Week 23

Tomorrow, we'll be 23 weeks! I can't even believe it.

I feel great! Although I could use some more energy, I'm not complaining. After all, there are two of us dependent on this one body for life. I still think it's pretty amazing that right now, there's a small baby doll growing inside this belly. The baby books and websites have stopped comparing Bubs to food items (finally!)...now they liken Bubs to the size of a small baby doll. Since I have no desire to eat small baby dolls, that works just fine for me.

I spent a few minutes in the nursery today. The gifts have kept on coming- which is crazy amazing.

Our good friends Amy and Jon gave us TONS of baby gear- all of which is gender neutral. Among such items were:



Did you see that? It's an entire Graco travel system!

Not pictured were 3 papason-type floor seats/rockers, a bumbo w/ tray, a beautiful nursing cover/hooter hider, an exersaucer, the two bases for the bucket seat, changing pad w/ removable cover, a large activity mat, and a Boppy brand tummy time mat with mini boppy. Unbelievable! We are SO thankful for having received these items! They're in great shape and if you didn't know any better, you'd walk into our house and think we had 2 babies already :) We are so blessed to have amazing family and friends that are giving us stuff!

My mom has also stepped in and well, 'nough said:

(Speaking of which, while we're not sharing baby names that are in serious consideration, I'm more than happy to share names that Hubs immediately ruled out...mainly Peyton, Indy, or Colt. He's no fun, is he? And, for the record, I would seriously name a boy any of those.)

Janette, a gal I work with, and her husband Ryan gave us this Eddie Bauer BRAND NEW bucket seat w/ base (her son used it a handful of times and you can't even tell):



Robin M practically took me shopping in their basement two weekends ago and I walked away with quite a bit of loot- including a Boppy for me and several baby girl items to pass onto my BFF (who found out that she's having a GIRL!).

Finally, one of my best friends at work, Susie, gave me a bag full of adorable baby clothes. If they weren't drying in the dryer right now, I'd post pics of those too. Also included in the bag were still-in-the-package medicine droppers/spoons, still-in-the-package rattle slippers, and a few other baby items.

I don't intend for all of my posts to be about material items, but it is SO overwhelming (in the best way possible) to feel the love that our family and friends have for our unborn child. You KNOW you have good friends, but when they're just as excited about your baby as you are, then it makes an already amazing experience even more so.

Tomorrow is 23 weeks. This means that tonight, just after Hubs and I have crawled into bed and settled in nicely under the covers, he'll reach for the baby book and read about the 23rd week. We'll laugh about the symptoms I still haven't experienced (larger boobs), take comfort in those I have (headaches and gagging), and learn about what Bubs will be up to over the next few days. Then, Hubs will turn off the lamp next to his side of the bed, scoot over to my side of the bed (dodging both body pillows), kiss my forehead and say, "night momma, night Bubs."

Then I'll fall asleep and have my 6th dream that Bubs is a [insert gender here].

(And Hubs will comment under his breath about how he'd better fall asleep before me lest my snoring keeps him up.)


Until then, XOXO...

July 25, 2007

This date may not mean anything to you, but it's a night I'll never forget.

I flew to Omaha the next day to pick up Craig from Internship. It was the last night alone of our very long journey.

Reprinted from Lackadaisical Motivation, July 25, 2007:
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Well, this is it.

Tonight.

Our final night apart.

My last night going to sleep alone.

My last morning waking up alone.

My last night of late night phone calls.

No more tearful airport goodbyes.

Tomorrow starts the rest of my life.

Finally.

It’s here.

Words cannot express how I feel.

Years of sacrifice are behind us.

My heavy heart is getting lighter.

“I love yous” will be accompanied by hugs and kisses now.

I can’t believe it’s almost over.

The tears streaming down my cheeks are of joy and relief.

Thank you, God.

Thank you, God.

Bubs is real

On April 13th, I felt Bubs really move for the first time! Hubs and I were sitting in his office, talking about a new service he's going to offer, and Bubs kicked/punched and I nearly jumped out of my seat! It happened again just a few seconds later. It almost took my breath away (literally and figuratively).

It was unmistakeably Bubs. Since then, Bubs makes his/her presence known throughout the day. It's not excessive at this point. Usually at night after a few Fla-vor-ices Bubs is really active.

Feeling the baby move is nothing like I expected. I thought it would be more "just under the skin." Instead, it's really, really deep inside me. Mostly it tickles and I smile, but every once in a while, it's a raw jab. I think once it happens more frequently, I'll stop jumping every time I can feel him/her. I have a terrible startle response and unexpected moves from inside rank high on the list of things that set it off :)

During the 20 week Ultrasound, it was weird for me to see Bubs moving around inside, but not be able to feel it. We would see the arm move above the head, and then back down again, but I felt nothing. Now, 2 weeks later, I'm putting the U/S movements in my mind together with the movements I feel. It's wonderful.

Bubs 20 week U/S is on the fridge and nearly every time I grab something to eat or drink, I linger a little longer. I wonder what Bubs is thinking. I wonder what kind of things Bubs will like to do, what his/her favorite color will be, and if Bubs will inherit Hubs singing talent. Will Bubs be always on the go and chatty like me or laid back and more reserved like daddy?

Almost every day I imagine the moment of birth. How special will that be? Bubs is much more than a 9 month baby-in-the-making to us. I'm very used to getting what I want when I want it. Trying to get pregnant certainly challenged that behavior. Having something so important to us be so out of my control kept me more than grounded. Looking back, I'm certain the faith and patience I further developed prior to pregnancy was all part of the plan. I NEEDED that to be a better mom.

I also plan, plan, plan and plan some more. Being uncertain of Bubs gender has me altering that behavior, too. I absolutely love NOT being able to plan every single detail for Bubs. It's almost a mental relief for me. If I knew the gender, I would probably be in hyper-planning mode and I would be more focused on insignificant details than on the baby. With an uncertain gender, I'm planning what I can, but I'm much more focused on the baby and enjoying the pregnancy than I may have been otherwise. It's a blessing that I'm so thankful to be experiencing.

Don't get me wrong, I especially can't wait to hear the phrase, "it's a ____!" I'm just really enjoying the time between now and then.

Until then, XOXO....

Maternity Fair

This morning, Hubs and I attended our first maternity fair. It was sponsored by the hospital where Bubs will make its grand entrance into the world.

It was very, very helpful for me. I met several lactation consultants who gave me some good education on nursing. One suggested mothers start self expressing at 36 weeks. Interesting. I can't get too much into detail because, well, I still gag thinking about boobie milk.

I also spoke with the gal who owns Lactations, which is a motherhood/nursing store in the area. That's the store that carries the hooter hider/nursing cover that I want. I found out that they have a registry, so I definitely plan on going there and picking out a few things (although, I realize that most people prefer buying baby items, not necessarily items for the mama, so I'm not sure how many people would go there to buy a gift).

I met a doula who is also pregnancy massage certified. Of course I took her up on her offer to "jump on the table" and get a quick massage. It felt SOOOOOO good. Ah man, did it feel good.

We also registered for all of the freebie baskets that were available.

And, the big news of the day is that Hubs won a high chair! He was the only man at the fair when we first arrived. He kept whispering to me, "one of these things is not like the other." Honestly, he didn't mind, though. He was interacting with the vendors and learning just as much as I was.

After we got home, I asked if he would put the high chair together (I realize that the baby won't be using a high chair for some time, but I can't stand having something and not having it put together!).



I like the wipes holder in the back. I hope I remember to keep it filled. It's a gender neutral pattern that we like, so we're very thankful to have won this!

All in all, it was time well spent.

Oh yea, and the Special Delivery dept of the hospital had a visual of how the cervix expands and thins during labor. I nearly passed out. Needless to say, I'm still in total denial that this baby will be coming out of me.

Until then, XOXO...

Books we're reading

I'm still not overwhelmed with baby advise, so bring it on!

Some of the best advice we've received has come in the form of books people have recommended we read.

Here are a few such books:



I've read Babywise twice and Hubs is getting ready to start it. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child was given to us by Amy. She calls it her baby "bible!"

My goal is not to go into this with an expectation of how the baby will act, sleep, etc. Despite my Type A personality, I'm realistic in knowing that every baby is different and if I have certain expectations, I'm certain to be frustrated and disappointed.

Rather, my goal is to learn what I can about how babies function. I hope that understanding this will help guide us to better provide for Bubs. Whether that be restful sleep, a satisfying meal (of boobie milk, hopefully), or physical activity, I want to know how babies work so I can adjust to help Bubs.

Speaking of boobie milk, I have every intention of nursing. For every good reason you can imagine, I want to do this for Bubs. Right now, though, the thought of breast milk makes me gag. Badly.

When BFF and I were walking through Babies'R'Us a few weekends ago and we got to the breast pumps, she was explaining the different contraptions to me and I started gagging. I don't think it's gross at all. I think it's wonderful. For some reason, though, my brain is stronly connected to my stomach and thinking about it makes me want to puke. Blah.

Needless to say, I hope that feeling passes!!

Speaking of milk in general, I had my first glass of milk in weeks with breakfast on Easter. I didn't gag all day and it tasted SO GOOD! I pushed it, though, and enjoyed a bowl of cereal yesterday morning along with a tall glass of milk. Sure 'nough, within about an hour, my gagging was in full swing. Yuck.

Apparently my counsin Sarah (who, besides my friend Karl, is the only person I know that drinks more milk than me) also experienced this problem during pregnancy. And, it IS a problem. Just b/c it makes me gag doesn't keep me from craving it. I Love milk. Prior to pregnancy, I drank 1-2 gallons/week. I miss it :(

I'm hoping that the gagging subsides in the last trimster (like it did for Sarah) so I can start enjoying it again.

If not, thats OK too. I'm drinking all kinds of water and sugar free/calorie free Crystal Light lemonade (very watered down- just enough to give it flavor).

Staying hydrated is not a problem for me. I drink. All. the time.

Don't forget- the u/s is on Thursday! Oh man, I can't wait to see Bubs again. So cute.

Until then, XOXO...

If Bubs is anything like me...

If Bubs is anything like me, then he/she will need about three blankets at a single time.

I am cold All. the. time.

When we're downstairs watching TV at night, I can be found buried under three blankets, sometimes four. The blanket immediately on top of me is a red, very soft (but small) plush blanket from Diel & Forguson (our corporate accounting firm) I got as Christmas gift a few years ago. On top of that lies my really plush and warm JC Penny cuddle wrap. Finally, the top layer is always the pink afghan that Shennie made me a few years ago. It is the PERFECT blanket because it's long enough to cover my entire body (plus some) and it's thick so it keeps me really warm.

If I'm extra cold, I'll throw in my Transy blanket that my little sister gave me after college graduation.

I wear all three blankets every night while watching TV with Hubs.

I was hoping that being pregnant would kick up my internal heater, but not so much (not yet anyway).

It's a good thing that we have wonderful relatives that make blankets for us!!

Here is Bubs latest gift from Shennie. It is SO soft!



It's a yellow blanket that, for now, has taken up residence on the recliner in the nursery.

My older sister, Jennie, also made Bubs a blanket. I think she started it many years ago- which obviously before Bubs was a twinkle in daddy's eyes. How cool is that for Bubs to receive a gift that was made just for him/her years before there was life?


I love homemade gifts. I love gifts that only we can have (which is why I'm placing an order for the homemade bibs that Cheryl made for Violet that have the button to fasten the bib in place.. I tried finding it in her FB photos, but I wasn't patient enough to search through all of her albums).

Alright kids. I'm off work today and I refuse to spend the day in front of the computer :)

Until next time, XOXO...

20 weeks

Here you go! 20 weeks already, can you even stand it??!




Until next time, XOXO...

The one about swelling

Over the past week, I've had some real problems with my feet swelling.

I'm drinking 100+ oz of water while at work, but the shoes I've been wearing aren't pregnancy friendly. Today, I wore tennis shoes to work and my feet didn't swell (my ankles did, but the feet didn't).

Today, my friend Jill gave me knee high hospital grade compression stockings.

I put them on right when I got home from work and they're fabulous!

Can you tell that my L ankle is much more swollen than the right? There is something wrong with my L foot. While I was training for my first 5K, my L foot fell asleep every time I ran. It was totally, completely asleep. Dead weight.

Knowing that, it's not surprising that the L foot now swells more than the R.

I didn't realize how much sodium is in everything. It's ridiculous. Needless to say, I'm coming up with a game plan for how to eat better and avoid sodium as much as I can.

I'm also walking every 45 mins at work, keeping my feet elevated when possible, and wearing better fitting shoes.

Anytime there's swelling, there is also concern about blood pressure. Well, not with me. My BP is still good (130/80) (thank you Magnesium).

Tomorrow I'll post pics of the new blanket Bubs received from Shennie (it is SOOOOO soft) and another belly shot (pinky promise I'll post it).

Until then, XOXO...

The one about the furniture

Our furniture arrived! Although it came much earlier than excepted (meaning we had to scramble to get the room cleaned out), I'm glad it's here and set up.

I. Love. It.

It looks soooo good and I can't wait to be spending time in there with our little one!!

Here are a few pics (taken with my cell phone, so please pardon the low quality):



The flower pics are going to come down once we have other wall decorations. I really want this shelf that Doug and Gentry have in Searcy's room, but apparently that shelf is built in and came with their house :)

It is a very long, large shelf with several large pegs for hanging various items. It looks really sturdy and it's big so the shelf itself is a decoration.

I'm going to try and find a replica of that so we can have that in the room.

Any other fun decorating ideas? I'm even willing to make a few things to hang.... just need some ideas and inspiration.

Robin is really good with this stuff. Maybe I'll ask her...

Until next time, XOXO...