Corona 2020

COVID-19 hit fast and B and I have been working from home for the past 8 weeks. It's a crazy time in the world right now that almost feels surreal. Businesses are closed, families are isolated in their homes, schools are shut down, sports are cancelled, people are wearing masks whenever they leave their homes, it's all very crazy.

What's life like for me and B right now?

1. Jive was able to stay open and we just live-streamed classes via FaceBook and Zoom. It was weird and so exhausting standing in front of a camera for 7 straight hours with no dancers in class, but i'm so grateful we were able to stay open. This week, we opened the studio for students who feel safe coming in, so things are on the up-and-up but still not back to normal! We pushed the concert back to August, and may have to push it back even more, but we're determined to still make it happen.

2. Me and B are getting a lot of time together before the baby comes and we are loving it. I love being with him and being forced to slow down has been a blessing in a lot of ways. We're doing a ton of yard work, making actual meals, watching all the seasons of 24, playing board games, etc. It's great!

3. I have to go to all my doctor's appointments alone but luckily, I can just FaceTime B in. As of right now, ONE person is allowed into the delivery room during labor and the duration of the hospital stay whenever this baby decides to come. It's sad to think my family won't be there (especially my mom), but I'm grateful Blake can be there. And who knows—we still have 3.5 weeks until baby is set to be here . . . maybe things will be different by then.

4. I was planning on not having a baby shower with social distancing being a huge requirement right now, but cute Niki was set on hosting one for me. So, next Saturday we'll be having a drive-thru baby shower where B and I will stand outside my parents driveway and people can drive by and say hi! Such weird times, but i'm so grateful we'll be able to celebrate this little nugget before he comes.

5. Church has been cancelled since middle of March. We're currently the Sunday School teachers for the 11-16 year olds and we miss them! This has been my favorite calling. The kids are incredible and it's so fun being able to teach with B.

6. It's hard to tell if the weight i'm gaining is purely because i'm pregnant or also from the constant snacking and no real workouts happening lately. hahaha whoops! But thankfully i've still been teaching dance through all this and that's keeping me active.

7. B is loving working from home and never wants to go back to the office! Me? I'm not planning on being back in the office until my maternity leave is over at end of August, so I don't even have to worry about that.

All in all, we're handling Corona 2020 well here at the Sanford home and basically just can't wait until we have a baby to snuggle though all the down time at home.

34 Weeks Pregnant

I remember when I first found out I was pregnant, I was only 4 weeks along. 40 weeks felt like one million years away and I was certain May 30th would never come. But even as the weeks chug along, I still feel like I'm never going to have this baby. I am so excited I can't even stand it. And while 6 weeks isn't far at all, I still find myself dying that there are still 6. more. weeks. left.

I feel so ready to be a mom. It's everything I've ever wanted and the thought of snuggling a baby, my baby, makes me teary. I can't wait. 

Some quick facts about pregnancy so far: 

1. During my first trimester, I never got morning sickness. (I threw up one time at night after I took all my fertility medicine on an empty stomach, but that's it.) No nausea, no fatigue, no crazy cravings. I did have to give myself massive "progesterone in oil" shots in the booty for the first 14 weeks, but as horrible as those were, it's all a distant memory now and I'd do it all over again, no question! 

2. I had a weird aversion to grilled chicken through the 1st and 2nd trimester.

3. Because we did genetic testing during IVF, I've known the sex of the baby since before I was even pregnant. Turns out all 4 of our good embryos are boys!

4. According to everyone, I carried this baby really low, which is strange because I don't feel like I have a long torso or anything. I swear I looked like the grinch for a good 6 months with how low I was carrying. 

5. We started the nursery around 28ish weeks and it's still not done. I was on a roll for a little bit, but corona virus hit the world hard and fast and suddenly me and B were working from home together. The nursery quickly became B's office and no progress has been made on it since! 

6. At 34 weeks, I have yet to experience heartburn, round ligament pain, fatigue, trouble sleeping or a contraction! It truly has been such an easy pregnancy, and I'm so grateful for that. I have some back pain, my hands and feet are starting to get a little swollen, my legs feel restless before bed, and I feel winded a lot, but nothing too crazy or uncomfortable. 

7. We are fully planning on naming the baby AFTER he is born. I never thought I would be that person, but here we are. One of my favorite names has always been Reggie (and that's a top runner), but Trip is also one of our favorites. We have about 10 other names we like, but as of this week, Reggie and Trip are our favorites. 

8. For some reason, pregnancy has made everything so funny to me. Especially B! He basically has me in tears every other day from something funny he'll randomly say. It has been one of my favorite parts of being pregnant! 

9. I can't wait to see B become a dad. He is the favorite uncle and loves loves loves playing with the nieces and nephews. He is going to love our kid so hard. The other night, we were talking about almost being parents and he said, "Rik, if you think you've seen the best of me, you just wait until my boy is here." 

Cheers to 6 more weeks and hoping they come fast. We are so ready for you, baby!