our little strawberry is three months old!

Cora! What the heck! Where has the time gone? 

It's been spent in cuddles, nap times, smiles, and playing. Your little personality is starting to shine through. You think Daddy makes the funniest faces. You like to listen to lullabys as you fall asleep in your swaddle. Your hands are super interesting right now and are constantly in your mouth - it makes you the cutest drool monster in the world. You talk to us and we talk back, which makes for such interesting conversation. You love bath time, kicking your legs, and are now reaching for the toys in your play gym. Every day you go for a walk with Momma and the pup. You like to be outside and look all around...except Mom better make sure you're in the shade because your creamy white skin is just the whitest. Your fluffy hair is growing back in the sweetest shade of strawberry, just like your Mom. You are our treasure and we love you so much. 

family photos

I attended a baby shower last weekend and got dressed (!), put on makeup (!), and did my hair (!). It called for an attempt at an updated family photo.  I was accidentally ready two hours early and asked Kirk to rush to take a shower and "get cute" as we call it so that we could try for some photos. I personally don't like them of me because I feel like I'm carrying all of my pregnancy weight in my face, but I just couldn't help but show off my beautiful baby and gorg husband. I love them both so much! 

We are so thankful for our little family 

so thankful

Today is the day I'd be returning to work after maternity leave if I hadn't gotten laid off at the end of September. As I looked at my sleeping baby when I put her down for her morning nap, I almost burst into tears. How could I have possibly left her?? 12 weeks is not enough time, for either of us. Although we are not the most financially secure right now while I'm out of work, I am beyond thankful for the chance I get to stay home with our sweet babe. I wish that the selfless care mothers provide to our precious children was more appreciated by the workforce. To me, there is nothing more important than providing time for a mother to help her baby grow and thrive. Of course I am going to go back to work someday. But for now, I am enjoying and savoring every moment I get to spend with this precious angel child. She is the best job I've ever had!!!

11 weeks of bliss!!!!

Our little baby Cora is 11 weeks old today so I just wanted to take a second to reflect on our time together. She is a slice of heaven, a great sleeper, and has the cheeriest disposition. We are infinitely thankful that she is in our lives.

Some stuff she likes to do:

• Smile
• Suck on her hands
• Ride in the front-pack
• Kick her legs
• Look at toys 
• Take selfies with mom
• Coo, squeal, and squeak in delight
• Go for walks in her daddy's arms

Love you so much baby girl!

Our little turkey girl is here!

SHE'S HERE!!

Cora Elise Martinsen was born on Thanksgiving day, November 27 (41 weeks!!), at 4:37 AM. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 inches long. She is an angel, a true light in our lives, and we are so extremely blessed that she's here and healthy and stealing our hearts more and more every day. This has been the most rewarding, transformative, crazy amazing, crazy exhausting, love-filled two weeks of our lives. 

We love our little turkey girl! 

This is the babe on the way home - we only stayed at the hospital one day and wanted to be home asap to start our own family time. I have never been so happy to walk through our front door!

This is Riggs meeting the babe for the first time. He is going to be great with her.

Her little facial expressions melt me.

My whole heart and soul!

WE LOVE YOU, CORA! Welcome to our family.

remember when....

....I was bragging about being in the single digits of WEEKS left in this pregnancy? Well now we are down to single digit DAYS. This is assuming baby is on time. But let's be honest, I am a little psycho about being on time and think people who are late are rude. NO RUDE BABIES ALLOWED.

This waiting around period is really really hard. Really. Every week since about week 34 I've been taking a minute to be relieved that she's made it past some scary timeline points - this is the week she can viably survive outside if anything happened, this is the week her lungs would be OK, this is the week she can regulate her own temperature.... Now we are at the point where she could come any day and is "selfishly" staying around, packing on pounds. Pounds that I have to push out. My midwife says she's not a very big baby, but I feel like maybe she is. I know that she's snug in there and can't be comfortable because I am way past comfortable. I feel her stretch like she has RLS or something and there are no little movements anymore, it's all like the macarena in here.

I've also had two friends have their babies in the last 11 days which just adds to the anxiety of waiting. She's not late yet so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, but I sure hope (for my mental sake!) that she comes early or on time so that we can just start the next phase of our lives. I've never been so ready for something in my whole life.

We love you, baby. Please come soon!

It's November! 38 week update

It's finally the month that we will welcome our little angel babe. I wouldn't say that these past nine months have been quick, but so much has happened. We are officially ready for her arrival - from the room, to all the gear, to my body being done acting as a human oven! We just want her here so badly and the hardest part is knowing she could come any time. Two weeks ago, Kirk turned 30...it's not too hard to visualize two weeks from now coming sooner than imagined.

:)