Almost 38 Weeks!

weight: +24

sleep: definitely harder these days!  I must sleep with the humidifier next to the bed to help with congestion and I wake up sweaty and having to use the bathroom every 2 hours on the dot!  I miss tummy sleeping!

cravings: milk, girl scout cookies, fruit cups

maternity clothes: yep!  My kindergartners keep telling me how big the baby is getting and that he is 'busting out of my shirts!" And my poor swollen feet are making shoes difficult!  I actually wore my rainbow flip flops today- thank goodness the weather has gotten a bit warmer (even though 65 degrees is not quite flip flop weather!)

mood: feeling pretty good.  Stressed and kinda irritable at work b/c I feel like I have so much to do to wrap up my classroom and testing and paperwork etc before I leave for the rest of the year!  (My last day is March 11)

gender: BOY!  Dane Harrison

baby: size of a watermelon!   He is head down and ready to go!  Oh, and as of today, I am 1cm dilated and that is all.  I think we might make it to the due date after all!   

movement: Yes and it's awesome!  I love feeling him move and I love even more how he responds to Z's voice.  It's so cute!  He seems to really like car rides- I feel him move tons when I'm driving and a lot after dinner and again around bedtime.  And it seems that I feel him moving when I get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night but maybe I'm imagining that one!

nursery:  Pretty much ready to go!!!  We picked up the glider Saturday (it is SO COMFY!) and hung up most of the art work.  Now it's really just putting some things away.  

milestones: 1 cm dilated and we picked a pediatrician!  We ended up going to 3 open houses and we decided on the last one (that we met last night).  The doctors and staff are super friendly and 'non-threatening' (if that makes sense).  The office is clean and organized and has an overall comfortable feeling about it.  And, best of all, its in our neighborhood!  It's like a mile or two away.  We could literally put Dane in the stroller and walk over!  woohoo!

other:  We've been busy on the weekends hanging out with friends and family and it's been lots of fun.  We took the above pics this past weekend and I'm so glad we did!  It had been on my list of things I wanted to do but it's hard when your husband is the photographer and the daddy-to-be!  :)  I am so glad we were able to capture some pictures of this belly before Dane gets here!  We still need to get the car seat installed and plan to do that this weekend.  We just need to call around to find a fire station that does it / is certified.  I also still need to pack our hospital bags.  I've been terrible about procrastinating on that one.  I've got Dane's clothes washed and ready but I am so confused about which nursing bras to buy/keep/wear that, of all things, nursing bras are holding up the whole packing process!  Ridiculous!  :)

So what's in your hospital bag?  And did you pack a separate bag for baby?

The 'normal' fears of impending "D" day

I feel perfectly ok about labor and delivery and our fast-approaching due date until someone (usually a stranger) looks at my belly and says 'congrats! how much longer?' THEN they make that face (you know the one) and they say 'ohhhh I don't think you're gonna make it!'.  That's when I freak out!  Maybe I'm not as 'ok' as I think!!?!

Now I've been to the childbirth class (yes, I cried during the L&D part of the video), I have friends that have done this and gotten out alive, I've seen movies, and read books, etc, etc, etc... but some days I do worry about 'THE' day.  Now, it's not even so much the big day, but the other days leading up to it.  The constant TP checking, wondering about the mucus plug, wondering if every feeling of leakage is my water breaking, wondering if every pang I feel is a sign contractions are coming.  Whew!

I feel more or less ready.  Here's what's done:

• lesson plans for work.  all that's left is printing them and meeting with my substitute to fill her in on the little things
• baby showers are over and we have returned duplicates and picked up most of what we needed and hadn't gotten
• the crib is set up and ready to go; same with changing table
• newborn and 0-3 month size clothes are washed and ready
• OB appts are set up every week from now until the week after his due date
• all testing at OB's office is done and results are in and we're good to go!

Here's what's left to do:

• have the car seat installed at the fire station (we'll do that this weekend)
• pick up the glider for the nursery (yay!  I can't wait!)
• pack hospital bags (I still need to get 'nursing essentials' - I have a couple of n bras from target but need a nightgown or PJ's or something)
• hang art work in the nursery
• pick out birth announcements (or at least narrow it down to a few favs)
• pre-cook and freeze some meals?  (did you guys do that?)
• finish writing 'thank-you' cards for baby showers 

So, that's where we stand. I think.  I'm certainly enjoying President's Day off today!  A great opportunity to prop up my swollen feet/calves and rest this belly (which has gotten heavy and finally sports stretch marks. boo), and probably nap (the 'on the dot' every 2 hour bathroom breaks at night really cut into precious sleep time!

Childbirth Class

So we attended an 'all day' childbirth class yesterday at our hospital.  Wow what a lot of info!  We were very glad to get it and even happier when we realized we already knew some of the info!  WOOHOO!  :)  I will say that regardless of the fact that I cried 'scared tears' during the delivery portion of the birthing video, I feel MUCH better about what all is going to be happening in less than 6 weeks!

Oh, and we also took the hospital tour of L&D.  While walking the hall toward the nursery, we ran into a friends husband!  Her water broke and they had just arrived to have their little girl!  So cool!

Is it weird..

that as i'm driving home in the freezing rain being uplifted by my baby boy kicking away in my belly and listening to my fav 80's station that I immediately think of Dane's future girlfriend as I sing along to Hall & Oates 'Man Eater'!?!?!?  I mean, really!?!?  Oh and don't think that thinking of his future girlfriend didn't lead my thoughts down the aisle at his WEDDING!  OMG!  hahahahaha!

Our First Shower (picture post)

Ladies, I am so late in posting this.  Baby Boy Dane had his first celebration last Saturday (Jan. 15) and it was wonderful!  It was a luncheon hosted by my Mother-in-Law's friends.  Everything was so nice, relaxing, creative, and yummy!  We received many great things for Dane's arrival and felt so thankful.

 the tables were decorated so cute with origami sailboats and candy pacifiers

 the dessert table was adorable with different candies in glass jars and also hot chocolate, coffee, and toppings.  and everything had these cute labels to go with them!

 my 2 most favorite desserts were homemade by one of the hostesses-- cheesecake and creme brule.  yum-o

 the soups and salads were so perfect for our snowy shower day!

 look at all that yummy stuff!

 yes, i may not have finished all my soup, but i sure finished BOTH desserts!  :)

 this blue hat was tied on to the gift from my MIL.  it is Z's hat from when he was a little boy- hand made by his grandmother.  now dane can get some use out of it!

 instead of cards, everyone brought their favorite children's book to help stock dane's library!  we got some wonderful ones (and many of my favorites!)

 the clothes. oh...the clothes!  this little boy is going to look so cute every day!  he got some amazing 'etsy style' outfits and onesies.  

 more books and gifts and yay- our swing!  check out that beautiful backdrop.  looks fake to see that much snow in GA!  We got 6 inches!

 as a 'guest book' everyone signed this cuteness ceramic piggy bank!

girl pic!  from L-R: my sister, my mom, me (and dane), my MIL, my SIL

Like I said, it was a really fun day and we were so blessed to have so many people to share it with!  Oh, and these are 12 of 100+ pictures so you can imagine the fun details we got on camera!  :)

Nesting!

My goodness my little man has a lot of stuff already!  But we all know what I shopper I am!  haha!  I have 2 laundry baskets full of clean clothes, blankets, etc... to find a place for in his dresser and closet. Not to mention the books I've collected for him already.  It's awesome.  I love it.  :)  Here are pictures of some of the stuff I'm putting away today.

 This was his first gift.  We got it back in October. One of Z's best friends' moms sent it to Dane.  Lots of sleep sacks, bibs, and 2 homemade blankets!

Two of the cool onesies we got when we were in NYC before Christmas.  We had such a hard time  choosing and have been on the websites of the sellers looking at more stuff from them already!  The blue one has a cool image of a building in Brooklyn and then the Alien bird is sitting on the street light post that says 5th Ave. The shark one we thought would be fun for the beach this summer.

My husband is a photographer, hence all the camera-related stuff!  

One of the shelves on the bookcase.  I have a ton of books for him already!  I'm on the hunt now for some baskets to put on the shelf under this for the smaller board books and also some 'regular' size books.  And I know it's not a clear picture, but that little cream/blue stuffed animal there is a Jelly.cat giraffe!!!!  It is the softest, most wonderful little thing!  I LOVE giraffes and had been looking at the various Jelly.cat animals (b/c they are amazing!) and had never seen this one before.  My mom found it and gave it to Dane for Christmas this year!  Let me tell you, our little Sadie girl sat in front of that shelf for like 2 hours whining for it. Poor thing.  It's hard for her to know what toys are puppy toys for her and which are things for Dane!

Magnetic Chalkboard from pbk, classic Melissa.and.Doug toy (love their stuff!) and cool letters from my mom to spell out his name!  I have had these letters for ages and was going to use them to announce his name, but never did.  :(  Anyway, I put magnet strips on the back of the letters and voila!  :)

The 'overflow' books I have yet to find a home for.

'Sprout gown and hat'.  We have a beehive store nearby where et.sy sellers sell their stuff.  LOVE. IT!  My mom got this for me there.  I am thinking it could be his 'coming home' outfit...

newborn blue knit beanie from my friend Naylene.  She is a total et.sy shopper!

Dwell.Studio from Tar.get.  Love it.  Their stuff is so graphic but clean lines and bright colors.  I found these 2 little guys on the clearance rack Saturday.  The robot one even has a hoodie!  :)

FOOTIES!  My sister gave Dane the 2 classic polo outfits and I got the striped one at baby g.a.p.  The polos will be great for the fall/winter!

Speaking of winter, I stocked up on stuff at pbk for Dane's first Christmas!  

So anyway, that's what's going on today, on my snow day!  I need to be working on my maternity leave lesson plans, but I keep putting them off even though it is stressing me out beyond belief.  For now, I'm just going to enjoy putting up Dane's clothes and washing his bedding so I can get that put on (we don't have the bumper yet- still being sewed).  It's coming together!

Happy New Year!

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What a difference a year makes... last December we were supposed to be getting ready for our first round of ivf in January.  But instead I was having to go back on anxiety meds and suffering from horrible reactions to zo.loft.  

Now... here we are.  I'm doing pretty well with my anxiety (minus this one little shingles attack!  haha) and I'm watching my belly grow and feeling my baby boy moving and kicking.  Across the hall from our bedroom is a nursery.  A nursery for our baby.  Every time I walk by the door I slow down and take it in.  Sometimes I even tear up.

Despite ups and downs, we were blessed in 2010. 2011 is going to be even more amazing and I can't WAIT!!!!