The Nursery and Other Baby Related Updates

Michael was on his week off last week and for the first time since October, we stayed at home and got some work done (also relaxed a bit, too). I worked on washing baby clothes and organizing baby gear we have on hand. Michael worked on moving around furniture and organizing paperwork that had been in a pile in the closet. We found some bug decals to put on the wall and ordered the baby's bedding (it arrived today!!!). Here are some updated pictures of the baby's room:



As I mentioned, the bedding set we ordered came in this afternoon! It's called Cheerful Critters and is from Pottery Barn Kids. I do not know how Pottery Barn got my information but when I first got the catalog in the mail, I swore I would not order anything from them. However, I did flip through the catalog, only to find the Cheerful Critters set. Unbeknownst to us, the colors we picked for the then-office were Pottery Barn colors (by Benjamin Moore) and this bedding set matched those colors. I absolutely loved this bedding set and when I discovered that the paint matched exactly, I HAD to have it! I checked their website every couple of days and last week, the set went on clearance so I ordered it right away. I put the bumper up just to see what it looks like:



It is just the cutest thing! I have also been working on setting up registries at Target and Amazon.com. I also registered at Colorado Baby (pamperedbuns.com) here in Junction; it is a locally owned business that specializes in cloth diapering supplies. We are going to give cloth diapering a shot. I have received lots of great advice and support from other moms that cloth diaper and it really is a great way to save some money. Plus, the cloth diapers are very cute! Registering can make me feel a little overwhelmed; it's hard for a first time mom to decipher necessities versus luxuries. I've gotten lots of advice from friends who are already moms and of course my mom and grandma and I'm sure I'll figure out what our necessities will be as I go along. Some things are obviously space-wasters - my dad almost fell off of his chair laughing when I mentioned wipe warmers - but there are lots of baby products out there!

Here is an updated picture of me - 25 weeks, 6 days:


The baby is quite active, especially when I am not. She has gotten some good kicks in, which are more jolting than painful. She's started to party in my belly while I'm sleeping and even wakes me up at times. Michael can feel her move now and talks to her regularly to let her know he's here and excited to be her dad. I am feeling pretty good except for some sciatic nerve issues on my right side and some issues with my left hip. These seem to just be aches and pain that come with the territory.

IT'S A GIRL!

Our level 2 ultrasound was today with Dr. Simms and she is pretty sure that we are having a little girl! I had a hunch it was a girl because I first felt her move while I was watching all the movie stars in their lovely dresses and expensive jewelry walk down the Golden Globes red carpet. We got to see the baby's brain, heart with all 4 chambers, spine, feet, and other organs. We got an excellent report on the baby's health and it looks like everything is going perfectly with the pregnancy. My mom got to go with us to watch the ultrasound so that was very special for us. Michael and I went for ice cream after our big appointment and started working on the baby's room. We can't wait to meet our daughter! Here are some pictures of our little lady bug.



And here is a picture of me today (21 weeks, 1 day), getting ready for our appointment.



We are headed on a cruise through the eastern Caribbean on Saturday morning and more than ready for some sun and warm weather. We are cruising with my mom and dad, my brother and my grandma Pat for 7 nights to the Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola and the Grand Caymans. It's our first cruise and we are super excited!

Home, Sweet Home

Home from a nice Christmas with my grandma, my brother and Michael. We had a good time. Michael ate his first casino Christmas dinner. Sad to say, we didn't have any good luck while we were playing the slot machines. Oh well. Two holidays down, one to go.

My grandma made us a beautiful baby blanket and gave it to us this weekend.


Louie doesn't quite understand that it wasn't made specifically for him.


I told him he could borrow it for a couple of months.

We came home to tile on our bathtub walls! Here are some pictures of the progress being made on our spare bathroom remodel.


Last but not least, here is an updated "belly bump" picture taken on Christmas Eve at 17 weeks, 2 days. We have our ultrasound appointment scheduled for January 20th and hopefully we will be able to tell if we are going to have a boy or a girl!


Happy New Year everyone!

'Tis the Season

We've been busy preparing for Christmas. We are leaving on Thursday to fly to Las Vegas to visit my grandma Pat. She lives in Bullhead City, AZ, about an hour south of Las Vegas. We will be staying until Sunday morning, then heading back to Grand Junction to spend Sunday with my parents and brother. Michael's parents plan on traveling to Grand Junction around that time and we will see them sometime on Monday.

I am looking forward to the end of the holiday season. For me, it's just not "the most wonderful time of the year." I always feel stressed out about dividing time between both of our families. I don't like Christmas shopping and strive to get it done before Thanksgiving but some shopping after Thanksgiving can't be avoided. I made my last trip to the mall on Friday, right after it opened, and while it wasn't terrible, it's not my idea of fun. I always try to make the best of the time but if I'm being honest, I feel relieved every year when it's over. I hope next year, when we have our own child, we can start some traditions of our own as a family of 3.

Speaking of Baby W, our baby loot has increased:


In fact, I am now cut off from internet shopping for baby stuff (okay, internet shopping in general - I may have a problem). My mom even told me I have to slow down! Every time I see something "buggy" I want it for our nursery. We are also trying to decide what to do about sleeping arrangements for the period of time when the baby will sleep in our room. I have been looking at bassinets, Pack 'n Plays, and the adorable Moses baskets. I've gotten a lot of good advice from good friends who are moms. One thing is for sure, everyone is willing to give advice to a pregnant lady!

As for our spare bathroom, definite progress is being made. The first layer of drywall mud is up and the walls around the tub are ready to be tiled. My dad has been working on the weekends and occasionally in the evenings. Here are some pictures of the bathroom, as of yesterday:




Here is the tile plan as of now as well as the paint color on the bottom right. The paint color will be the same as one of the walls in our kitchen: "Sand Fossil." The decorative border will go all the way around the tub and be about 5 tiles up from the tub. I can't wait to see the finished product!


Belly pics to come next time.

Everyone have a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year celebration!

2nd Trimester, Cyber Monday and more

As of yesterday, I'm officially in the 2nd trimester! Michael got to hear our baby's heartbeat on Monday, but Dr. Simms said we won't have another ultrasound until 20 weeks when we find out the sex. We'll be able to find out what we're having right before we leave for our Hejl family cruise in January. My friend and acupuncture doctor, April, let me borrow her at-home doppler so we'll be able to listen to the heartbeat more often.

We also decided to go ahead and hire Sara Rutkowski as our doula! She came over a couple of weeks ago and I really like her. She is very knowledgeable and excited about the birth process. I think she'll be a wonderful asset during labor, delivery and beyond.

Black Friday is not my thing but Cyber Monday is really an event I can get behind! I absolutely hate crowds and cold weather so waiting outside in the middle of the night at the end of November with a bunch of other people sounds close to torture to me. Plus, I've recently become a big fan of online shopping. And so, I spent Monday morning cruising the internet for some good sales. I hit the jackpot at Babies R Us. I ordered our car seat/stroller travel system combo as well as a bug play mat and some bug toys to hang on the car seat. I also found a firefly soother and "dancy antsy" toy on the website zulily for 50% off. We're starting to build quite a collection for the baby. Next purchase on the list: a bassinet. Michael's co-worker advised him to get one with wheels so that when the baby's sleeping, you can move it from room to room with you.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Happy Christmas shopping!

Twelve Weeks!

Today marks the beginning of the 12th week of my pregnancy! Twelve weeks is an important milestone because risk of miscarriage goes down and the 2nd trimester starts in 1 week. (Some doctors mark the end of the 1st trimester at 12 weeks but most mark it at 13 weeks.) I don't look pregnant yet, only like I eat too many donuts for breakfast each morning (although 1 donut per morning is probably too many). I'm hoping to start showing here soon.

Our next doctor's appointment is the Monday after Thanksgiving and Michael will be coming with for the first time. My doctor said that we will be able to hear the heartbeat with the doppler. I'm anxious to see Michael's reaction because he is so very excited to become a dad. I'm hoping that we can also schedule the appointment for our next ultrasound, when we can find out the sex!

I also have an appointment on Friday evening with a doula that we are considering hiring. A doula is a birth expert (although not considered medical personnel) who helps make a birth plan and assists through the labor and delivery process. Since neither Michael or I have ever been through this experience before, I think a doula would be helpful. There are a couple of big reasons (other than never doing this before) for considering a doula. First, doulas support and help assist a woman through a natural childbirth experience. Although I'm not going to get too attached to one idea about giving birth, I would like the process to be as natural and drug free as possible. I believe our bodies are designed to give birth and that it's most beneficial to do so without medical intervention if possible. I think about my grandma Pat, who gave birth 5 times with no pain medication and I know it can be done. And frankly, the idea of having a large needle inserted in my back and not feeling my legs creeps me out. I imagine things get pretty intense during the labor process, and the doula (Sara) will be there to remind me that I can do this and to provide a calming influence. Second, many of you know that Michael works in the natural gas fields of the Piceance Basin. He leaves the house at about 3:30am and doesn't get home until about 6:30pm. He will most likely be working when I go into labor and best case scenario, it will take him at least an hour to get home. Most likely, it will take much longer depending on who is on his location at the time. Sara would be on call for us starting 2 weeks before my due date and she would come to my house and help me through the laboring process until we have to leave for the hospital. Even if Michael is with me at this point, having Sara with us will increase the amount of time we (I) feel comfortable laboring at home and decrease the time spent at the hospital (decreasing the need for labor-quickening drugs like Pitocin). Anyway, I am anxious to meet Sara on Friday and see if we "mesh."

Here are some websites for more information on doulas and specifically Sara.

DONA International

Gentle Spirit Doula

Out with the Old, In with the New

Our wedding present from my parents is a bathroom remodel. We have picked out the tile, cabinets and counter tops and the bathroom is now ready to be demolished. As many of you know, we have been working for the past 2 years to remodel a circa 1930 orchard home. We have always regretted not taking "before" pictures of the kitchen area since we completely remodeled that area (took out walls and a chimney, put up new drywall including the ceiling, put in all new floors and new appliances). So, here are "before" pictures of our spare bathroom that will soon be brand-spanking-new, thanks to my talented dad.

Notice the lovely and flattering florescent light:

And the attractive jagged edge on the counter top:

The green splatter paint tile is outdated:

The hardwood floor must've been beautiful at some point, but now it's ruined:

And speaking of bringing in the new, here are a couple pictures of our new baby gear. Michael already has the crib set up and I've been busy purchasing bug accessories. I found rattles, teethers and other fun little baby items on sale at Kohl's this week. I even bought some Winnie the Pooh outfits for our little June Bug. I think they'll look perfect on either a girl or a boy.



Stay tuned for "after" pictures of our bathroom - soon to come!!!

Bun in the Oven!

Michael and I are expecting our first baby, due June 1st, 2011!!!! I will be 11 weeks along on November 10th. We were both surprised that it happened this fast; when I told Michael that I was pregnant, he said, "That was easy!" We are both very excited to be parents and looking forward to a new chapter in our lives. It's also a special time for my family, as this will be my parents' first grandchild. (That's not to say that Michael's family is not excited; this will be his parents' fifth grandchild.) I am very anxious to see my parents as grandparents. I have so many great memories of both sets of grandparents growing up and am still very close to my dad's mom, my grandma Pat.

We have already been busy preparing. Our "office" will become a nursery. I painted it yellow, green and blue last year and so we've decided to do a bug-themed nursery. Michael is going to put his artistic talents to use and paint caterpillars, grasshoppers, bees, butterflies, etc. on our walls. We have some crafty ideas for painting an old dresser once we find one at Habitat or Goodwill, and we're going to ask my grandma Pat to make the bedding for us once we find fabric we like. We already found a crib at the used baby goods store in town; a solid wood beauty for less than $200! What a steal!

Our first ultrasound was around 8 weeks and we'll get another one around 20 weeks to find out the sex of baby Withouse. Here is the first picture of our bundle of joy!