30 Weeks! And a New Baby

First things first- my cousin Amy had her baby boy yesterday! I guess that would make him my 2nd cousin, but it is easier to think of myself as an Auntie to this sweet little one. It has been so awesome to both be pregnant together- we grew up like sisters, and are so thrilled our kiddos will be so close in age.

Look at all that HAIR! He looks just like Amy did as a baby.

Liam Matthew 

Born 9/14 at 2:20 am

9lbs 7oz

21-3/4" long

Somehow hitting the 30 week mark feels like an exclamation to me- another milestone in our pregnancy journey. It also signals how close we are getting to meeting our little girl- I can't believe she could be here as soon as 7-8 weeks from now! That fact alone has re-kicked my schizophrenic night brain into high gear- I finally had a couple luxurious full nights of sleep, and then last night the schizo brain was in full affect again, making for a very sleepy day today.

Yesterday we finally procured folks wanting to rent out our house for the Austin City Limits music festival- and they'll be staying here for 5 nights from October 10th-15th. I am thrilled it is 2 adult couples, as that means I don't have to prep extra beds/bedding! We decided after our first round of renting out our house last March (right when we conceived!) that this was an excellent way to make some side income, and are happy to be squeaking in a bit more as the countdown to baby time draws near. However, with renters coming to stay in less than a month, there are a LOT of to-do's to be done! Here are my lists so far:

For our house:
*Assemble a welcome basket of snacks/coffee/treats
*Put together the 'house rules' booklet, including local Austin recommendations
*Clear out bedroom dresser drawers & closet space for guests
*Repair the tears in our leather couches
*Clean out our fridge & pantry
*Organize & store all of the baby loot currently accumulating in my office
*Have house professionally cleaned

For the studio apartment above our garage where we'll be staying:
*Good lord- FINISH IT so it is habitable! Contractors think they should have it far enough along by the weekend prior to ACL for us to start moving into. It won't have flooring yet, but we'll rough it as needed.
*Purchase an HVAC unit (probably a "split" unit that mounts on the wall)
*Purchase a pull out bed and dining table/chairs (we might just throw an air mattress up there short term)
*Purchase a microwave
*Stock the kitchen with basic cookware, utensils, plates, cups, etc
*Install a clothes bar in the closet

There are a million other tiny items we'll need to move in there to live for almost a week, but this list covers the bare necessities.

In other news- two huge boxes of baby girl clothes were delivered to me yesterday from my dear friend Jenny. She has 2 and 4 year old daughters, and I am definitely lucking out to be receiving their hand me downs! So many cute items- and so many things we actually needed to supplement the gazillions of stash of clothes I've already accumulated (things like zip up sleepers, sleep sacks, side snap t-shirts, and newborn pants). This is the stash as it looked upon first unpacking it (note that I piled clothes on top of each other in a somewhat organized fashion- there are a LOT of clothes here):

And this is moments later- Sam was pretty pleased with his new baby girl clothes bed:

On to my 30 week updates!

How far along? 30 weeks today

How big is baby? She has reached the size of a butternut squash - nearing the 3 pound mark and about 16 inches long. Her bone marrow is now producing red blood cells, she can produce tears, and her lungs are active and maturing more every day. I can feel her hiccuping at least once a day now.

Weight gain? My scale hit 125 this morning! That is a total of 17 lbs gained so far (up 1.5 lbs from last week!). They say the weight gain comes faster at the end (often up to a pound a week)- and at this rate, I bet I hit around 30 total pounds when all is said and done. While doing wash yesterday I was lounging in my skivvies and had a moment where I was a bit alarmed at the state of my thighs. They are still not sucking up much with my trusty 'squeeze test,' but I think they have definitely filled in the space between where my hips were originally and where they have now spread.

The weather in Austin has finally started cooling down- and last night I put on a top I'd last worn one month ago in New Mexico. It barely covered my belly! I am going to have to start getting creative in the next two months with my wardrobe- don't want to invest a lot of money in new maternity clothes, but definitely need to find things that can contain my expansion in a tasteful way.

30 week belly- and JEANS! 

First time I've worn jeans in Austin since maybe last March.

Sleep? Ack- still waking WAY too early every day this week. I had a blissful 2 nights of super long, sound sleep Wednesday & Thursday night- but last night my brain went WAY into overdrive making mental lists of all the prep we needed to do with our house, our studio, my job, etc. I am a sleepy girl today.

Food cravings/aversions? Pretty much the same- not wanting anything to do with meats, but definitely loving fish & veggies, along with apples & watermelons. My sweet tooth is also still going strong.

Symptoms? Lots and lots of Braxton Hicks. Every.single.day. They seem to pick up as the day goes on, peaking in the evenings. They made an early appearance this morning, which was extra special. They don't have any pain associated with them but are super uncomfortable and constricting- and make it really hard to walk while they are occurring.

I am starting to slow down more and more. I attempted a home yoga practice yesterday only to realize that many moves are becoming uncomfortable and difficult- including any forward bending poses. Definitely restricts what I can do to keep in shape- hopefully between my push-ups and lunges I can maintain things at a minimal level until after this baby is born.

Most looking forward to? My upcoming appointments- I have a regular doctor appointment next week, then the following week we get to see our little lady on another ultrasound at the fancy clinic that has 3D capabilities! BC will be along for that appointment, and I can't wait to see how our little one has grown.

Nursery Progress!

I have had so much fun over the weekend finally getting our nursery pulled together. And I think the major pieces are now all in place! I still need more wall art, and also need to decide what to do in the space above our rocker/glider (hanging branch? Pendant light? Corner shelves?) I also am looking to replace the nightstands next to the crib, which are extremely light weight and could tip easily. I hope to find really sturdy, heavy nightstands that have open shelves, so they can also double as bookshelves.

Here is the progress so far in photos:

 I stopped by SO many stores over the weekend! Garden Ridge rocked it with the best prices & selections. I loved these lamp shades!

 I also scored that sweet bird painting for only $10. It is the only piece of art that I have so far, but a good start.

Nothing terribly exciting going on with the dresser/hutch yet- this will become the changing station & I will fill several baskets with toys & supplies on the shelves.

 Love the bank of windows in this bedroom.

Our rocker/glider! The wall behind it is the one I am really waiting for creative inspiration on. The rocker itself is super comfortable- the fabric isn't as high of a quality as I'd hoped, and I also wonder if having a reclining option would have been wise (for napping). The other strange thing? The ottoman ALSO rocks back and forth! That was a total surprise- not something I prefer, but overall I still love the aesthetics of the chair. I think it fits perfectly with the room.

 BC has spent almost every evening reading in his beloved new chair.

 Finally found the perfect rug (after literally going to over 10 stores)- only $69 at Target! Super plush & soft.

Sam is quite pleased with the new rug. He was kneading a LOT of bread on that thing!

It feels SO good to have this space starting to come together. The only real finish out items remaining are to put things on the walls & to wash & organize all of the baby clothes & items. It is so exciting to think of our daughter growing up in this beautiful, sunny room! We are so excited to meet her.

Nursery Nesting and 29 Week Updates

How far along? 29 weeks (as of yesterday)

How big is baby? This week she is compared to a butternut squash- estimated at just over 15 inches & 2.5 pounds. The baby apps say that this week begins a rapid growth phase where she will put on nearly 1/2 lb every week!

Weight gain? Up 15.4 pounds total, so about 1/2 lb from last week. I had an epiphany about all the comments pertaining to me looking small (despite my fundal height measuring right on schedule). I have a long torso! I don't know why I didn't think about this before, but it makes perfect sense. Even though I am petite (5ft 2 1/2-inches- and yes, I always count that half!) I am proportioned such that I have a long torso/shorter legs for my frame. So it would make sense that there is more room for baby to spread up and down vs. poking straight out in front of me.

 Fancy dress shot taken after dinner with friends last night. 

I had a "my belly is getting BIG!" moment

 And today's 29 week belly

Sleep? I've been having schizophrenic brain all weekend long, which is making me restless & finds me waking between 5-6am, unable to get back to sleep. My body SO wants to sleep more, but once my overactive brain wakes up, it's over. This has happened 3 discrete times in my pregnancy so far: 1st when we found out we were pregnant, then when we found out we were having a girl, and now with the nursery decorating (more on that a little later in this post).

Food cravings/aversions? Meats continue to sound too heavy & unappealing to me. I have been eating a lot of fish, watermelon, apples, & trying to get in my greens daily. Still loving sweet treats as well!

Symptoms? 

*Nose bleeds. These picked up again a couple weeks ago- most often happening when I blew my nose in the morning. I invested in a humidifier for our bedroom last week, and since then there has been a noticeable improvement.

*Baby movement: something shifted this past week- I think Baby Girl had a growth spurt. I can now not only feel her movements (which are a lot stronger!) but I can SEE her moving across my stomach. It is fascinating! I can also feel parts of her body poking around and undulating beneath my stomach.

*Baby hiccups: I have been feeling these at least once a day for the past week.

*Muscle pulls: My left glute was feeling pulled again this week. Then all of a sudden my right inner thigh was completely pulled & painful (without any definitive cause). It is still tugged a bit but getting a little better every day.

*Fatigue: Even before my brain went into overdrive this weekend I was having pretty intense fatigue over the past week. I would get a full restful nights' sleep then feel exhausted and ready for a nap within an hour of waking. This corresponded directly with the baby's increased movements. Now couple that fatigue with my weekend schizophrenic brain and I am feeling increasingly zombie-like.

*Braxton Hicks Contractions: still going on every day. I am pretty used to them now- they aren't painful but are quite uncomfortable. My entire belly turns into a rock and puts pressure on everything below it (read: bladder!)

Most looking forward to? Getting the nursery finished and organized! Our glider chair was delivered Friday, which spurred me into major nesting/decorating mode. I've been hitting a gazillion stores this weekend looking for the right lampshades, pillow, throw blanket, & rug. I am still on a mad hunt for the perfect rug and will try to post my progress photos later on this week.

Here's hoping my brain calms down enough this afternoon to allow me to nap, because I sure could use it.

Oh Happy Day!

I just got the good news that I PASSED MY (2nd) ONE HOUR GLUCOSE CHALLENGE TEST with a score of 99!


GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST, GESTATIONAL, 1HR 09/06/2012 (#80357, Final, 9/5/2012 10:15am)

Note to Patient	Your recent labs were normal. Please feel free to call our office with any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you at your next appt

Happiest alert I could have hoped to receive. 

Baby Girl- we have lots of sweets in our gestational future together!

Also? I've been getting my craft on for the first time in years. I was very artistic & crafty as a kid- writing endless stories, drawing all the time, and doing lots and lots of sewing. I would sew clothes for my barbies, slippers for myself, and even made DOLLS. I know, right? Super crafty. My first doll was named "Lana" and was constructed out of an old pair of my mom's pantyhose. From there I got all high tech and got an actual Cabbage Patch-esque body pattern to hand sew. That doll went over so well I was commissioned to make one for each of my cousins.

I MADE this, when I was all of like 9-10 years old. The dolls must have taken the steam out of me because I really haven't sewn anything since. Or maybe it was just the tormented teen years that took over, when making dolls wasn't quite so cool....

And for your entertainment, this is what I looked like roughly around the peak of my sewing years. Dolls = cute. Me? Not so much.

I can't believe my mom let me try out for a FASHION SHOW looking like this. 

Can you say MULLET? I didn't make the call-backs... shocking, I know.

Which brings us back to my recent crafting endeavors. About 2 years ago I found this white washed branch on the shores of a local lake and was inspired to bring it home:

Babycakes has never been fond of it, so it has sat all this time in our garage attic. About a month ago I unearthed it, thinking that maybe, just maybe, there might be a way to incorporate it into our nursery. BC still wasn't into it, mumbling things along the lines of "it's a dead branch" blah blah blah. However, my good friend- who also happens to be an architect AND a designer, was as inspired as I was by it and together we envisioned hanging it from the nursery ceiling & creating some kind of mobile out of it.

Sorry BC- if a legit designer agrees this idea is golden, it is HAPPENING.

The only "theme" I have really come up with for our nursery so far is one with subtle hints of nature & birds (starting with my groovy crib bedding set from Dwell Studio). So I thought a homemade bird mobile might be a great way to utilize this branch!

Cue me to not having ANY idea where to start with this ambitious endeavor.

So I went to a local fabric store. And seriously stood there like a deer in headlights for a good 20 minutes. It wasn't the type of place where people helped you, and I have NEVER bought fabric or sewing supplies in my life (back in the good 'ole sewing days of my youth I would raid my mom's sewing kit and just use old pieces of fabric we had around the house).

I slowly but surely filled my cart with a mini sewing kit, a couple spools of thread, stuffing, and a scissors. But the rows upon rows of fabric freaked.me.out. I watched others who seemed to know the drill choose a pack of fabrics and bring them to a special counter to get cut. How would I know how much to get? What types to use? Good gracious.

And then I saw them- a special wall of fabrics "by the piece"- 18"x 21" samples that were arranged by colors.

YES! I could handle that.

Here is what ended up coming home with me:

I googled "bird mobiles" on the internet & printed out several patterns. This is the pattern that seemed cute AND relatively easy, so off I went:

And here is the first little bird! Far from perfect, but what bird (or person, for that matter) is?

I have been trying to sew 2 birds each day, so I have a good flock to pick and choose from for the final mobile. The count as of today includes these 5 little guys:

I have seriously messed up in a completely unique way on each one- you'd think by the 5th bird I'd have it down pat, but oh no... this pregnancy brain seems to re-kick in fresh with every stitch. I really hope I still like the final mobile- but am totally open to the possibility that I will think it all looks awful and too busy & that I have to go ahead and just buy a fancy store bought mobile. But I hope not. I hope this urge to craft turns into something good!

My final "Oh Happy Day!" news? I got a call that the Little Castle glider & ottoman I ordered months back are READY FOR DELIVERY. TOMORROW!!! Oddly I think BC is almost more excited about this than I am. He has been asking me almost every other day if the chair has come in yet, and I think plans to claim it as his new reading spot. Glad he is excited to break it in, b/c I want him to be spending LOTS of time in that chair with our little one once she arrives! Like during the night when I need to sleep. He can sit there rocking our baby & luxuriating in the comfy chair while admiring my fancy bird mobile-- telling himself how WRONG he was about that old 'dead' branch and appreciating how amazingly crafty his wife is. ; )

Glucose BOOclose

Do you know what stinks more than having to take the 1 hour Glucose Challenge Test (having to fast, then drink the nasty sugary drink, then give blood) which I took last week?

Getting a call from your doctor's office that the lab they sent your blood sample to let it sit in the sun too long and you have to re-take the test.

Seriously?!?! How does that happen?

So tomorrow morning marks Round #2 of my 1 hour Glucose Test, with all the fabulous bells and whistles repeated. My blood draw will be at the blood station where I spent WAY too much time as an infertility patient- the one where good ole' Snake Eyes resides- and where the draws can totally be hit or miss.

I had BETTER pass this thing....

Belly Collage

Thanks to PicMonkey.com, I've found a way to make a collage of my belly shots, which I've been wanting to do for awhile. These are overall pretty sequential- starting at 5 weeks (I look so skinny! My boobs were so much smaller!)- then jumping to 9 weeks. The only other "skip" is 12 weeks b/c at that doctor appointment I learned my due date was almost a week ahead of what I thought. Hopefully these pull up larger than they appear here:

And here's a collage just comparing weeks 5, 15, 21, & 28:

It is interesting to me that between weeks 21 and 28 it doesn't look like I am sticking out that much further forward, but the shape of my bump has definitely changed & filled in more above and below my belly button. It's funny to me now that I thought I was so big at 15 weeks! Just looks like I ate a big dinner (which I probably did).

I've got about 12 more weeks to grow, grow, grow.... looking forward to seeing my belly's complete metamorphosis!

Me and Jennifer Aniston (and 28 Week Updates)

I ran into Jennifer Aniston in a children's clothing store. She was pregnant with boy/girl twins & loading up her cart with cute discounted outfits. She told me all about the decor ideas she was working on for her nursery, and I shared with her my tips for great cribs & baby products. We were just about to become official Facebook friends when....

I woke up. Damn.

Jen- it was fun while it lasted! I think we totally could have been BFF's. You were my official Facebook Doppelgänger for "Doppelgänger Week" a few years back- I get told I resemble you quite often. And I think my boobs might *finally* be bigger than yours.

 Here are my 28 week updates:

How far along? 28 weeks today

How big is baby? The size of a papaya, just over 2 lbs and almost 15 inches long. At my doctor appointment Thursday my belly was measuring right on schedule (take THAT, all you strangers who keep saying I am "so small!") The baby's energy is now very focused on gaining fat & muscle tone. This week she will begin to blink and will also start developing her first stool for some tar-like post delivery fun! 

Weight gain? Hovering around the 14lb mark- this morning I was up 14.8 lbs.

28 week belly

Food cravings/aversions? Still don't want anything to do with red meat, and the package of cheese cubes in the fridge has definitely been neglected. This week I had french toast a couple of times and it was HEAVEN- guess that is somewhat like a baked good, which continue to rock my world. Sweets things in general have been tasting great to me- Cliff bars, apples, watermelon, cereal.... I am saying many prayers that I passed the glucose intolerance test I took Thursday (results will be in next week) so I don't have to curb the sweets!

Sleep? Still good. I had my first episode last night where I awoke on my back and could feel my own pulse pumping away- which immediately signaled me to shift to my side so I wasn't lying so flat.

Symptoms?

* I am pretty sure we had a couple rounds of baby hiccups this week! It felt like very rhythmic, quick taps that would continue for 5-10 minutes. She got the hiccups immediately after a home yoga session I did- guess all that extra blood flow & activity got her revved up.

*The Braxton Hicks (or, shall I say Braxton DICKS) seem to be here to stay. I actually had a freak out Saturday evening- as they were coming every 3-5 minutes. I paged my OB office- which transferred me directly to my midwife. She told me to take a full dose of Tylenol, get in the bath for 30 minutes, lay down for 30 minutes, then call her back. The contractions finally started to space out more once I was in bed. When I called her back she said "if it were me, I'd have a glass of wine (which apparently is a uterine relaxant) and get in bed." Twist my arm! I raided our fridge and happily found a bottle of white, had a small glass with some leftover Chinese food and hit the sack. I still have daily contractions, but there isn't any pain or sequence to them- so thus they are "normal." My midwife said if they were to be true pre-term labor they would have a consistency to them that would NOT go away, no matter what tricks I used. These are my body's way of practicing for the 'big day,' and at this rate I am going to be a contraction expert!

*I feel the baby moving on and off all throughout the day- and I think she has found a new place to hang out in my belly. The flipping/moving sensations are now REALLY low down- almost like my lady parts are flip flopping themselves. It is wild and makes me jump every time it happens. She still has room to move pretty freely in there, and I am curious where she is actually sitting at any given time in the day. I also swear she is starting to get interactive- when I feel her kick or punch, I gently poke that part of my belly & she inevitably pokes back. Pretty awesome.

Most looking forward to?

*I have another ultrasound to check for growth toward the end of September, and BC is planning to join! We're going to go back to that fancy clinic that has the 3D viewing technology. Normally women at this stage of pregnancy don't have any more ultrasounds, but b/c of my fibroid I get a bit of special treatment (thanks Franny!).

*We also have a couple classes this month- we're going to a free infant care class & Pediatrician Meet and Greet on the 11th, then begin our 6 week Hypnobirthing series at the end of the month.

*I am also having a lot of fun with a website I discovered called "PicMonkey.com" that allows you to make picture collages. I am working on a collage of my belly shots so far- it is so fascinating to see the sequence of growth. I'll post that collage in my next post...

Have a great weekend!