Passed Glucose Test & a Big Weekend Ahead!

Yesterday was my 28/9 Week appointment, which for me meant my glucose test and my tDap vaccine. Everything went well… I passed my glucose test and was measuring up pretty well. Although, I must say that while I only gained 2 lbs since my last appointment, I am up 21 lbs total. That feels like way too many pounds considering I was obviously hoping to be on the low end of that 25-35 lb range. Oh well I guess! Right? I’ve been eating well and working out 4 times a week, so my body is clearly just doing what it needs to do to take care of our sweet girl.

The only other thing that showed up from my tests was mild levels of anemia (an iron deficiency). Honestly, while my doc said this was not a big deal and VERY common in pregnancy, I felt a little disappointed. We’ve been continuing on our vegetable smoothie path and I take iron in my prenatal, so I guess I would have expected my iron levels to be a bit better. BUT, no biggy, right? I’ll just keep pounding the leafy greens and take in the iron where I can!

Other than that, I didn’t have too many questions for the doc, other than when the baby will take her final position, to which she responded around 30-32 weeks.  SO, while I was excited to hear that our girl was head down at the appointment yesterday (which I had suspected based on her movement), it doesn’t mean anything for a few more weeks.

Now, the FUN stuff! This week has already been family-central and I’m just so excited for that to continue. Mark’s sweet cousin Sarah is in town with her husband Ryan and their adorable old soul of a 3-year old, Callum. I love this boy. I met him for the first time about a year ago, yet when I saw him yesterday, he greeted me with a HUGE smile, an energetic wave and the biggest and sweetest hug. We played BINGO, made shapes out of playdough and just enjoyed ourselves… and that was just with Callum. His parents are an even bigger treat. They are actually the two that had first recommended us watching The Business of Being Born and reading Love and Logic… both resources which Mark and I hold with strong value. Needless to say, I totally enjoyed picking their brains on the birthing and childrearing experiences.

Hello Kitty BINGO... what could be better?

Hello Kitty BINGO… what could be better?

Sweet Callum with little Toby. How cute??

Sweet Callum with little Toby. How cute??

AND, today, my sister-in-law and nieces arrive from NY! They’ll be in town for the next 10 days, so I’m excited to have lots of QT with them 🙂 Then, as if it isn’t enough excitement, my aunt/uncle/cousin are coming in from Cali TOMORROW to stay with Marky and I and come to my baby shower THIS SUNDAY! How sweet is that? A pretty long travel for just a few days. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m VERY excited to see these three. They’re just the best… so silly, so fun… definitely some pretty awesome icing on the cake that is this week/weekend.

And goodness, I kind of breezed over the fact that my shower is this weekend. My amazing mother and sister have been working VERY hard to plan what I can only imagine is going to be a fabulous baby shower. The venue is this adorable, local caterer’s place… the food is sure to be amazing… the decor, perfectly delicate and tea-party-like… the activities – PERFECTION! I just can’t even wait and am SO grateful… to them for planning such an event and to all the amazing people in my life who are taking the time to celebrate and shower me. I’m a lucky gal… and so is our little girl.

Let this be a warning… prepare for severe GUSHING come Monday morning 🙂

 

 

Infant CPR & Safety… And the Effects of Third-Hand Smoke on Your Baby!

Last night the hubs and I went to our Infant CPR & Safety class and learned how to give our sweet girl CPR and the Heimlich if ever needed. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the class, but honestly, I would recommend taking that class or a similar one if available to you. Ours was free through our hospital.

It’s so important to be able to protect your baby. And in fact, Mark and I both agreed that we’d really like our parents and any others who will likely care for her without us present to take the course or have the skills.

I forgot to bring my worksheet with me today, but I will add it to this post later so you can see some of the information we learned. There was also a great website for childproofing your home based on the age of the child… but again, I don’t have it with me.

Also, a friend told us about an app from the American Red Cross for CPR. Here’s the link to it… http://www.redcross.org/mobile-apps/first-aid-app

One thing that REALLY surprised both Mark and I was the information provided on the effects of second and THIRD hand smoke. Here’s the difference…

  • First Hand Smoke: Person smokes a cigarette and receives first-hand smoke from the cigarette
  • Second Hand Smoke: Person is exposed to another person’s cigarette smoke as they are smoking
  • Third Hand Smoke: Person is exposed to cigarette smoke residue from their clothing and breath

Our teacher – a CPR specialist, labor and delivery nurse, and lactation specialist – told us a story about a father who smoked about 2 packs a day. He was a great father and never smoked around the baby. One day, he went out to have a cigarette, came back inside, took his jacket off, and sat in his recliner with little baby sleeping on his chest. Two hours later, he started to feel concerned that the baby hadn’t woken. He tapped the baby and called his name, but the baby did not respond. The baby had died due to the severe exposure of third hand smoke from the father’s breath and clothing. F**ked up, huh?

The nurse said that it takes 24 hours to remove the “third hand smoke” or toxins from your body.

Needless to say, Mark and I have decided that no matter how much we love you, if you are a smoker, you will not be holding our baby. Their lungs and respiratory system are SO fragile at that age and they do not need to be exposed to such toxins.

Symptoms

Well, this morning I discovered that one of the frames above the changing table/dresser must have come crashing down during the night. The damn thing broke in half and took a CHUNK out of my dresser. I am not a happy camper and 3M better believe they will be receiving a not so nice email from me. Jerks. But, deep breaths… it’s not a big deal, right?

This week is totally dragging and I haven’t been getting enough sleep at all and I’m just feeling blah. I should be over the moon because my favorite house guests will be here in a few days and I get to see so many perfectly lovely little faces this Sunday at my shower. Maybe I will get to bed early tonight… that could help. I’m sure the funk will pass and I’ll be floating by the time the weekend rolls around. But, for today, I’m definitely going to be in survival mode… just get me through this day! Tonight I’m going to work out and do some grocery shopping… then maybe some sitting! That sounds nice, right?

On a different note, I’ve been reading Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and am somehow really enjoying it. So far, it’s just been story after story of women’s experiences with childbirth. They’re not sugarcoated at all, but they’re natural and real and empowering. There are a lot of tips hidden within the stories, which I really love. The gist of what I’ve gotten so far is that your mental state and outlook can be very instrumental in the process. I am going to do everything I can to go into the experience from a completely centered place. I’m going to set the scene with a birth plan that outlines basic guidelines for the room (ie: dim lights, minimal staff in the room, low voices, and don’t even think about asking me if I want drugs)… bring other mood setters like zen/yoga music… maybe a lamp or flameless candle… my ocean noises (these are so clutch for me… I listen to them every night at bed and find they really soothe me)… my sweet and amazing husband… and our doula. I’m not going to rush or obsess over what’s coming. Just be present, continue to breathe, and work WITH my baby and my body to bring our girl into this world.

Just writing all that made me feel a little better. She already makes things so sweet.

The Registry

As with most things involving this baby and pregnancy, I did a lot of research before finalizing my registry. Which car seat is the safest? Glass bottles versus plastic? Cloth versus disposable diapers? Which is the best baby monitor? Which brand carries the most natural skin care products? Which stroller is best for a 5′ 1″ woman? And honestly, it goes on from there. So, after all that hard work, I figured I’d share my final selections. And also, I must comment on a couple choices… but remember, this is only what I’ve heard or read… I’ll follow up once the little princess comes and we actually start using this stuff! 1. The Stroller: This was literally the hardest decision I had to make regarding “stuff”… or at least a tie with the furniture. The first time my hubs and I went to check out strollers, I fell in LOVE with the Bugaboo Chameleon. And honestly, who wouldn’t? It’s got great handling, it’s great for short women, it’s versatile, sturdy, adorable, and… horribly expensive. With all the necessary components, this thing ends up being $1000. Anyway, I was seriously considering the stroller until a little bit of practicality sunk in. $1000 would get us a large percentage of the remaining items on our registry, plus a reasonably priced stroller. So, I decided to reevaluate. I did TONS of research on the best strollers for petite women and after rolling through BuyBuy Baby pushing a dozen different strollers, I ultimately decided on the BOB Motion. This thing is compatible with our car seat, it folds up like a dream, it’s relatively manageable at only 22 lbs, and best of all, it has an adjustable tilt on the handle making it perfect for a shorty like me or someone of a normal height. Best of all, it’s under $300! So, that’s the Bob! 2. The Baby Monitor: We were going between the Motorolla, the Summer Infant Dual View Monitors, and the Summer Infant Wifi Monitor. The Wifi sounded so great because you could see the baby even when you left the house, yada yada. Well, turns out that the apps to watch on your phone totally suck and even more so, would we really want that? If we’re leaving the house, the babers will likely be with one of our parents/family members. They don’t need us hovering and watching and we need to be able to get out and not obsess over the baby. As for the Motorolla versus Summer Infant Dual View, from what I heard, the Motorolla has a crisper picture, but you have to be within about 100′ versus the Summer Infant that has a little lower picture quality, but you can be as far as 500′. That means, we could be outside doing yard work and still feel confident that we can hear/see the baby. Also, it comes with two cameras, meaning when Baby #2 comes, we won’t have to buy another monitor!

BuyBuy Baby Registry - Page 1

BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 1

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BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 2

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BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 3

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BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 4

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BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 5

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BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 6

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BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 7

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BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 8

BuyBuy Baby Registry - Page 9

BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 9

BuyBuy Baby Registry - Page 10

BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 10

BuyBuy Baby Registry - Page 11

BuyBuy Baby Registry – Page 11

Registry List _ Pottery Barn Kids_Redacted_Page_1

Pottery Barn Kids Registry - Page 2

Pottery Barn Kids Registry – Page 2

You Know It’s Monday When…

Delicious green smoothie dumped ALL over me... before noon. Oy.

Delicious green smoothie dumped ALL over me… before noon. Oy.

 

On the positive side, with every Monday, there was a weekend and ours was pretty good. I saw my ladies on Friday, which was lovely as always. Saturday was a BUSY day of nursery prep. We decided to spray paint the doors instead of finishing with a brush… because neither of us could stand the idea of having to brush any more paint on those damn doors. So for Mark, there was a whole lot of this…

Shake, shake, shake...

Shake, shake, shake…

Shake, shake, shake...

Shake, shake, shake…

And spray!

And spray!

Thankfully the weather cooperated!

We also finished the dresser and got some stuff hung up. However, the frames are too close together, so I’ll have to adjust them.

Somehow the picture frames made it to the wall in a way squishier layout than I had hoped.

Somehow the picture frames made it to the wall in a way squishier layout than I had hoped.

And outside of the nursery, we got the lower level guest room all set up and ready for our visitors this weekend. If you remember, the room started like this…

BEFORE shot of the bonus room. Please note that there are piles of papers and crap everywhere and that all craft stuff is thrown into two drawers or somewhere in the desk.

BEFORE shot of the bonus room. Please note that there are piles of papers and crap everywhere and that all craft stuff is thrown into two drawers or somewhere in the desk.

And ended like this…

Cozy little guest bedroom! Needs some wall art, but not too shabby!

Cozy little guest bedroom! Needs some wall art, but not too shabby!

Here's the little "office nook" in the guest bedroom.

Here’s the little “office nook” in the guest bedroom.

And just for fun, we had two of our friends and their sweet baby girl over on Sunday for grilled pizzas! It was delicious and a blast, as always! They shared lots of parenting tips with us and we had a lovely little Sunday.

Symptoms

This weekend I had quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions. In fact, I had at least a few in an hour on Saturday and was starting to feel worried that baby might come early. Of course, she didn’t 🙂 Also, while I’ve been sleeping pretty decently, I will say that I keep waking up with soreness on my right ear. Apparently my head is too heavy for my poor little ear. I miss back sleeping.

Other than that, my right eye won’t stop watering. What the hell is that about? Urgh. It might be dust-related from the weekend, but whatever it is, it’s seriously annoying.

Lastly, with the nursery pretty far along, I’ve started thinking about our DIY ruler growth chart we’re going to make using leftover wood from our homemade wedding photo booth. Here’s the quick mock up I put together…

DIY growth chart to hang on the wall behind the door.

DIY growth chart to hang on the wall behind the door.

28 Weeks… 7 Months! (April 4, 2014)

AKA: HOLY SHIT, I swallowed a basketball!

28 Weeks... 7 Months! (April 4, 2014). Okay, it's official... I'm getting HUGE! This buddah belly is really shaping up... and out... and to the side! Our sweet girl is really getting big now and so are her kicks! She's nearly 15 inches and weighs about 2.2 lbs... a real giant!!

28 Weeks… 7 Months! (April 4, 2014). Okay, it’s official… I’m getting HUGE! This buddah belly is really shaping up… and out… and to the side! Our sweet girl is really getting big now and so are her kicks! She’s nearly 15 inches and weighs about 2.2 lbs… a real giant!!

 

Toby came to say hello!

Toby came to say hello!

 

It's faint, but the linea nigra is there... also, my belly button is disappearing.

It’s faint, but the linea nigra is there… also, my belly button is disappearing.

I don't remember swallowing a basketball, but it appears as though I must have...

I don’t remember swallowing a basketball, but it appears as though I must have…

BaBAM! That's a big belly. People are going to start rubbing it for good luck...

BaBAM! That’s a big belly. People are going to start rubbing it for good luck…

 

Symptoms

Well, besides feeling pretty damn giant, it’s pretty much business as usual. I will say, the past few days, I’ve really been missing my old body. Not that I don’t love being pregnant and love our sweet girl, but I miss… a) feeling sexy. That’s LONG gone. b) getting in a good close hug with my hubs. The belly really gets in the way. c) being able to get dressed easily. d) being able to run into a normal store and find a cute new outfit. Okay… enough bitching.

The positives… it’s FRIDAY! I’m pumped for this weekend. Tonight I’ll meet my lady friends out to celebrate a friend’s birthday and then tomorrow is Part 85 of the great nursery build. We got the pieces in to finish the dresser, we’re going to paint the doors and hopefully get those back on their hinges, get some pictures/mirror/decor hung up, and get the two guest bedrooms organized and ready for our house guests next weekend. And on Sunday, we have some friends coming over for grilled pizza… mmmm!

And, it’s crazy to think about, but next weekend is already my shower! How the heck did that happen? I could not be more excited. My mom and sister have been working hard and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be AMAZING. I can’t wait… at all… yay! Fun times ahead.

TGI… Ughh, it’s only Thursday…

Yep, that’s the kind of day I’m having. Actually… that’s the kind of week I’m having. No matter how much or how little sleep I get, I’ve been waking up absolutely exhausted and have just been feeling pretty darn sluggish all week.

Could it be because I’m packing my days? Possibly. Yesterday, by the time I got in bed, I literally felt like a zombie, which made me think, why am I so tired? Then I realized that I worked from 830-6, worked out, made dinner, cleaned up, washed, folded and put away three loads of wash… all before 11pm. Sheesh. I’m tired just thinking about it.

Tonight I’m heading to the gym after work and then we have dinner at my sweet Milly’s house. It’ll be nice to not have to cook… or think about cooking tonight. And then tomorrow is the weekend. Well, tomorrow night.

In other, similar news, Toby is also quite sluggish. I had him with me at work until around noon today and this is how he spent his day…

 

Puppy snuggles with his stuffed puppy.

Puppy snuggles with his stuffed puppy.

 

Don't talk to me! I'm resting...

Don’t talk to me! I’m resting…

 

Work is so hard...

Work is so hard…

 

Zzzzzzz

Zzzzzzz

 

Toby went home at lunch so I could go out for a birthday lunch with some colleagues…

Where are we going?

Where are we going?

Don't worry... we're at the stop sign!

Don’t worry… we’re at the stop sign!

 

Kisses.

Kisses.

 

Symptoms

So, besides being super tired this week, I’m still battling the stuffy nose… although, today it is WAY better. Also, I forgot to mention this last week, but I think the linea nigra has appeared.

Generally speaking, though, I’ve been feeling pretty good. My face has been feeling a bit… round… and my boobs are just ginormous, which has left me feeling a little uncomfortable when I’m getting dressed up to go out… but that’s okay, right? I’ve been working out still and I really do feel like I’m in pretty good shape considering I’m just about 7 months pregnant. I guess pregnant faces just get rounder… it’s the nature of the game.

Also, this might be weird for some of you, so I apologize in advance… but, my girlfriend told me that before she had her baby, she squeezed her nipple and clear liquid (colostrum) came out. Obviously, I had to try… and sure enough, the right side produced some clear liquid. I told my sister about it the next day because my nipple was throbbing a little and she informed me that squeezing my nipples was NOT a good idea, as it can induce contractions. So, on more than one level, that feels like it was a dumb idea. Note to self… don’t squeeze your own nipples.

 

 

The Nursery Experiment

So, I had two real-life children in the nursery last night…

These little nuggets to be exact:

My favorite blondies.

My favorite blondies.

My friend, Jenna (JP), came over with the boys last night to bring HOMEMADE ice cream and chocolate cupcakes, catch up a little, and check out the nursery. She’s pretty amazing, huh? And let me tell you, the ice cream/strawberry/chocolate cupcake combo REALLY hit the spot. So delicious.

Anyway, we were laughing as the boys ate their ice cream because I could feel myself getting anxious about the mess. And honestly, it wasn’t a big deal at all, but yet I couldn’t help feeling ultra-aware of where their ice cream-filled spoons were going. I joked that I might not be prepared for the chaos that is having a child, and my sweet friend reminded me that they don’t come out as 3-year-olds. You get to ease into the chaos…

After our tasty treat, we all headed into the nursery… my sacred space. The boys were instantly boys. Within seconds, one was climbing on the crib and the other was jumping from the ottoman to the chair and back again. I laid down some ground rules… pretty much, don’t do anything that will break something, and started showing JP some of the tiny little clothes I had been gifted. BUT, out of the corner of my eye, I made sure to watch the boys “use the space” in a totally new way.

After JP and the kiddies left, I had to laugh at myself. Maybe it’s good that we’re having a girl first? I’m clearly just a LITTLE high strung and maybe wasn’t ready to see actual children in the nursery 🙂 I guess it’s a good reminder to enjoy the peace and quiet I feel while rocking slowly in the nursery each night, because it’s not going to last! Soon it will be my own child knocking things out of place.

Symptoms

I’m ready for this stuffy nose to subside. I’m so sick of sniffling. Otherwise, I’m doing really well! Nothing new to report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Interview

This morning I had a job interview, and I’m not going to lie, I was not looking forward to it. For one, I had a very difficult time finding an interview-friendly outfit that also accommodated my 7-month-pregnant belly. For two, the whole thing felt weird, because who hires someone who’s 7 months pregnant?

But, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. The two people interviewing me were very nice and actually pretty fun to chat with. They definitely seem like people I would enjoy working with.

So, what’s the hang-up, right? Well, ultimately, they’d want me to be working 30 hours a week, I’d lose my maternity leave and potentially some of my benefits, I’d likely be taking a pay cut and I’d be switching jobs at 7 months pregnant. If it were a different time, I think I might have really enjoyed working with them, but at this point in my life, I don’t think it’s a fit.

At least I went and made the connections, right? Who knows what the future will hold.

I should also mention that as I was waiting for them to arrive (yes, mom, if you’re reading this, I was early!), the mini gymnast I’m housing in my uterus decided to practice and was sending my belly into very noticeable jumps. THANKFULLY, by the time they showed up, she had tuckered herself out and napped the entire interview. That could have been awkward.

Symptoms

My chest cold has turned into a head cold… hopefully it was working its way up and since it’s reached the top, will now be working its way out. That’s how it works, right? Anyway, it’s nothing too horrible, just making me very stuffy and cloudy. I could totally go for some Sudafed or ibuprofen right about now. Oh well.

Other than that, I’m getting VERY excited for my shower! It’s in less than two weeks. Crazy, crazy! Just right around the corner.

And, this weekend, we have more house organizing to take on, which excites me. We’re hoping to finish painting the dang closet and entrance doors for the nursery, hang up the mirror and picture frames, then get the upstairs guest bedroom cleaned up (it’s been the nursery overflow storage room), and get the downstairs guest bedroom all set up… 3 house guests coming in for the shower! Gotta get everything in perfect working order for my favorite visitors.

Also, how cute is this pup??

The puppy.

The puppy.

A Celebratory Weekend

To say this was a packed weekend would be an understatement. With my husband’s 28th birthday (he’s a youngin’) on Sunday, we made our way downtown to the Blue Jacket for some delicious (but very expensive) food with Mark’s friend CJ. It was a fun little dinner date that had us home by 10:30 pm.

Saturday morning, I was up early to get a few things done around the house and get ready for my sweet Katiekins’ bridal shower at the Iron Horse Hotel downtown. The shower was gorgeous and our friend Carrie who just had her baby on Tuesday made it, too!

The beautiful decor.

The beautiful decor.

 

Tasty & extra fudgey cake!

Tasty & extra fudgey cake!

Local food... SO delish! I woke up thinking about those buttery green beans.

Local food… SO delish! I woke up thinking about those buttery green beans.

 

My favorite lady friends... even sweet Carrie!

My favorite lady friends… even sweet Carrie!

The cutest little piglet favor!

The cutest little piglet favor!

After the shower, I stopped by Anthropologie and Pier One to return an absurd amount of knobs (from the nursery dresser) and pick up my final selections (two from Anthro and the rest from Pier 1). I then ran home to put the knobs on the unfinished dresser and force my husband to admire them…

The dresser with the final knobs. Who knew it was such a process...

The dresser with the final knobs. Who knew it was such a process…

Knob close-up.

Knob close-up.

After the knob admiring (I refuse to acknowledge the awkwardness of that statement), my husband and I went out to Devons Seafood for a DELICIOUS seafood birthday feast. Mark’s sweet momma was just so lovely and gave us a gift certificate for the restaurant as a joint bday/anniversary gift. And let me tell you, we enjoyed it!

Sunday morning, it was time to start the whole “getting ready for the bridal shower” routine again… this time for my brother’s fiance. Then, my mom (2 weeks post-op), sister and I jumped in my car and headed back downtown for my third time that weekend. The venue was this super cute Italian restaurant that opened just for the shower. The shower itself was being thrown by my mom’s extremely generous and kind network of women. In fact, they are the same lovely ladies who threw my bridal shower last year!

The food at the shower was delicious… no complaints here. Think breaded eggplant sticks, pizza, pasta galore! Everything looked wonderful and it was nice to catch up with my aunt and cousins who were also there.

After the shower, mom and I were zonked. So, what does one do when their husband decides to spend his birthday helping a friend move GIANT Persian rugs all day? Watch Pretty Little Liars, of course. So, mom and I gelled all day… her in her drug-induced stupor and me in my Liars-induced stupor.

When the husband was finished with his slave labor, he met me at my parents’ house and we all had a little bday dinner together. Then, when we got home, I gave my hubs his gift, some cake with a candle, and this perfectly us card…

Happy birthday, Lovey!

Happy birthday, Lovey!

Symptoms

It must be mentioned that our sweet girl made herself VERY present during our Liars Marathon… in fact, she had been practicing her acrobatics all weekend. It’s almost a bit crazy. I can’t imagine what’s going to happen as she gets bigger. She might break my ribs…