny for being in the third trimester, but I feel a little bit like a whale at times and definitely miss my old body.
• We started planning for birth and postpartum. I am so glad John will be able to take some days off to stay home with us!
• I started feeling a bit more tired, especially during Sariah’s growth spurts.
• Very few clothes still fit me.
• The nursery is done and all the baby clothes are washed and put away.
• John helped me cross off things from my TO DO list.
• I do not want to cook anymore...it's too much work.

These Last Pregnancy Days

I am about to enter week 39…and I feel as though I may explode before week 40 gets here. I am a little nervous Sariah will not come until week 42, but I am also trying to convince myself to be patient and trust that she will come when she is ready.

 Now days, it is hard to accomplish pretty much anything. Little tasks like washing the dishes seem like a huge adventure and I have to sit down and rest afterwards. Needless to say, I feel exhausted at the end of the day when I go on a 2.5 mile walk, do the laundry, clean the bathroom (including the bathtub), vacuum, cook dinner and wash the dishes. I don’t know how women survive these last pregnancy days when they have other little ones to take care of all day. Seriously, how do you do it?

 I also don’t know what I would do without John. He has encouraged me to take baths, nap during the day (I can’t ever nap during the day), continue going on walks … and I love it when he offers to rub my feet at night! He also puts up with my moodiness, exhausted complaints about how my whole body hurts, helps me get up to go to the bathroom at night and constantly tells me that I look absolutely beautiful when I am wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt that no longer covers my belly and my hair is everywhere from lack of brushing. I am a lucky woman!

 Despite the tiredness and discomfort, I am oh so happy to know that I will be meeting my daughter very soon! The fact that we are going to be parents still feels like a dream. We are blessed beyond measure and I cannot believe God has entrusted us this little life. I am so humbled and thankful!!!

Lists, Post-it and Baby

I like making lists and checking things off as I accomplish them. People often comment that I have a great brain that remembers everything, but really, I am not sure what I would do if I was not able to write everything down on a million post-it notes of all colors and sizes.

With only two more weeks until Sariah’s due date, I am a list making machine! Pink post-its are currently covering our desk as I try really hard to remember EVERYTHING that needs to be done before our little girl arrives.

I told John last night that I don’t think I have enough time to get everything done and he asked me to name a few things that still need to get done. So here is what I shared with him:

·         Finish the art project for Sariah’s bedroom

·         Print and hang family photos in the hallway

·         Do the laundry

·         Order a breastpump

·         Find a Pediatrician

·         Buy cloth diapers

·         Put away the pile of things that are on the floor in the nursery

·         Finish a few photoshoots

·         Clean the house - again

·         Prepare and freeze a few meals

·         Throw away the recycling

As I told him the things that must absolutely get done, I realized that none of these things are absolutely crucial. Yes, I need to choose a pediatrician and it would be helpful to have a few meals ready to go in the freezer, but those things are not essential.

So, I am trying to focus on the important things (like investing in our time together because we will soon have a third person living with us) and not get overwhelmed by little things like throwing out the recycling and hanging photos on the wall.

Maternity Photos

My dear friend and photographer, Hailey, took our maternity photos a few weeks ago and I wanted to share a few of my favorites with you all!

As a photographer, I get to capture lots of special moments for many people...but I am hardly ever in front of the camera. This maternity session helped relate to my clients a little bit more!

To see more photos from our maternity session with Hailey Rahm Photography click HERE!

The Heat Visited Us

We don't get too many hot days around here, but summer's true heat decided to visit us this past weekend. I refused to complain because I spend 90% of my life complaining about how cold it is up here all the time.

So, this past weekend, John and I filled water bottles with ice-water, packed a cooler with watermelon, cheese and crackers, grabbed a few blankets as well as a few books and headed to the park. We sat under a shady tree for hours and hours and enjoyed every minute of it. Also, have I mentioned that I love to just sit in public places and watch whatever is going on around me?

Saturday and Sunday I saw:

• A little girl continuously try to get in the water while at the park. She made me look forward to future park days with my little girl.
• Lots of sundresses and sandals!
• Couples in love.
• Sail boats.
• A wedding photographer dominate the direct sunlight with some awesome equipment.
• Little boys climbing trees!
• Some HUGE sunglasses.
• A dad try to teach his son to fly a kite for hours.
• My swollen hands and feet.
• Two pugs having a hard time breathing while on a walk.

I saw a lot more...but I think you get the picture.

On a different note, John is all excited because we finally got a carseat - and therefore are ready to have a baby. I must admit that I still don't feel 'ready' and may never feel as ready as I would like, but I love how practical my husband is. He was worried that our baby would arrive early and we would not have a carseat to bring her home. Now that the carseat is sitting in her room, John feels totally ready to go! At least one of us is feeling ready - six(ish) more weeks to go.

Life is a Miracle - Enjoy It!

Once again my heart is aching for friends who have lost their baby long before the arrival of their due date. Today it feels like too many mommies and daddies will not get to see their little ones grow up.

When John and I found out we were pregnant, we were excited to share the news with family and friends. We decided to go against the trend of waiting until the 12^th week of gestation (when chances of miscarriages are much lower) to share the news because we felt our little baby was a precious gift that must be celebrated, even if we did not get to meet him or her after a full term pregnancy.

During those first few months, I remember asking John if he thought our baby was going to make it. I remember him looking straight in my eyes, right into my heart, while saying: “I think so, but only God knows for sure.” I was afraid something was going to happen and our joy would turn into mourning. I was afraid I was going to experience what so many of my friends have already experienced.

I often fell asleep praying for the little baby inside of me; begging God to keep him or her safe. I didn’t care if we were going to have a boy or a girl; I just wanted to hold a healthy baby in my arms.

Since those first few months, I have learned that every day of life is a wonderful miracle worth celebrating!

During this pregnancy, I have refused to let joint pain, lack of sleep and heartburn ruin my joy and excitement for the life that is growing inside of me. I have refused to let fear take away my joy because too many of my friends have not gotten to experience 33 weeks of gestation.

In the past year, my heart has hurt again and again for friends who could not hear their baby’s heartbeat during different stages of pregnancy. Witnessing their loss and pain has taught me to celebrate every minute of life; after all, we never know if we will get to celebrate it tomorrow.

Showered with Love

I am SO thankful for the community of family and friends who have showered us with encouraging words, priceless advice and an abundance of gifts!

Over the past few months, I have received so many cute things for our little girl! She definitely has more outfits than her daddy. Granted, her outfits are tiny so they don’t take as much room, but we are definitely certain we will not be buying Sariah clothes for a while.

Yesterday I took some time to look through everything we have in order to decide what we still need to get and I was overwhelmed by the abundance of cute clothes, hair clips, pacifiers, blankets, shoes, bedding, shampoo and lotion, diapers, toys, swaddles…etc.

Friends and family, THANK YOU for blessing us and showering us with love!

32 Weeks

Where did July Go?

It has been a while…and I can hardly believe August is almost here. What have we been up to this month? Well, here are a few things:

·         We have been learning a lot about birth, postpartum and newborns at the Birth Class we have been attending.

·         We traveled to the beach to celebrate our 4^th anniversary and had a great and relaxing time. The highlights were the yummy crab cake dinners, beach hike and watching our wedding video!

·         We joined our family at a great reunion filled with activities, catching up, delicious meals and wonderful conversations.

·         We had our first baby shower – and John’s favorite gift was a California Baby Bug Repellent. He can’t wait to go hiking with Sariah!

·         We have been on the road a lot and I have visited lots of bathrooms.

I still feel like we are entering summer, but autumn will be here before I know it. To tell you the truth, thinking about the end of summer makes me really sad because I will miss the daylight, warm nights, a sun kissed tan, fresh fruit and veggies, taking walks, wearing skirts, etc.

I don’t want summer to end – but I am SO excited to meet Sariah in about 8 weeks! John and I find ourselves daydreaming about her, wondering what her birth will be like, imaging a bald little head and dreamy brown eyes. I can hardly wait to hold her little hand and warm her tiny toes.

One Step at a Time

I went on a real hike for the first time 6 summers ago while in Alaska. I didn’t know what to expect and was not prepared physically or mentally for what was ahead. At the time, I thought we (a group of friends) were going on an easy 30 minute stroll…so I thought I would definitely be able to make it.

Well, 30 minutes turned into an hour and then two hours and then I decided I couldn’t handle it anymore since I couldn’t even see the top of this mountain.

I sat down on a rock and announced to the group of friends that I was just going to sit there and enjoy the view from where I was. My plan was to wait for the group to come back down and hike down together. In my mind that was a perfect plan…but the group didn’t feel the same way. To tell you the truth, I don’t remember much more other than the fact that one of the guys present told me to get on his back (as if I was his backpack) and he carried me to the top of Mount Ripinsky. To this day – more than six years later – I still cannot believe that happened. Someone carried me up a mountain.

The good news is that in the past six years, I have become a bit more used to hiking! My legs know what to expect when I put on my wool socks and hiking boots. My lungs no longer struggle the way they used to only 20 minutes after leaving the trailhead. My brain is more prepared to push through when my legs are tired. I can now focus on the goal without panicking that I may not be able to take another upward step.

This past weekend, John and I went on a hike that gave me the opportunity to really focus in order to make it. The hike was not very hard, but it had some pretty steep parts with lots of tree roots and rocks. It was a warm day and I am 7 months pregnant. Before starting the hike I told John that I was afraid of not being able to do it. I was afraid of being tired 20 minutes into it. I was afraid of sitting on the side of the trail ready to give up like I have done before.

John was very encouraging and told me we could go slow, focusing on one step at a time. That is just how I did this whole hike: focusing on one step at a time, allowing myself to become aware of my surroundings - the sounds, the landscape, my breathing and posture.

John led the way at a pace I could follow (he leads because I am terrified of snakes…so he gets the snakes out of the way before I arrive) and up I went; one step at a time.

I was definitely tired by the time we got to the top and I also REALLY needed to pee! We rested for a little bit, ate a snack and headed back down. By the time we got back to our car, I felt like my legs were going to detach from my body, but I felt like I had accomplished a milestone. I didn’t panic and I was never really tempted to sit on the side of the trail (especially knowing there were snakes around). I was able to focus on one step at a time and follow John’s lead. I did something I didn’t think I could do and I was so happy to experience this accomplishment with John!

During the hike, we talked about how hiking seems to be somewhat similar to the process of giving birth. As we prepare ourselves to the day when we get to welcome our little girl, we are exploring ways to work as a team when it is time to focus on one step at a time. While I have no idea what Sariah’s birth will be like, I am looking forward to working as a team with John and feeling like we accomplished a great milestone together!

Getting Things Done in Slow Motion

I have been feeling tired and slow lately. Simple tasks appear to become more complicated every day and sometimes I feel like I am not getting anything done. I was somewhat very unproductive yesterday (but I was still making a baby) and decided I had to get things done whether I felt like it or not.

So, I started by getting dressed in real clothes - not my pajamas. I headed to the grocery store and came home with lots of veggies! I cooked dinner, cleaned the kitchen, made THIS laundry detergent, cleaned the bathroom, folded the laundry and waited for John to come home. His first words upon entering our home were: "Are you ok? You look beat!"

I not only looked beat, but I felt beat.

I ended the day by taking a nice bath that definitely helped me relax! I felt light and fell asleep a few minutes after I kissed John goodnight. Sometime in the middle of the night, I turned over and heard this really loud POP. I am not sure what happened but my hips were hurting so bad I had to breathe deeply and force myself up when I had to go to the bathroom (again).

Today, I took a long (and painful) walk and now I feel like my hips might somehow fall apart. I was SO tempted to go back to bed...but I fought the temptation by making the bed, dusting the furniture and vacuuming the house. I still need to edit some photos, iron some clothes and go through a pile of papers from my high school/college years. It is time to throw away and/or recycle the million assignments I have been saving in boxes for the last few years!

Although it doesn't feel like I am being very productive it is exciting to write down the things I am slowly accomplishing everyday!

Pregnancy #1: Second Trimester

The second trimester was full of excitement as it became more real that we were indeed having a baby...and with that realness, we also experienced lots of changes.

• When John and I first moved to our apartment, our goal was to stay for a year. With our lease ending in July and the baby scheduled to arrive in September, we decided to stay where we are for now.
• Energy returned and I felt 'normal' again! However, my ever changing body made it hard for me to get used to me.
• I started looking pregnant closer to 20 weeks (5 months mark).
• I felt the baby move for the first time during the 20th week of pregnancy in the middle of the night...and I wanted John to be able to feel it so bad.
• I felt so hungry I thought I could eat a cow daily.
• We found out we are having a girl! John and I both thought we were having a boy and we had gotten used to calling the baby 'he.' We were so surprised to find out a little girl was joining our family. We named her Sariah Faith Nobile. The name Sariah is of Hebrew origin, meaning "Princess of the Lord." We pray that our daughter will grow up knowing how precious she is to her Father in heaven and that she will always choose to live by faith: "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." We can't wait to meet her!
• I made a spreadsheet of "Baby Things To Buy" and tried to eliminate some things after asking family and friends what they thought were necessary or helpful items.
• I had to turn down the opportunity of photographing 8 weddings because lots of people decided to get married late in August, September and early October. I knew the baby was my first priority, but it was still VERY hard to say 'no' to photography.
• I attended a few Baby Consignment Fairs and quickly became overwhelmed by the amount of stuff present. I did still manage to find a few awesome deals! Ex: I found a Bumbo seat with tray for $15.
• My hips started to feel like they were going to fall apart anytime I exercised, but the hands' joints were no longer an issue.
• We started working on the future nursery! We chose a gender neutral theme (colors blue, green and yellow) so we can use our baby things with the future boys and girls that may join our family.
• I got tired of Tums and decided Fish Oil could not be nastier.
• John and I enjoyed our date nights and always tried to make 'us' a priority.
• By week 24, it looked like Sariah was practicing her martial arts skills in my belly. It was so fun to see my belly move around out of control. Sariah seems to like to show off to John because she always gets super active whenever he puts his hand on my belly and chats with her!
• I borrowed all of my sister's loose shirts because mine didn't fit me anymore. I always called my sister's shirts "maternity shirts" because they have the high waist and flowy material...and I am glad she has selflessly let me borrow a part of her wardrobe.
• I started to sleep with a few more pillows that helped me get through the night.
• I will forever be thankful to John, who often rubbed my aching back in the middle of the night.
• I felt pretty good most days and nights and could still hardly believe our little girl was growing inside of me!

This Year's Mother's Day

Yesterday I got to hear a lot a of people wishing me "Happy Mother's Day"... and it was so weird to think of myself as a mother. Although I don't quite feel like a mother yet, I sure am excited to celebrate next year's Mother's Day with my little girl!

I hope I can be the kind of mother my mom has been for me. I feel SO blessed and overwhelmed that God gave me a mother I admire, cherish and absolutely love! Sariah is already blessed to have the grandma she has...and the thought of seeing my mother spending time with my daughter brings so much joy to my heart. Praise God for his blessings!!!

21 Weeks

Catching Up to the Present

It has been a while since the last time I wrote...so I thought I would give you all a little update on what has been going on with the Nobiles!
Right after Easter I hopped on a plane and headed to San Francisco to spend some time with a dear friend. I flew stand-by and I was so thankful everything worked out! I even made it through the airport security without having anything taken away or being chosen for the 'special security' search.

Here are a few photos from my trip:

This is what I learned while visiting San Francisco:

• It costs a lot of money to ride the trolley.
• The weather can look a whole lot like Seattle's.
• People seem to be terrified of the rain...and every single person carries an umbrella.
• The hills are absolutely breathtaking.
• The Bart is incredible. I mean, I was under the water and didn't even know!

Shortly after returning to the beautiful Washington, I started getting ready to photograph a wedding in Anacortes. I am still in the process of editing images, but here is a little preview of the beautiful couple:

More photos will be posted soon: www.daniellynobile.com

I know this post is already too long...but I have to share one more thing with with you all! Ready? I felt the baby move!!!! The only way I can describe how it felt is by saying that it felt like someone was trying to tickle me from the inside. I cannot wait to meet this little person. :)

Second Trimester, Here We Come

I opened my inbox this morning and found an email from babycenter.com that said “Welcome to the second trimester!” Our little one can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his/her thumb.

All I can say is that I am totally falling in love with our 3.5 inches long baby!

John and I got to hear his/her heart beating earlier this week and we are both so fascinated with the fact that there is a little person growing inside me!  Pregnancy still does not feel real, and I have a feeling we will be holding a tiny baby in our arms six months from now still completely in shock that our time to become parents has arrived. 

I would also like to point out that I don’t look pregnant at all – which makes it harder to believe that this pregnancy is for real. All my normal clothes fit me like they have always fitted and I am starting to think that I will not be doing much maternity shopping.

So, instead of ending this post with a photo of me not looking pregnant, I decided to leave you with this:

Image from babycenter.com

Pregnancy #1: First Trimester

The first trimester was very uneventful which I considered to be a blessing! John and I kept looking at each other with giggles as we got used to the idea that we were going to become parents.

• I felt extremely tired and could easily sleep most of the day if I let myself.
• Food smells were not appealing and it was hard to come up with meals that sounded good - but because salads don't smell like anything, we ended up eating lots of fruit and veggies.
• It was SO fun to share the baby news with family and friends! Those of you who know me, know that I am not very good at keeping secrets, so I wanted to tell complete strangers that we were having a baby.
• I never experienced morning sickness and never vomited. Praise God!
• Our 8 weeks ultrasound showed this blueberry size baby that had a perfect heartbeat and both John and I were fascinated that a little person was growing inside of me.
• John referred to the baby as 'he' and I kept reminding him that he could not speak gender into existence. He thought it would be easier to raise a boy than a girl...and I realized that if we had a girl, she was never going to be able to date. :)
• We decided to give birth at the local Birth Center with a midwife.
• I expected to start looking pregnant right away and was surprised that my body showed no signs of being pregnant.
• John and I started being more intentional about having weekly Date Nights, knowing that we would soon have to share our precious alone time with a little one.
• I felt tempted to start buying things for the baby, but I fought the temptation with the intention of only getting what we need (with a few splurges!). Our goal is to keep things simple.
• I continued exercising despite feeling tired and even enjoyed a few hikes and snowshoeing in the spring time.
• Not used to eating little meals multiple times a day, I had to get used to always having something ready for me to eat in order to not get extremely hungry. Hungry Danielly = Moody, Emotional and Irrational Danielly.
• I became obsessed with Chipotle and very much disliked the fact that the closest one to us was 65 miles away.
• Confession: I thought pregnancy books were super boring.
• I was so thankful for family and friends who so kindly shared advice about pregnancy, labor, birth and life with a newborn when I felt lost and completely unprepared to become a mom.
• Candied ginger became a normal part of my diet.
• Unfortunately, my hand joints hurt so bad and so often that John had to masage my hands with Icy Hot so I could go to sleep at night.
• John tried so hard to be patient with me when I was a complete emotional mess. I am so thankful I get to be his wife!