Thirty Weeks!

Thirty Weesk...

That’s like standing on third base just waitin’ for that line drive hit to head home. Weeeee!

I officially have a complaint this week. I’m NOT a fan of all these bathroom breaks. Oh my goodness this is out of control, and it’s only going to get worse...huht? I’ve always been a big water drinker, averaging about a gallon (four Nalgene bottles) a day. In the last few weeks I’ve experienced a jump in my H2O appetite, some times drinking five Nalgenes (160oz) before 4pm. I’ve been half temped to keep a score sheet by my desk at work and in the bathroom at home and watch my stats. Last night I swear I was up six times in the middle of the night. As it’s becoming increasingly harder and harder to pole vault myself out of bed I’m almost dreading bed time. But on a positive note! With the exception of getting up every hour, I have found it easier to get comfortable and enjoying a more restful sleep.

Tomorrow is my first family baby shower! I am soo soo excited for the fun! And excited to show Mom and Laura the lil’ guys nursery for the first time. Mom flew in from AZ for the shower ( just for the weekend) and Jack will be on an overnight hunting trip so I’ll need help carrying the new goodies in and up the stairs. On tonight’s agenda - finish up the last few ‘Thank You favors’ and clean out the lil’ one’s closet (it’s still housing our misc. ‘junk’).

This week according to FitPregancy - You baby's length is about 16 inches—about as long as a laptop computer—and he measures almost 11 inches from crown to rump. He weighs approximately 2 1/2 to 3 pounds. From now until delivery, every baby will gain weight at a more individual rate. Your baby has doubled in height over the past six weeks, and from now until delivery, he'll gain only a few more inches in length. Don't worry if he's in a strange position (what your care provider might call a "transverse lie"). There's still plenty of time for him to get settled into the head-down (cephalic) position for birth. He's floating in about 1 1/2 pints of amniotic fluid and has some room to move. Your baby's most important organ, her brain, continues to develop at a rapid pace. His eyes are able to track light, and some researchers have theorized that exposing your belly to light may stimulate development. Try moving the beam of a flashlight slowly over your belly in a dim room, and see if he reacts.

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Twenty Nine Weeks

All and all a good week!

We had our first visit with the midwife ‘group’ on Tuesday. Both Jack and I feel sooo good about making the change. We both felt like we learned more in the hour we met with Laura then we had the last 20 weeks or so with our current doctor. I had no complaints about the doctor we were seeing, every visit was pleasant and seemless, the location was perfect and the appointment hours were great. But the further we progressed the more I found myself hoping for just a little bit more. More info about the baby and current progress, more about my changing body, more about the what’s to come, more about the process in general. (Each visit was VERY short and sweet, and a tad bit unpersonable.) We had the complete opposite feel when meeting with Laura (one of the seven mid-wives we will meet).

Happily Jack and I are on the same page when it comes to the labor, delivery, and the hour or so following the lil’ guys grand entrance. Because it’s our hope and goal for our first experience, calm, intimate and as peaceful as possible, it only makes sense for us we enlist the help of the mid-wives vs. the doctor and nurses on call.

Understanding ANYTHING can happen, and there is no play book when it comes to babies, we’ll role with the punches as they come - but ideally we would love a quite and intimate birth. Lights turned down low, the iPod playing a mellow preset playlist, me, Jack and the midwife and that’s it. We both agreed we would really like to avoid the revolving door of nurses, hospital staff, a doctor running in at the last minute, etc. It’s also our goal to keep the private setting even after the baby is born for that first hour or so to enjoy and get to know our new bundle of joy.

From the midwife’s response our our wish it sounds like all is completely doable. Yippee!

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Weekend Fun

The lil' guy's nursery is really starting to come together! I feel we made huge progress this weekend.

We still have few few little things to nail out before we share the big reveal and pictures of the entire room, (not just selected areas). On the to-do list, sew the valance, reupholster the glider and Ottoman, sew the changing pad cover, mount a shelf of two, mount the mirror above dresser and a few little small odds-and-ends. I hope to have those wrapped up in the next week or two, but really, I'm in no huge hurry, we've got 81 days to finish, give or take a couple. :)
Granted we are not completely done with the room, and obviously there are a few more costs to incur, but I couldn't be more tickled at the out the door price tag of everything currently in the room.

My good-to bargain basement reference Baby Bargains, a great resource and tool when pricing and purchasing recommends/est. spending $1500.00 on the Crib, mattress, dresser, rocker. We spent....

The six drawer dresser from IKEA, $249, the two drawer chest (aka changing table) also from IKEA, $179, the fabric for the crib skirt, window valance, glider and ottoman, IKEA, $50.00. Three 5x7 black frames, IKEA $15.00. The floor lamp, $30 and the black dresser lamp (on sale) $20.00 (both from IKEA). The four shelves above the crib $40.00. Storage compartments for the dresser and changing table drawers, $16.00. Misc. fabric rements/samples $15.00 =$614!!

Repurposed, handmade DIY, found around the house, gracious gifts and hand-me-downs. For a whopping out of pocket (purchased specifically to outfit the nursery) - $0.00! Woohoo!

The crib and mattress were a wonderful surprise from the neighbors (more about that here). Three of the six frames that make up the 'silhouette montage' found in my craft room closet (and spray painted black to match the purchased frames), the silhouette 'art work', DIY with on hand scrap book paper. The hanging mobile, a Wednesday evening craft project (oh, can't forget to count the $1.99 embroidery hoop used, purchased from the GoodWill). The Pottery Barn glider and ottoman a wonderful hand-me-down gift, again from our neighbors. The 'ladder' shelf unit, pulled from the bonus room (where it just didn't seem to fit). The beveled oval mirror that will hang above the desser came was the orginal mirror in our downstairs bathroom (I installed a better suited one a year or so ago). All the remaining frames found around the house with DIY art (pulled and created from the craft room, and all the nick-knacks around the room, all found around the house.

So far we're looking pretty gosh darn good! I'm sure before we're done will tack on at least a $100-$150 additional (hardware, decor, and other random necessities), but all and all not bad I say!

And to cap off the weekend, a family photo shoot of the bellies. Here I am 28weeks and 2days...

And crazy McKinley the dog's belly. One year, a fews months and a couple days...

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Twenty Eight Weeks & Our 3rd Trimester

Woohoo!

Today, I’ve officially trucked into our third trimester! I’m sure I sound like a broken record, but I truly can’t believe how fast the pregnancy is progressing.

I’m sincerely looking forward to the next twelve weeks of fun. Poo poo I say to the peeps around the office and unsolicited advice from others carrying on about all the uncomforts to come - the sleepless nights, the aching back, the stretch marks, the horrendous heartburn, and all the other unmentionables they say are heading my way.

There’s too much fun to look forward to in the next three months and at the rate the calendar pages are flipping I want to enjoy every day while this lasts. I’m excited to put the finishing touches on the lil’ guy’s nursery, learning more about the birthing process, learning more about baby things period, the fun baby showers and more.

I super excited to meet our new midwife group next Wednesday. - I received the phone call I’d had been waiting for on Wednesday. My records from my current Dr. finally made their way to them and I’m a go. After a wonderful phone conversation with Melissa (part of the midwife team) I’m even more convinced this might be the best move for us.

I’m excited to see how big this crazy belly is going to get, and strangely how much weight I’m going to pack on. Call me cuckoo, but I’m strangely curious (about both).

No new crazy symptoms this week – hooray!

In the last 28 weeks I’ve completely missed out and haven’t felt the effects of...Morning sickness, I think I’m going to dye fatigue, food aversions, constipation, heartburn, swollen ankles, stretch marks, hemorrhoids, gestational diabetes caused by the pregnancy, shoes not fitting or becoming tighter, muscle cramping of any kind (day or night), pigment discoloration, varicose veins, and any other random and/or major unpleasantly.

What I have felt and seen... a mild acne breakout around ten weeks, a few emotional breakdowns, a cold that lasted a good two weeks, a faint linea nigra line begin to develop under my belly button, ninja kicks that have kept me up for a minute or two, increasing awkwardness getting up and over the body pillow at night to use the restroom, and an odd pain a few nights ago in my breastbone (thought I was having a slight heart attack).

So far so good!

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Sweet, Sweet, Sweet

Twenty Seven Weeks

It’s only Tuesday and this week has been as sweet as sweet can be.

Today I had my twenty seven week check-up. It was a quick appointment, just the basics - blood pressure, weight (hooray, only a 4 lbs. gain – although I must stay away from the Golden Arches, I’m sure I wouldn’t have seen a gain at all if it wasn’t for Mr. McDonald hollering at me each time I passed by.), baby’s heart beat (good!), and my glucose results from Sunday’s blood work...I passed! No gestational diabetes for this kid and mama – thank goodness! I’m sure that would have put a damper on the day and my ice cream fun.

We made HUGE progress on the nursery this weekend. Friday night I picked up the white paint and started right in. I was able to knock out all the cutting in, a couple coats on the ceiling, the closet wall and a half a coat on a big wall before running out of paint. Saturday we headed out, picked up the grey paint, another gallon of white and headed off to IKEA with measurements and notes in hand.

Holly smokes did we cover some ground and score big in that crazy yellow and blue box! I think it might have been one of the best one-stop shopping trips ever. During our two hour adventure we scored: A six drawer dresser, a three drawer chest (aka changing table), a small nightstand/table, a floor lamp, a table lamp, sixteen compartment storage boxes for the dresser, three shelves, three picture frames, nine yards of three different styled fabrics, (one for the glider, one for the curtain valance, one for the bed skirt, and because Jack liked it) and a

Jackaroo cutting his fabric pick

As soon as we got home, we both hit it hard. Jack started assembling the furniture and I went back to the painting. Amazingly, by 10:00pm everything was moved in we had a full blown almost completed nursery! Just throw the crib in the room and it will be ready to rock.

Now it’s just the small fun stuff - picking out a few fun décor pieces and toys, sewing the valance, reupholstering the glider chair covers, and organizing the closet.

I would like to keep the room uncluttered and simple as possible, and because we are on a good roll budget wise, economical. To save a few pennies I thought I would try my hand at making the lil’ guys’ mobile to coordinate with the room. I’m happy and excited to report so far so good, and hope to have pictures by the weekend!

I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings!

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Feeling So Blessed...

Today I’m feeling a little overwhelmed, gleefully overjoyed, extremely lucky and so so blessed. ..

Somehow the days are just FLYING by...not truckin’ on by...FLYING by. I was shocked today to take a peek at this lil’ blog this morning (just to see how behind I was on my weekly posts) to see that little count down in the upper top left read 92 days to go. 92 days?! That’s it...that’s all...there ain’t no more? I’m having such a great time sporting this growin’ belly, I’m kind of sad to see the end in sight.

This week we’ve been making good baby progress, I placed my first order of AIO’s (All in One) Cloth Diapers. Yeppers, we...err...I, decided to dive in head first into the big ol’ pile of cotton (and laundry) and run the cloth diaper route. It’s my plan to try a few different options and brands and see what works best, so I’m planning on distributing the diaper budget around. This go around was the All in One Bum Genius 3.0’s. I picked up seven diapers and 18 flip disposable inserts for $102.82. Jack seems a little apprehensive, but I convinced as soon as he sees the cute little things in person he’ll be sold.

Nursery progress - Yippee, all the ideas floating around my crazy head are finally starting to come together! Not sure why, but I’ve been struggling with the lil’ guy’s nursery ‘theme’ and ‘look’ since we found out the sex in November. I’ve been completely and utterly stumped, the only thing I’ve been certain of is we both do not want to limit the design of the room a specific theme, especially a pre-packaged store bought theme. After a few evenings pouring over flicker nursery picts, design sites, baby blogs, an online fabric order and a trip to Ikea for more fabric samples, I think we’ve nailed it!I’m so excited to put the plan into action.

We are going for a modern look - grey and white walls and ceilings (our entire house walls and ceiling are a butter cream), a bright orange and red valance, a black and white glider and ottoman, a cheery yellow for the pillows and changing pad cover, and more. Pictures to follow soon!

Saving the biggest and best news of the week for last , our crib!I am feeling so overwhelmed by the generosity our dear neighbors (and friends), Todd and Katya have been pouring our way. A few months ago, they passed their Pottery Barn Glider and Ottoman our way. AMAZING! Then just recently, they were notified of a safety recall issued on their (recently retired) crib. Unable to sell or pass it down, they generously offered the recall voucher and Babies R Us credit to us, a $349 credit towards any style crib! I think we were both speechless. After a few weeks of back and forth strategizing and web watching, I just received a phone call from Katya this morning that the order has been placed and the crib is on it way!

It’s been a bit of fiasco and the efforts they have gone through to secure and order the crib for us are beyond. In-stock, out of stock, out of inventory completely, online purchase only, purchase on the neighbors credit card, in person return/credit on the neighbor’s credit card, and more. We both are so very grateful for all that they have done!

Oh what a weekend it will be! Shopping, painting, building, decorating, and piecing the room together.

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