Each week seems to pass more quickly than the last - it's a little alarming. Did you know, that I am three(ish) weeks away from the point where my doctor probably wouldn't intervene if I go into labor? THREE WEEKS. Dude, I'm so not ready to go into labor. I mean, that's going to hurt. I've been reading birth stories, and the women keep using the same description of how it feels - like the upper half of your body is trying to rip away from the lower half. Um, PASS. But it's too late now!
What's new this week?
- My feet hurt. The pain/soreness is mainly situated in my heels. My center of gravity is completely tipped towards the front, so I naturally lean-back on my heels to counter-balance (and prevent face dives). The result? Super sore heals. And they're starting to swell a little, so all of my work shoes are tight. I've transitioned to sandals, which isn't work appropriate, but I like to think that I have a good excuse.
- My engagement ring has a new home. In a drawer. We went to an outdoor concert this past Friday night, and it was HOT. I had both rings on, but desperately wanted them OFF my finger by the end of the night. My wedding band is thin, so it doesn't bother me. But I do miss the combo.
- I've started to pull-together my hospital bag. The list has been sitting in excel for awhile now, but I've actually started purchasing the items. My mom and I went shopping a couple weeks ago, and we found awesome pjs and a lightweight robe. The lollipops and gum are in my closet. This weekend I'm going to start pulling together the items that I don't use often and putting them in a corner of my closet. I've decided that I'm going to have a "just in case I need something more" pile. It'll save Josh some guesswork if he has to run home for more items.
- I'm not sleeping well. During the middle months I was sleeping fairly consistently, only waking-up twice a night (which is AMAZING compared to six times a night during the first trimester). Well, I've starting to wake-up more. And we all know why I'm waking up. I have to pee. I'm able to get comfortable and fall asleep quickly, but the damage has already been done.
- I feel L Bean super high in my belly. It seems like he hovered at belly button level for WEEKS. And then overnight he was an inch past my belly button. Now I can feel him a solid four inches above my belly button, especially when he does a full body stretch (you know, when tries to extend his arms OUT of my lady bits and kicks his feet into my throat).
- I could use third trimester maternity clothes. All of my clothes are tighter. But I'm holding out. It doesn't make sense to buy any more clothes.
- We have ONE project left in L Bean's room. Just one! And it's an easy one.
- I had to rock myself out of the seated position on the couch. Yes, it's just as funny/pitiful as you're picturing it to be.
- What if he's not a Liam? This new thought has crept into my brain. What if he comes-out and he's not a Liam? Josh has assured me that he will be, which is good. Considering his name is already on the wall.
- It still hasn't clicked. I still don't think it's clicked that there's actually a baby in my belly. I scrutinze a newborn diaper and then hold it against my stomach - my brain fights the idea that there's something in there that will be big enough to wear it.
- We have a stroller in our dining room. Husband's brother and his wife won't make it to our baby shower (but they will make it up to VA shortly after L Bean is born!), so they sent our shower gift early. Our stroller! HOLLER. Of course Josh immediately got busy putting it together. And of course I took it for a spin around the downstairs. Who wants to go with me to the park in the middle of the workday in October for a walk?!?!
- Identity crisis. Before I got pregnant, I was just Betsy. Tall, skinny, Betsy. And then I got pregnant. And I was Preggo Betsy (thanks, Sarah). Still tall, now thickening, Betsy. If I'm completely honest, I admit that the transition was interesting and hard at times. Now I'm used to Preggo Betsy. Just in time for me to be Mom Betsy. I'm going to miss Preggo Betsy, there's no doubt about that. Pregnancy has been amazing. I've only had two geniuely uncomfortable days in 8+ months of pregnancy. And then I'll be Working Mom Betsy. Luckily I'll have a kick-butt kid to help ease the transition.
We had yet another doc appointment yesterday. My mom came with us. She was really excited to see Doc (Doc was my Aunt Amy's doctor, sot he whole family knows him well). Doc did a quickie ultrasound to see how our little man is looking. Good, strong heartbeat. His head, belly ("of the beast"), and legs are measuring about a week ahead. His estimated weight is 5 lbs 10 oz. According to babycenter.com a 33 week-old baby weighs "a little over 4 pounds." So, um, I'm growing a sumo wrestler (and my lady bits quiver). We got to peep his face in 3D. Um, cutie! Well, what we could see of his face looked cute. He had his hand in his mouth. Doc pushed on my stomach to get him to move. I believe Doc said, "Oh, that REALLY pissed him off (to which I was thinking, "No, duh, Doc. I could literally FEEL his disdain for you)." L Bean completely turned away and hid. Hid everything. Looks like someone is going to be stubborn like their Momma (Lord, help us). Doc pushed on my belly again, but L Bean wasn't having any of it. I guess he wants his face to be a total surprise come D Day. Husband and I keep talking about how fun it''ll be to see who he resembles. Because, I don't know if you knew this, but this kid is half ME and half HIM. Crazy, right!
25 Items Added
If you have some free time and you're DYING to know more about me, hop on over to the 100 Things About Me page. Now, there are actually 100 things listed! The last 25 things are from guests posters. I didn't edit a thing, as much as I may have wanted to. I take no responsibility for the terrible embarrassing things I said with I was little (you know, those stories that people just love to bring-up over and over). I love the new additions, however embarrassing they may be, and I truly appreciate the people who offered to share. I love you guys!
Gettin' it done
We had another busy weekend full of (mostly) baby related stuff. Warning: This is another long weekend update post with lots of pictures and random baking tips thrown-in the middle.
Friday:
We went to a Dave Matthews concert at Nationals Stadium in Washington, DC with my brother and his lovely wife. It was awesome. HOT, but awesome. It was still in the 90s at 9:00 PM. Josh and I spent almost $30 on water alone. We got the tickets months and months ago, and weren't sure how it would go being 32 weeks pregnant. But it was a piece of cake. Really. And there were a handful of other preggos there.
Saturday:
I was WORTHLESS for much of the day due to a late bedtime Friday night and a still early rise Saturday morning (and the concert/heat themselves). But Husband, on the other hand, was productive. While I laid in bed/on the couch/lazily putzed around the house cleaning, Husband got to work on the magnetic chalkboard in L Bean's room. We've been planning this project for a while now. Remember that blue square on the wall from a picture in a previous post? It's more than a blue square now!
Husband put a few (okay, like six or seven) coats of magnetic paint down. And then he put two coats of chalkboard paint down. He cut, painted, and built the frame to look like our windows.
Magnetic paint
Painting the trim in the 100+ degree heat.
Doing something important that I asked about but don't remember his reason. BEST WIFE EVER!
He even cut-out a groove for the chalk!
I made the magnets months ago. I heart Michael's. We LOVE the finished product.
During the day, I baked more chocolate chip cookies. These cookies are my claim to fame. A guy Husband works with has offered to pay me to make him a full batch. What do I do that's special? These are the five cookie baking rules that I swear by (if you care):
(1) You're baking, so follow the directions EXACTLY. Measure and level-off everything. You can eyeball dinner, but you cannot eye ball cookies. If the recipe tells you to mix for three minutes on high, then set the micro timer and mix for three minutes on high. If it tells you to mix the dry ingredients then mix the wet ingredients, DO IT.
(2) Use a good cookie sheet. Don't even dream of using a dark, non-stick one. That's cookie suicide #1 (unless you prefer your cookies all around crispidy crunchidy). We got our cookie sheets from a restaurant supply store for $10 each. Crate and Barrel sells them for $30 each. The bottom has two layers and form a bubble in between.
(3) Use three cookie sheets. Cookie suicide #2 - putting raw cookie dough on an already hot cookie sheet and throwing it in the oven. The cookie sheets need to be room temperature each time you put the cookie dough down. I rotate three cookie sheets. That third sheet has plenty of time to cool-off by the time you need it (just don't leave it sitting on the stove, above the oven).
(4) Refrigerate your cookie dough in between batches.
(5) Bake for less time than the recipe calls for. And then set the timer for 30 second increments and keep an eye on the cookies for the last minute or so. Take the cookies out just BEFORE they've reached perfect doneness. They will continue to cook as they sit on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes before they're transferred to drying racks.
And what do you do with brown bananas?
Bake banana bread! I did banana bread muffins for ease of consumption. SO YUMMY.
Sunday:
I cleaned more. Did laundry. We cleared much of the furniture off the carpet and vacuumed. Husband rented a carpet cleaner from Lowe's and got to work on the carpets.
Fiona and Henrik watched-on from the stairs.
They NEEDED it. Renting the cleaner isn't very expensive, and it makes a huge difference. Especially when you have lots of pets. Add a kid to the mix? Yikes!
We went grocery shopping. Husband trimmed the front hedges
He also cut the grass and trimmed (Monday after work). I supplied the water and encouragement (two things I have gotten VERY good at these past few months).
The highlight of the weekend? I burned my stomach on a cookie sheet. 2nd degree burn. My standard at home pregnancy attire is a tank top and pj pants. It was warm in the kitchen, so I had the tank top pulled-up and my stomach out for ventilation (don't laugh. You've either (a) been pregnant before and done it yourself or (b) you'll do it when you're pregnant. Trust me). I momentarily forgot I had a protruding belly, and WHAM! SEAR! PANIC!
I ran outside to show Husband and complain about how much it hurt and how stupid I am. He loved on me and was a Sympathetic Super Husband. And then it dawned on him that we were having our maternity session with our wedding photographer in three days. He brought this to my attention, and then IMMEDIATELY regretted it. I made some sort of whining noise and then ran inside to commence Cry Fest. After cleaning the paint off his hands, he ran inside after me. There I was BAWLING while trying to spoon banana bread mixture into a muffin pan (which, btw, was very hard to do because I couldn't see ANYTHING through the tears). He coddled and loved on me, assuring me that Don could Photoshop the mark, and telling me not to cry. To which I replied, "I'M PREGNANT. CRYING IS WHAT I DOOOOO (sob, sniff, sob, snot bubble)." I eventually realized that he was right and stopped crying. But dude! That burn still HURT.
I accidently broke the blister right after it happened, which made the burn snot and goop. I'm wearing an awesome gigantic band-aid as I write this. As if I wasn't sexy enough already.
We only have one more nursery project to finish, and then we are DONE. Which is awesome and sad at the same time. We've had so much fun pulling the nursery together. We've bonded over the experience, and get this - we didn't fight. NOT ONCE. I mostly attribute this to being married to the nicest, most loving and understanding man on the PLANET. I'll post final pictures soon.
Oh, and we gave Fiona a bath. C-U-T-E.
Not Ready to Double Down
There are a handful of baby things that I'm not ready to buy-into quite yet (and some of them NEVER). Some of them seem pointless to me. Some of them seem excessive. Some of them seem paranoid. Some of them seem like they're more for the parents than the baby (think 30 person first birthday party with booze). And some are just plain stupid. Here are some of the things I've run into over the past eight months (YEAH, it's been eight+ months since I was officially pregnant):
(1) Wipe Warmers - Really, REALLY? To me, it's just another thing that we need to plug in and find space for. I know babies don't like chilly things, but COME ON. If it's that big of a deal, just "haaaaaaaah" on it a couple times like you would your gloveless hands in 30 degree weather. We don't need one more thing that wastes power and runs-up our power bill. I love you L Bean, but no wipe warmer for you.
(2) Diaper Genie/Diaper Pail - I can totally see why people purchase these, and I even had one on our registry for a while. But they still stink, and after a few months the wee/poo smell soaks into the plastic (even with a liner). We take our trash out every-other-day, if not every day. Why can't we just throw the dirties in the big-kid trash can? Five out of the seven days of the week our trash can already smells like Henrik farted.
(3) Baby detergent - I'm a little torn on this one. Deft is EXPENSIVE. And I've heard countless accounts of regular detergent being just fine and dandy, as long as it's fragrence free. Why spend the extra money if your baby doesm't have sensitive skin and doesn't react to good ol' fragrence free ALL or Tide? I guess I could just be like this chick and MAKE my own detergent. And cue laughter.
(4) Bottle warmers - Again, just another thing we need to find space for and plug into the wall. Babies like warm milk, that's a given. I believe (and don't quote me on this because I haven't tasted/felt it) breast milk comes out luke-warm? For the first little while, problem solved! When we introduce a bottle, however, we have to make a decision. Obviously we'll have to thaw frozen breast milk, but I'm not sure that I want to heat it up past room temperature. If your baby is used to WARM milk, and all you have is semi-chilled milk, you're DONE FOR. Why not get baby used to non-warmed milk from the get go? Or at the very least heat that bad boy up on the stove or in the micro (yes, I am aware that microwaves can create hot spots) when you're in a "the baby is FREAKING OUT and reaching unheard-of deciple levels" pinch.
(5) Kid on a leash - Please, for the love of PETE, don't put your kid on a leash. Hold his hand. Teach him to stay close. I don't know, WATCH him. Or chase his little behind around. He's a KID. He's not going to listen to you at all times. He is, however, going to look you right in the eye and DEFY whatever it is you've commanded of him. Yes, if your kid is on a leash I'm most likely juding you. I just can't help it. Although, if they came-out with a Kid-Flexi leash, I just may have to eat my words.
(6) Baby robes - Cute, yes. Necessary, no. Unless you can dry-off your kid with that robe, it's just one too many things. If you must spend the money, get one of those adorbs hooded towels instead (I DIE). You can even get one monogrammed!
(7) Organic cotton sheets, crib bedding, clothes, blankets, towels, EVERYTHING - I'm all for eating organic, but girl, please. $24 bucks for an organic cotton long-sleeved bodysuit? You crazy.
(8) Let's talk nursery bedding/decor - Okay, we purchased a bedding set (fitted sheet, quilt, bumper, dustruffle). We probably could have done without, but hello, it's really CUTE. We did not, however, purchase the 800 other items available with the set. Like the decorative, TINY pillow for $25. And the $30 diaper stacker - let's be real here: how annoying will it be to refill that bad boy? And how much are you REALLY going to care about how cute it is when you're three weeks in, you're already refilled it six times, it's 3 AM, and it's empty AGAIN. Or the valence, wallhanging, wall border - there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I'm just sayin.
(9) Baby shoes (0 to 6 months) - Is your baby walking at 6 months? Are those $24 Puma speedcats really serving any purpose? Uh oh, a week has passed, and he's already grown out of them. Shucks. Get some socks with grippies. Although, you know he's just going to kick those off too.
(10) Changing table - What are you going to do with that changing table when you're no longer changing your sweet pea? This one is tricky because a long dresser can be WAY more expensive than a changing table, and sometimes you just can't swing it. But if you can, swing for the dresser that you can throw a changing pad and a basket on.
Just my ten cents. Now hop over to our registry and judge me for all of the pointless things I've registered for.
(1) Wipe Warmers - Really, REALLY? To me, it's just another thing that we need to plug in and find space for. I know babies don't like chilly things, but COME ON. If it's that big of a deal, just "haaaaaaaah" on it a couple times like you would your gloveless hands in 30 degree weather. We don't need one more thing that wastes power and runs-up our power bill. I love you L Bean, but no wipe warmer for you.
(2) Diaper Genie/Diaper Pail - I can totally see why people purchase these, and I even had one on our registry for a while. But they still stink, and after a few months the wee/poo smell soaks into the plastic (even with a liner). We take our trash out every-other-day, if not every day. Why can't we just throw the dirties in the big-kid trash can? Five out of the seven days of the week our trash can already smells like Henrik farted.
(3) Baby detergent - I'm a little torn on this one. Deft is EXPENSIVE. And I've heard countless accounts of regular detergent being just fine and dandy, as long as it's fragrence free. Why spend the extra money if your baby doesm't have sensitive skin and doesn't react to good ol' fragrence free ALL or Tide? I guess I could just be like this chick and MAKE my own detergent. And cue laughter.
(4) Bottle warmers - Again, just another thing we need to find space for and plug into the wall. Babies like warm milk, that's a given. I believe (and don't quote me on this because I haven't tasted/felt it) breast milk comes out luke-warm? For the first little while, problem solved! When we introduce a bottle, however, we have to make a decision. Obviously we'll have to thaw frozen breast milk, but I'm not sure that I want to heat it up past room temperature. If your baby is used to WARM milk, and all you have is semi-chilled milk, you're DONE FOR. Why not get baby used to non-warmed milk from the get go? Or at the very least heat that bad boy up on the stove or in the micro (yes, I am aware that microwaves can create hot spots) when you're in a "the baby is FREAKING OUT and reaching unheard-of deciple levels" pinch.
(5) Kid on a leash - Please, for the love of PETE, don't put your kid on a leash. Hold his hand. Teach him to stay close. I don't know, WATCH him. Or chase his little behind around. He's a KID. He's not going to listen to you at all times. He is, however, going to look you right in the eye and DEFY whatever it is you've commanded of him. Yes, if your kid is on a leash I'm most likely juding you. I just can't help it. Although, if they came-out with a Kid-Flexi leash, I just may have to eat my words.
(6) Baby robes - Cute, yes. Necessary, no. Unless you can dry-off your kid with that robe, it's just one too many things. If you must spend the money, get one of those adorbs hooded towels instead (I DIE). You can even get one monogrammed!
(7) Organic cotton sheets, crib bedding, clothes, blankets, towels, EVERYTHING - I'm all for eating organic, but girl, please. $24 bucks for an organic cotton long-sleeved bodysuit? You crazy.
(8) Let's talk nursery bedding/decor - Okay, we purchased a bedding set (fitted sheet, quilt, bumper, dustruffle). We probably could have done without, but hello, it's really CUTE. We did not, however, purchase the 800 other items available with the set. Like the decorative, TINY pillow for $25. And the $30 diaper stacker - let's be real here: how annoying will it be to refill that bad boy? And how much are you REALLY going to care about how cute it is when you're three weeks in, you're already refilled it six times, it's 3 AM, and it's empty AGAIN. Or the valence, wallhanging, wall border - there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I'm just sayin.
(9) Baby shoes (0 to 6 months) - Is your baby walking at 6 months? Are those $24 Puma speedcats really serving any purpose? Uh oh, a week has passed, and he's already grown out of them. Shucks. Get some socks with grippies. Although, you know he's just going to kick those off too.
(10) Changing table - What are you going to do with that changing table when you're no longer changing your sweet pea? This one is tricky because a long dresser can be WAY more expensive than a changing table, and sometimes you just can't swing it. But if you can, swing for the dresser that you can throw a changing pad and a basket on.
Just my ten cents. Now hop over to our registry and judge me for all of the pointless things I've registered for.
It's the little things
Sometimes (okay, almost every night) when I’m falling (trying to) asleep at night I try to imagine what our lives will be like in two short months. I imagine all of the ups and downs we’ll endure. I try to imagine what it’ll be like to be a mom. And I picture all of the things that I’ve been dreaming about since I was little, since I met my husband, and since I first peed on that stick.
Here are some of the things I’m most excited about in the first couple months.
1. Baby smell. I can’t wait for that first deep breath where I just take-in L Bean’s smell. Have you ever smelled a newborn? It’s amazing. And I can’t fathom how amazing it will be to smell MY newborn.
2. The first picture of Josh and L Bean napping together. You’ve seen the picture – Dad is asleep on the couch with baby lying across his chest. Heart meltage.
3. Changing my cell phone background picture to the latest L Bean picture. I can’t wait to have baby featured on that screen. I have a phone upgrade coming in October, and I plan to load-up on L Bean pictures to get me through my days when I’m back at work.
4. Seeing my husband hold his son for the first time. I don’t even need to explain this one. My heart flutters just thinking about it.
5. Baby pictures. Not fancy baby pictures, just pictures of our baby. I can’t wait to fill-up our external hard drives with hundreds of baby pictures (many of which will get posted to the blog, of course!).
6. The 2010 holidays. The main holiday season this year is going to be a doozy. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and our birthdays all fall with in less than three months of each other. I can’t wait for cute outfits, our Christmas card this year, and birthday celebrations as a family of three.
7. Seeing my dad hold L Bean for the first. I’m not sure why, but I’m the most excited to see my dad with L Bean. He’s so ready and so excited to be a grandpa. I predict tears. And I know he and L Bean are going to be best buddies.
8. Late night feedings. Say WHAT?!?! Notice that this is something that I look forward to in the first couple months. Meaning, at this point I’ll be home all day every day (read: not waking-up for work each morning). I know I’ll be tired, and I know it’ll be tough. But I’m willing to bet that there is something really special about those middle-of-the-night feedings, when the rest of the world is turned-off and it’s literally just the two of us.
9. Watching my husband become a father. He has the biggest heart of any man that I know, and he’s going to be the best dad. I can’t wait to watch it happen.
10. Picking L Bean’s outfits every day. He’ll be like a doll, only better.
11. Packing/organizing for the first few trips out of the house. I can’t wait for that chaos! Oh, the planning that is to come. I can’t wait to pack the diaper for the first time. And to pull-out the stroller at our very first destination. I can’t wait to walk around (wherever we are) next to my husband pushing a baby stroller that has OUR kid in it. I’m sure we’ll pack WAY too much and over think EVERYTHING those first few trips, but it’ll be so much fun to learn together.
12. Baby wearing. I can’t wait to strap L Bean to me with a Moby wrap. And too see Josh with L Bean strapped to his chest – SWOON.
13. Watching our pets adjust to L Bean’s presence. I can’t wait to see how our pets react to L Bean. We have a few predictions. Fiona will be curious and enamored from day one. She’ll want to lick him and have constant access to him. Henrik will be cautious and unsure for a few days, and then he’ll gradually come around. Eventually, he’ll love L Bean more than any of the other pets, being his protector and best bud. Both dogs will be jealous at first. Rooney won’t give a rip. She’ll sniff him a few times and go about her business. But who knows – she could surprise us and be his biggest fan. Beasley will be curious, curious, curious. He’ll hide from the noise at first, and then he’ll venture out for sniff sessions. Eventually, he’ll want to curl-up where ever L Bean is sleeping.
14. The first time in the hospital when there are no nurses or family around, it’s totally quiet, and it’s just the three of us. We’ll both be thinking, “This is our life now,” and “Is this really happening?”
Here are some of the things I’m most excited about in the first couple months.
1. Baby smell. I can’t wait for that first deep breath where I just take-in L Bean’s smell. Have you ever smelled a newborn? It’s amazing. And I can’t fathom how amazing it will be to smell MY newborn.
2. The first picture of Josh and L Bean napping together. You’ve seen the picture – Dad is asleep on the couch with baby lying across his chest. Heart meltage.
3. Changing my cell phone background picture to the latest L Bean picture. I can’t wait to have baby featured on that screen. I have a phone upgrade coming in October, and I plan to load-up on L Bean pictures to get me through my days when I’m back at work.
4. Seeing my husband hold his son for the first time. I don’t even need to explain this one. My heart flutters just thinking about it.
5. Baby pictures. Not fancy baby pictures, just pictures of our baby. I can’t wait to fill-up our external hard drives with hundreds of baby pictures (many of which will get posted to the blog, of course!).
6. The 2010 holidays. The main holiday season this year is going to be a doozy. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and our birthdays all fall with in less than three months of each other. I can’t wait for cute outfits, our Christmas card this year, and birthday celebrations as a family of three.
7. Seeing my dad hold L Bean for the first. I’m not sure why, but I’m the most excited to see my dad with L Bean. He’s so ready and so excited to be a grandpa. I predict tears. And I know he and L Bean are going to be best buddies.
8. Late night feedings. Say WHAT?!?! Notice that this is something that I look forward to in the first couple months. Meaning, at this point I’ll be home all day every day (read: not waking-up for work each morning). I know I’ll be tired, and I know it’ll be tough. But I’m willing to bet that there is something really special about those middle-of-the-night feedings, when the rest of the world is turned-off and it’s literally just the two of us.
9. Watching my husband become a father. He has the biggest heart of any man that I know, and he’s going to be the best dad. I can’t wait to watch it happen.
10. Picking L Bean’s outfits every day. He’ll be like a doll, only better.
11. Packing/organizing for the first few trips out of the house. I can’t wait for that chaos! Oh, the planning that is to come. I can’t wait to pack the diaper for the first time. And to pull-out the stroller at our very first destination. I can’t wait to walk around (wherever we are) next to my husband pushing a baby stroller that has OUR kid in it. I’m sure we’ll pack WAY too much and over think EVERYTHING those first few trips, but it’ll be so much fun to learn together.
12. Baby wearing. I can’t wait to strap L Bean to me with a Moby wrap. And too see Josh with L Bean strapped to his chest – SWOON.
13. Watching our pets adjust to L Bean’s presence. I can’t wait to see how our pets react to L Bean. We have a few predictions. Fiona will be curious and enamored from day one. She’ll want to lick him and have constant access to him. Henrik will be cautious and unsure for a few days, and then he’ll gradually come around. Eventually, he’ll love L Bean more than any of the other pets, being his protector and best bud. Both dogs will be jealous at first. Rooney won’t give a rip. She’ll sniff him a few times and go about her business. But who knows – she could surprise us and be his biggest fan. Beasley will be curious, curious, curious. He’ll hide from the noise at first, and then he’ll venture out for sniff sessions. Eventually, he’ll want to curl-up where ever L Bean is sleeping.
14. The first time in the hospital when there are no nurses or family around, it’s totally quiet, and it’s just the three of us. We’ll both be thinking, “This is our life now,” and “Is this really happening?”
L Bean's Crib Mobile
It's official: L Bean has a crib mobile! It didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would either. Overall, I'd say it was a total success. And there were no tears involved. Score one for the pregnant lady.
I used the sewing machine for the ears. To prevent the fabric from fraying (and to avoid using the sewing machine anymore than absolutely necessary), we used a product called Wonder Under, or more affectionaltely known as My New Best Friend. We'll be seeing more of W.U. on another upcoming nursery project.
That's right people, you read that correfctly. I said "we." As in my husband helped me, WILLINGLY. He's been so awesome throughout this entire pregnancy. I really am a lucky lady. He drew the templates for the elephants (I can't draw to save my life) and the ears and he helped with the W.U. He also built the wooden structure and helped hang the mobile. Best helper EVER.
I hand-stitched the two felt piece together using a blanket stitch. I learned using this awesome tutorial. Seriously, what did people do before the internet?! Probably went to the library and looked at a sewing book. Yikes. The hand-stitching was actually the easiest part. It was also my favorite part.
The little elephants are know as felties in the crafting world. Obviously, they're made out of felt. I was first exposed to felties and DIY mobile here and here. And then I went here for further investigation and inspiration (that's one of the risks of putting things for sale on Etsy. Someone will look at your craft and think, "I can do that!." But for every one of those, there is someone who (1) doesn't have the time, (2) doesn't have the patience, or (3) doesn't have a crafty bone in their body).
The biggest thing I learned during the project? Sewing machines are HARD. And they take a lot of PRACTICE to master. And I definitely need a lot MORE practice. The hardest part was the speed at which it sewed. If there was a dial to slow the machine down (and there may be such a dial, but this machine is old. Like, really old. And the manual is ancient, but I surely did not take the time to read it. I'm a man like that), then I'd be a happy camper. In general, sewing machines aren't that complicated. Although, my bobbin is almost out, and doing another makes me super nervous.
I used the sewing machine for the ears. To prevent the fabric from fraying (and to avoid using the sewing machine anymore than absolutely necessary), we used a product called Wonder Under, or more affectionaltely known as My New Best Friend. We'll be seeing more of W.U. on another upcoming nursery project.
That's right people, you read that correfctly. I said "we." As in my husband helped me, WILLINGLY. He's been so awesome throughout this entire pregnancy. I really am a lucky lady. He drew the templates for the elephants (I can't draw to save my life) and the ears and he helped with the W.U. He also built the wooden structure and helped hang the mobile. Best helper EVER.
I hand-stitched the two felt piece together using a blanket stitch. I learned using this awesome tutorial. Seriously, what did people do before the internet?! Probably went to the library and looked at a sewing book. Yikes. The hand-stitching was actually the easiest part. It was also my favorite part.
Stuffing the tusk was a pain in the you know what. The first feltie was a struggle; but I developed a sytem and after that it was a breeze. The eye is a small black bead (Josh actually found them in the fabric store).
Adding-up all of the time we spent, I'd say the mobile took about 12 hours to complete. We spent about 3 hours the first day drawing, tracing, cutting, ironing (W.U.), sewing, and pinning. After that, I spent an hour or two here and there over the following week hand-stitching. We spent $27 on the felt, fabric, W.U., thread, and beads (the mobile that matches our bedding is $40 + shipping). I was geninuely sad when it was completed. I really enjoyed the process. But I LOVE the finished product. Hopefully L Bean will love it too.
And just for fun, here's a picture of Mr. H getting some Fiona cone love this past weekend. She is SO CUTE in her cone.
I have ankles!
I had an appointment with Doc (I actually met with his NP because he’s on vacation) on Friday, and all is well in Liam Land. My blood pressure and urine are good (side note: I had to pee so badly that once I started I amost forgot about the cup part. I had to scramble a little. Don't worry, I washed my hands). His heartbeat sounds good. And he’s still head down (please stay that way, little guy!). NP was impressed that I still had ankles. Why, thank you. She also told me that I certainly didn't look like someone who was 31 weeks, and to essentially shut up and take the compliment. Yes ma'am.
I learned a valuable lesson that morning: DO NOT ask if the doctor can tell if the baby is still head down if there’s no ultrasound machine around. I asked. And NP proceeded to place both of her hands on my belly and push around REALLY hard. I was caught off guard by her force (homegirl was TINY and practically stood on her toes for this maneuver), and totally unprepared for the pain that made my breath catch in my throat. I wanted to say, “Hey NP! There’s a baby in there, and you just shoved him into my SPINE and any organs that haven’t been pushed-up into my chest (yet).” After the assault, L Bean was none too happy. He quickly jabbed back at her with a foot to MY side. Um, hey kid, while I can appreciate your frustration, that’s your momma you’re pounding! In all fairness, I asked for it, so I suppose it was deserved.
What’s new this week? L Bean must be going-through a killer growth spurt because I am spent. Like, I ran 7 miles yesterday but only slept four hours last night, spent. I have bags under my eyes (thankfully, no one has pointed them out to me). Come 2:00 pm, I contemplate putting my head down at my desk. This kid is still sleeping through the night like a champ, though. They say your baby’s sleeping habits while he’s cooking somewhat mirror his habits once he leaves the oven. YES, PLEASE. Believe me, I’m not banking on it. I just have my fingers (and toes) crossed.
We toured a child development center this week. It’s at a church that’s a ½ mile from our house. Score. We both got a really good feeling when we were there. The women who work with the infants are all older, so it’s like dropping your kid off at Grandma’s. I love that. There were four babies lying around and fighting over toys (these two were twins), and I wanted to pick-up and snuggle each one of them. Especially this one little chunker. She kept waving, smiling, and putting her hands up in the air like she wanted to be picked-up. I probably would have thrown my back-out trying, but man did I want to snatch her up and run. We’ve added our name to the waiting list, and as of right now there’s only one other baby on the list for care starting in December.
Did you know childcare is REALLY expensive? And we’ve found somewhere “cheap.” Also, did you know that you have to pay tuition even if your kid isn’t there? Holidays, vacations, sick days – you still pay. It makes sense, but it still sucky poos. One the good side, there are a few instruments available that provide some savings. There’s a child care tax credit. And you can set-up a dependent care FSA. Still, we’re talking A LOT of money. Sad face.
We still haven’t set-up interviews with any pediatricians. I have, however, created a (super awesome) list of pediatricians and questions. I just need to make the calls.
A tour of L&D at the hospital is also in the works. I called Thursday to inquire and schedule, but the office was closed. Hopefully I get a return call sooner rather than later. I also want to try and pre-register as much as possible – fill-out paper work, etc. I’m not a big fan of hospitals, so I’m not looking forward to the tour. Or the stay in two months. I bet having a cute baby to play with will make it ALL better though. I keep forgetting that we get to leave the hospital with more than what we arrived with. So. much. more.
During our birth class Thursday night, I looked at Mr. H and said, “Are you going to remember all of these breathing techniques? They are going to be the last thing on my mind, and I’ll probably need you to remind me.” No pressure, Husband! He nodded, but I wrote them down just in case. Last night was transition breathing (What’s transition? You go from 8 to 10 centimeters really fast with the help of really painful contractions that come really often. I guess HELL would have been a more concise description). I’ll probably just end-up panting and moaning (or screaming), if I’m not numb from the chest to my knees, that is. If an epidural is going to happen, my goal is to at least get to 6 (preferably 7) centimeters before begging for (more like, demanding) it. Epis can really slow things down, so I want to be as close to transition as possible. I don't want any narcotics, because they seem to only slightly dull the pain and make you feel loopy/drunk. Plus, they cross the placenta (aka - baby gets a dose). I asked Mr. H what he thinks my pain threshold will be. He thinks I’ll be pretty tough (but he HAS to say that). I hope he’s right.
I learned a valuable lesson that morning: DO NOT ask if the doctor can tell if the baby is still head down if there’s no ultrasound machine around. I asked. And NP proceeded to place both of her hands on my belly and push around REALLY hard. I was caught off guard by her force (homegirl was TINY and practically stood on her toes for this maneuver), and totally unprepared for the pain that made my breath catch in my throat. I wanted to say, “Hey NP! There’s a baby in there, and you just shoved him into my SPINE and any organs that haven’t been pushed-up into my chest (yet).” After the assault, L Bean was none too happy. He quickly jabbed back at her with a foot to MY side. Um, hey kid, while I can appreciate your frustration, that’s your momma you’re pounding! In all fairness, I asked for it, so I suppose it was deserved.
What’s new this week? L Bean must be going-through a killer growth spurt because I am spent. Like, I ran 7 miles yesterday but only slept four hours last night, spent. I have bags under my eyes (thankfully, no one has pointed them out to me). Come 2:00 pm, I contemplate putting my head down at my desk. This kid is still sleeping through the night like a champ, though. They say your baby’s sleeping habits while he’s cooking somewhat mirror his habits once he leaves the oven. YES, PLEASE. Believe me, I’m not banking on it. I just have my fingers (and toes) crossed.
We toured a child development center this week. It’s at a church that’s a ½ mile from our house. Score. We both got a really good feeling when we were there. The women who work with the infants are all older, so it’s like dropping your kid off at Grandma’s. I love that. There were four babies lying around and fighting over toys (these two were twins), and I wanted to pick-up and snuggle each one of them. Especially this one little chunker. She kept waving, smiling, and putting her hands up in the air like she wanted to be picked-up. I probably would have thrown my back-out trying, but man did I want to snatch her up and run. We’ve added our name to the waiting list, and as of right now there’s only one other baby on the list for care starting in December.
Did you know childcare is REALLY expensive? And we’ve found somewhere “cheap.” Also, did you know that you have to pay tuition even if your kid isn’t there? Holidays, vacations, sick days – you still pay. It makes sense, but it still sucky poos. One the good side, there are a few instruments available that provide some savings. There’s a child care tax credit. And you can set-up a dependent care FSA. Still, we’re talking A LOT of money. Sad face.
We still haven’t set-up interviews with any pediatricians. I have, however, created a (super awesome) list of pediatricians and questions. I just need to make the calls.
A tour of L&D at the hospital is also in the works. I called Thursday to inquire and schedule, but the office was closed. Hopefully I get a return call sooner rather than later. I also want to try and pre-register as much as possible – fill-out paper work, etc. I’m not a big fan of hospitals, so I’m not looking forward to the tour. Or the stay in two months. I bet having a cute baby to play with will make it ALL better though. I keep forgetting that we get to leave the hospital with more than what we arrived with. So. much. more.
During our birth class Thursday night, I looked at Mr. H and said, “Are you going to remember all of these breathing techniques? They are going to be the last thing on my mind, and I’ll probably need you to remind me.” No pressure, Husband! He nodded, but I wrote them down just in case. Last night was transition breathing (What’s transition? You go from 8 to 10 centimeters really fast with the help of really painful contractions that come really often. I guess HELL would have been a more concise description). I’ll probably just end-up panting and moaning (or screaming), if I’m not numb from the chest to my knees, that is. If an epidural is going to happen, my goal is to at least get to 6 (preferably 7) centimeters before begging for (more like, demanding) it. Epis can really slow things down, so I want to be as close to transition as possible. I don't want any narcotics, because they seem to only slightly dull the pain and make you feel loopy/drunk. Plus, they cross the placenta (aka - baby gets a dose). I asked Mr. H what he thinks my pain threshold will be. He thinks I’ll be pretty tough (but he HAS to say that). I hope he’s right.
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