Nursery Paint Colors

After we picked out the bedding, I went over to Home Depot to look for paint to match. I liked light blue for the walls, but I thought that seemed too obvious, so I wanted something a little different.After trying a couple samples, we decided on these:

Behr Pale Honey for the walls
Behr French Court for a border stripe
Kitty wanted to help paint the walls!

27 week update

Baby's the weight of a head of cauliflower!
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Third trimester! We're down to double-digits and it's going quickly! Belly is getting bigger every day and I'm feeling more like a whale. Last week I was so concerned about him not moving enough, but this weekend he's been wiggling like crazy. No more worries needed because he's more active than ever!

Not too much going on this week, but it's been nice to enjoy things and have more energy. I've been working on some crafts for the baby's room and having more time to do some cooking. Hopefully the energy will keep up for awhile so I can enjoy it while it lasts! I'm usually still asleep before the sun goes down, but I have more motivation to do things.

I've spent hours and hours working on my registry...probably too much. I feel like every decision is so important and I want to make sure I have everything I need when I need it. The one thing that was haunting me was the bottles. No matter how many hours I spent looking online and at the store, I was still baffled as to what I should use. I *think* I finally decided this week and I'm glad to have that over with. I'm sure 3 months from now I'm going to laugh when I read this, but it was a difficult decision!

Healthwise, I've been pretty good besides the chronic cough. It's starting to get really annoying, but I'm dealing with it. I'm still the same weight which is up 13 pounds from BFP...feels like a lot more though!

My food cravings this week have been pretty typical. I bought some ice cream sandwiches, but I only ate 1. Blackberries have been super yummy for a snack and I'm downing club soda like crazy. I also had a Superdawg hot dog with a pickle on Friday and was shocked at how good it was! I think we'll have to go back there soon. : )

I get scared.

I hear all these girls talk about the kick counts and how the baby is supposed to kick a certain number of times an hour. This week, the baby hasn't really been moving very much. I could go the entire work day and hardly feel anything at all. The more I thought about it, the more I worried that something was wrong.

I was all ready to call the doctor today and beg for an ultrasound, but this morning he started moving again like he used to.

Wake up, baby! I need you to keep moving so I don't have a heart attack!

Really freaky...

Every night while we watch tv, I pull my shirt up over my stomach and we watch baby move. I have coughing fits all the time, but last night we noticed something weird. When I cough, my innie belly button goes to an outie! As soon as I would cough, it would expand for a second and then go back down. Every time I coughed, I would start laughing at my belly button and then start choking. It's really creepy to watch. I guess my prediction of not getting an outie belly button is slowly going away. It's getting shallower as the days go by!

26 week update

Baby's the size of a cucumber!
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

It's been awhile since my last bump pic. Here I am! Officially have a bump sticking out farther than the boobs now...thanks, Hubby, for reminding me of this. I had my glucose test this week at the doctor. I think the stories people tell about it are a lot worse than it actually is. As soon as I get there, I asked if I could pee or eat. They told me I could pee right after I drank the "fun" juice, so I was happy! They let me do my appointment while I waited for an hour, so that was a good way to get out quickly. The doctor reminded me that this is the easiest & best time right now. It really is! I'm feeling pretty good, I have more energy than before, and there's not too much to complain about. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Just like before, the baby measures right at 26 weeks which is perfect. Will people ever stop being shocked at my size? Probably not. I'm kinda over it and used to it already.

Anyway, the food of the week is cheese fries! We had Fuddruckers cheese fries a few weeks ago and I couldn't stop thinking about them over the weekend! It's a little far for a quick dinner, so I tried to find somewhere else that had them. Total fail when we went to Michael's Red Hots instead. They have good food, but the cheese fries were VERY disappointing. I think next week we're going to have to make the drive or try somewhere else if I still want them. I've also been wanting frozen yogurt, so on Sunday we went to Jason's to have free ice cream. Can't beat that!

We worked on the baby's room this weekend and made some progress. Saturday, I did touch-ups on the paint and Hubby started painting the windows. On Sunday, we put together the crib and then bought trim for the windows and doors. Seeing the crib in the room makes it so real now. Every time I walk by, I see it and realize this is going to happen soon!

A positive to being pregnant

The HAIR!

I've always had thin, limp hair that was begging for some body. I heard that my hair might get nasty or thicker when I got pregnant. I got lucky! First trimester, it was kinda gross and limp, but now it's all nice and thick! I'm always shocked when I go to put my hair in a ponytail and it seems extra thick. There's also way more good hair days than normal since it doesn't usually look raggedy anymore.

Maybe it's the zillions of vitamins I'm taking...

Whatever it is, maybe it could stay a little longer?

Knock, knock!

I think it's really fun to lay in bed, pull my shirt up over my stomach and watch Baby wiggle. Every night after dinner, he goes through this "Let me out!" phase where everything moves and it feels like he's trying to get out.

Last night, we somehow got the weird idea to knock lightly and say, "Knock, knock!" and then he would answer with a little movement. Giggling, we tried it again and it worked! We also tried "Ding dong!" and he answered that one too. : )

Kitty usually comes to snuggle with me every night and I waiting for the day he goes to pounce on my stomach when he sees something move! Here he is hanging out with his mommy and baby brother. Ignore our mess in the bedroom as we hang our new doors!

My emotional state

It's a very strange feeling to admit that I am happy. Yesterday at the doctor, they had me take a survey about depression and anxiety to look for signs of post-partum depression and I was shocked when I started to answer it. I've taken these surveys before and I've never been able to answer them the same way. I can't remember the last time I could say I was NOT anxious and not depressed about anything. The past 11 years I've struggled on and off with these emotional issues and I didn't know what it was like to live without them. I honestly never, ever thought I would feel "normal" again. Whether it's the pregnancy or something else, it's the most amazing feeling when I sit down and think about this. Most women seem to get more emotional during pregnancy and cry at the smallest thing. I think I've cried one time and that was at my first ultrasound at 6 weeks when I got nervous to see if the baby was actually there. Hubby doesn't even know what to do with himself now that I don't cry 3 times a week over something stupid!

I was just telling my boss today how strange it is not to take criticism personally at work now. A year ago, I was crying every day when I left work from people complaining and the stress I had. Now, I just kinda laugh it off and think it's funny when people complain about things I can't control.

I'm still shocked by this huge change. I wonder if everything will change once the baby is born. I know I'm more prone to having post-patrum because of my past, but maybe this is a sign of positive things to come.

The furniture saga continues...

So here's where the saga begins...

I'll start by saying we have not had good luck with furniture purchases. Our last purchase of the buffet for the family room was an 8 month nightmare! But I was past that and looking forward to this new purchase. I ordered the two dressers and the crib was on back order. I couldn't technically order it until it was back in stock, so I started freaking out that it would get discontinued or something.

The next week, we got a call that our 2 dressers were in. When we went to pick them up, I was able to order the crib! Yay! So then we go to load the dressers in the car and they don't fit. The boxes were WAY bigger than the actual pieces so we weren't expecting that. It was 7 pm on Saturday and we were exhausted. So we drove all the way back home to drop one piece off and then went back for the second piece. After going to both BRU & Home Depot twice that day, we went to bed. The next morning, we decided to move the dressers from the garage into the living room so they wouldn't get ruined. The first dresser looked great and we got it moved into the house. The second one was a disaster. The whole thing was falling apart! It looked like it got dropped and it was all cracked. So...back to the store we went with the broken dresser!

After a very interesting run-in with a drunk man at the store, we were able to return our dresser and they had a new one in back! We were so excited to see that it was all in one piece when we got it home!

And now the chair part of the saga...

I can't make a decision and I'm too cheap. I've been to the baby stores a bunch of times and I just cannot give in to paying their insane prices for a comfy chair. The cheaper ones are not comfortable and smushy. The expensive ones feel like heaven, but who wants to pay that much for a chair? I finally found one that wasn't too bad and ordered it...only to find out it only comes in green upholstery that doesn't match at all.

My other idea was to look at a more traditional chair or la-z-boy. I went to a few stores to try them out and then decided I didn't like that you can't rock with your feet up. Maybe that's stupid, but it's important to me.

So I'm still searching...I might try to hit up a few garage sales in the neighborhood. If I could find a cheaper, comfy set, I'd be willing to paint it or recover the pillows.

If I don't find anything cheap...sigh...I guess we'll have to go with an expensive one. No point in buying a cheap one if it's not enjoyable to sit in...

100 days!

This kinda reminds me of the 100 days celebration in kindergarten when we counted the amount of days of school we've had so we could learn the numbers. I added a cheesy graphic just for fun!

I could not believe this when I found out. 100 days sounds like so little! Time is going by so fast now and it's hard to believe he'll be here before I know it!

25 week update

Baby's the size of a rutabaga!
His fingerprints have now formed. Your baby's first bowel movement has been forming in the large intestine. The thick, dark poop is called meconium and it's typically excreted shortly after he's born. Get ready to kiss your petite little belly goodbye soon (if you haven't already) -- your uterus is growing big-time! It is now about the size of a soccer ball. As your uterus continues to expand upward -- the top is nearly midway between your breasts and belly button now -- your middle will grow longer and wider.

WTF is a rutabaga? This size means nothing to me! Just for giggles, I googled it and Wikipedia says it's a root vegetable that originated as a cross between cabbage and a turnip. The roots are prepared for food in a variety of ways, and its leaves can also be eaten as a leaf vegetable. Good to know...

Anyway, not too much going on in the rutabaga phase this week. Baby is kicking a lot and that's been fun to feel. He usually has a crazy few minutes every night when I'm laying in bed. It feels like he's kicking and screaming, "Let me out!" and then he goes back to sleep.

I've been feeling pretty good lately and I'm mostly over my cold. Migraines are getting more rare and morning sickness is still there, but less than it was before. I seem to have a little more energy, but not the huge amount people always talk about. More like I can stay awake until 8 now instead of 7 or 7:30! I think my weight is pretty good and I'm up 13 pounds now. I hate getting on that scale and seeing a number I've never seen before, but I'm happy with the progress.

On to the food...I have changed from cantaloupe to bananas and blackberries. This is partly because I got sick of having to beg Hubby to cut my cantaloupe all the time. Bananas and blackberries are easy for me to prepare myself. Apparently, I don't cut cantaloupe correctly. I'm still into Chipotle burritos, but didn't have one this week. Instead, I really wanted a tamale so we went over to Grande Jake's for dinner on Friday. I also bought some tamales from Trader Joe's so we could have a fun Mexican night at home. I really wanted a panini from Panera too, but I didn't get one of those either.

101 days left of pregnancy and last night was the first time I begged Hubby to go out and get me food. I wanted ice cream so I went down to get an ice cream sandwich from the freezer. The box was empty! I was all ready for my ice cream and was disappointed that it wasn't there! It wasn't even that I had a craving...it was more that I wanted some dessert and something thirst quenching and ice cream sounded like it might be tasty. Turns out, Hubby was thinking the same thing so he ran over and got us Ben & Jerry's during half time of the Bulls game. YUM : )

We're making progress on the baby's room and I'm so excited! This weekend, painting began and it looks super cute! I also picked up a few accessories and wall art that I think will match. I'm hoping to get things put together in the next few weeks so I can see how it looks and decide on the rest of the decorating soon.

Looking forward (but not) to my glucose test tomorrow. I just like going to the doctor because I can hear the heartbeat and beg for an ultrasound like a crazy mom!

A very strange feeling...

to feel your boobs resting on the top of your stomach.

"I have nothing to wear."

You will never hear me say this. I admit I usually have way more clothes than the average person and I can always find tons of things to wear. Well, not anymore.

Today the fun began. I was all excited to wear one of my new dresses. I shaved my legs, put on self-tanner, and got all giddy. The first one was still too big so it looked funny, but it felt so short. I swear, you would see my butt if I bent over. That's what I get for having long legs and it's the reason I hate dresses and never wear them. I was stupid for letting my mom and sister convince to buy them.

The second one was a wrap dress that was super expensive, but I was convinced to buy it anyway. It was too small. Nice. You'd be able to see my undies between the layers if I bent over the right way.

Ok, well I guess the dress idea is not going to work. So I tried on 4 more shirts and they were all too small. By the time I found a shirt that fit, I was in tears and frustrated. I was 15 minutes late for work and feel like crap about how I look.

I really tried not to buy too many maternity clothes because I won't be wearing them for very long. But I don't want to wear the same few boring shirts over and over. The plain-colored t-shirts are boring and I'm sick of them already. I think it's time for some shopping...and feeling guilty about buying things I don't really need.

The furniture saga begins...

I've always wanted to buy white baby furniture. I think it looks fun, fresh, and I love how it looks when paired with bright colors. While the dark wood is really popular right now, it's not my thing. I also hate that it's harder to match things and matching everything is *key* in my life. If you know me, you know this is true!

So the white limited things, but we found a set that I liked and Hubby approved of the construction and structure of it. I waited almost a month to order it and hoped it would go on sale. Nope. So I went in and ordered it anyway. (Turns out, one week later, everything did go on sale so they did a price adjustment for me. Thanks, BRU.)

The crib comes in 3 different styles, but we like the curved back best. The mattress height cam be adjusted as the baby grows, so that's a nice feature.

We also ordered the toddler rail below so we can use the bed a little longer. Not sure why it takes 16 weeks to come in, but at least we have plenty of time for that!

Instead of a traditional changing table, I decided to go with this dresser and we'll use a changing pad on the top. All the diaper stuff can be hidden in the top drawers. I also like that it will have extra room on the top to use as a mini-nightstand next to the glider (TBD).We went back and forth about the second dresser, but decided to go with it for one special reason. I am obsessed with watching tv. Hubby knows me well enough to know that I'll get bored out of my mind while rocking the baby for hours. He knows I need my tv! So we decided to splurge on a small tv for the baby's room at least temporarily. I don't plan on leaving it in there when he knows what it is and can use it on his own, so it's more for us. This dresser is a little taller and it will go on the wall were the cable hook-up is.

With all this extra storage, we'll have a ton of room in the closet for toys, books, etc. The Elfa closet system is going to come in really handy and I'm so glad they were already in the closet when we moved in!

24 Week Update

Baby's the size of an ear of corn!
Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long, he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

I also read on my pregnancy app that he can hear everything going on around him. That means he's probably getting a headache from all my coughing, sniffling, and sneezing. I'm still sick, but getting better slowly. I feel bad that he has to hear all that crap going on!

On Friday, we went to see Fast 5 at the movie theater (haven't gone in years!) and I felt really pregnant when I couldn't even sit comfortably in those seats. My belly was too big, my pants were too tight, and everything felt constricted. Now I see what it's like to have that big belly in the way! I ended up laying with my feet across Hubby's upper legs, leaning onto the next seat, and trying to stay awake way past my bedtime.

Baby has been getting much more active this week. He's starting to wiggle more and we can see him move around. He likes to play when I'm laying down, on my left side, and when I'm driving. It makes my commute home a little more enjoyable when I get to feel him wiggling around but then I wonder if maybe he's feeling smushed between my pants and the seatbelt! When we were at Babies R Us on Saturday looking at some of the things we wanted to register for, we stopped by the cutest little bath towels. I liked the yellow and green ones and Hubby liked the blue and red crab ones. When I picked the package up to take a closer look, Baby did a little wiggle and I decided he liked the crab ones. Plus, I agree, they're way cuter!

Childhood Memories

I was reading a blog this morning and it really made me think.

Have you ever noticed that as you grow older you lose that happy, carefree spirit you used to have as a kid? You become so serious, mature, and anxious about everything and you forget how you used to laugh, run around, and enjoy every little moment. Your biggest problem was if you wanted Kraft mac & cheese for dinner and your mom made hot dogs instead. Or you fell off your bike and skinned your knee...and then forgot about it 2 minutes later when your favorite cartoon came on tv. Remember that?

I think we all wish we could go back to that place. I sure do. Looking back, I can see myself laughing, running around outside, playing on the playground for hours, doing craft after craft, and being silly. Why can't I still be like that anymore?

I think we need to try harder to get back to that place sometimes. Easier said than done, I'm sure...especially for someone like me who has to be a planner and is always worrying about one thing or another. I hope that I'll get back to this place as I watch my baby go through the same thing I did. I want to watch him live a carefree childhood and I want to experience it with him. I want him to go on the swings and say, "Mommy, push me harder!" like I used to do. I want to see him grab his crayolas and draw me picture after picture and be so proud of his work. I want to watch him giggle and smile at the tiniest thing because it makes him happy. I want him to have those happy childhood moments that I had and I want to go through it again with him.

Stupid maternity clothes pet peeve

This bugs me all the time.

The neck opening on maternity shirts are always too big. Do they think our shoulders get bigger when we get pregnant or something? I do not need my gigantic bra straps sticking out of all my shirts!

Thank.you.very.much.

We saw him!

Finally!

Last night we were watching tv and I started to feel baby wiggling. I lifted up my shirt so I could see if my stomach would move. It took a few minutes, but we both caught a little twitching! It was very light, but so cool to see! I'm so glad we got to experience that moment together. : )

Nightmares

My dreams have been super crazy since I got pregnant. As if they weren't weird enough normally, they're even more strange and I'm always shocked when I wake up. I feel like they're more vivid.

But what's freaking me out is that I've now had two dreams about someone trying to take Kitty away. The first time, I woke up with tears in my eyes and streaming down my face and I was disturbed about it all morning. It happened again last night and I woke up with him snuggling up to my chest.

Of all the crazy dreams I've had, these are probably the most upsetting to me. I'm always crying and trying to grab at him. Every time I see him in my dream, I burst into tears and run to him to say goodbye and beg for him to not be taken away.

I used to be really into interpreting dreams in high school and I had all these books that would analyze symbols in your dream. I almost don't even want to look this one up because it's so sad. Maybe it's because I'm worried about him and the new baby? He's my first "baby" and he's so spoiled. I do worry that he won't get along with the baby or he'll feel like he's being replaced. But does that have to cause scary nightmares?

Love you, Kitty. You'll always be my baby.Horrible pic from Hubby's cell phone from a long time ago, but so cute. He's a mommy's boy.

Nursery Bedding

This was a huge decision! You know me...everything home decor-related must be the right decision and must match perfectly. I don't want to make the wrong choice or get sick of the design so this has been hours and hours of research, thinking, and coming up with ideas. (Yes, I'm crazy.)

After much contemplation, we narrowed it down to our favorite two designs that were complete opposites.

Okie Dokie Animal Circles
I love that this one is fun, colorful and modern. It's so unique! I had a great idea to do some wall decals or painting with the animals on the bedding.

Bacati Stripes & Plaids
I'm really into the preppy boy stuff. I love the colors, the simple patterns, and it's boyish without being too sporty. This is also a great alternative to the Land of Nod plaid collection which is almost double the price, but very similar in color.We ordered both sets to see how they looked in person. Even after a week of them sitting in the kitchen, I was still torn! I spent hours up at night trying to picture how each one would look and how I would accessorize.

Drum roll, please...

In the end, the Bacati stripes set was much softer than the Okie Dokie set. It's SO cute, but I don't think it would be good to have a newborn on scratchy linens.

Here's a close-up of the blanket...
And the bumper...
Now that this *major* decision is made, I picked out paint samples and we tried them out last night. I think we made our decision, so we'll see how it looks once we start painting soon!

Week 23 Update

Baby's the size of a papaya!
Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

The bump is really started to stick out! Here's me on Saturday (the first sunny day in a long time) before I met up with Kristina & Diana.We had our 23 week doctor appointment on Tuesday. The nurse started by weighing me like always, but it was a new nurse being trained. She didn't have the scale set right so it said I weighed the same amount that I did a couple months ago. I thought that was strange, so I had her re-check and it was off. I'm up about 12 pounds now...a little scary! I've never weighed this much! At the appointment, the doctor measured my belly and said I'm right at 23 weeks which was perfect. I begged for an ultrasound, but the room was filled and we would have had to wait. She used the doppler to check for a heartbeat and everything sounded good. I go back in a few weeks for my glucose test and she promised I'd get an ultrasound.

Food this week sucked. I don't like canned pears anymore. I've been bringing them as a morning snack sometimes and I just decided that they look gross. I also warmed up my lunch as I do every day, but on Wednesday I decided that my Smart Ones orange chicken was disgusting too. That used to be one of my favorites! Luckily, I had some leftovers from Monday and my boss gave me a brownie to fill me up. Then on Friday, I discovered that cranberry juice is not so good anymore. I used to drink a little bottle almost every morning, but ew...I can't handle it now.

What do I want? Pretty much nothing except for the Trader Joe's ravioli and a Chipotle burrito. I don't ever feel like eating anything and just scrounge around looking for something that I can swallow without spitting it out.

On Friday, I got sick. Again. The same thing I had a month ago. So I ran over to the doctor to get some meds that will hopefully be a little stronger than Sudafed. I can't take another week and a half of not being able to breathe and coughing every 2 minutes!

On a good note, we've been making a lot of progress on the house and planning for the baby's room. That's an upcoming post!