My Pretty Little Thoughts

Signing off... from Blogger

2011-07-13T10:49:00.002-04:00

Nearly a year ago I reserved MPLT as a Tumblr account because part of me wanted to make the switch from Blogger. But, as a creature of habit, I didn't have the time/energy to want to learn a new blogging system.

But, that time has come.

For various reasons, mainly an easier ability to update my blog with my smartphone once baby arrives, I decided it was time to make the switch to a new blog format.

So here it is: http://mplt.tumblr.com/

To my followers, please please pleaseeeee continue to subscribe to my RSS feed on Tumblr - which is easy to do... it's the top right option on my page's navigation bar. My format is very basic right now, but I'm planning on investing some money into making it personalized and user-friendly.

All my blogger posts have been imported to Tumblr - so you'll have full access to all my archives.

So, goodbye Blogger. You've served your purpose. Crossing my fingers Tumblr works out or I'll be crawling back asking forgiveness.

MEET ME AT TUMBLR.

Building my library

2011-07-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have been SO excited to start purchasing some baby and children's books for Jack. My mom was always great about reading to us and encouraging our reading growing up. So I knew I wanted to start collecting some books .

But where to begin?

I wanted to buy all the books I loved as a child. Books my mom would read to me or ones I'd help read to my younger siblings.

But I also knew there were likely tons of amazing books that have been written in the years between that I wouldn't have a clue about. That's where having a child development expert as your sister-in-law helps. Molly was able to make some good recommendations.

So along with some of my old favorites...

...Molly also suggested getting some fun "board books" for the baby that include fun pictures, bright colors, lots of repetition and rhyming words, etc. She said Sandra Boynton's are great - so I picked up a 4-pack of her "greatest hits":
And, of course, there are the classic "goodnight books" that friends have given me as gifts like:

But my mom also found the sweetest book that I have a feeling will definitely be my favorite to read to my darling boy...

I can't even read the words without crying:

On the night you were born,
The moon smiled with such wonder
That the stars peeked in to see you
And the night wind whispered,
“Life will never be the same.”

Because there had never been anyone like you…ever in the world.

So enchanted with you were the wind and the rain
That they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.

It sailed through the farmland
High on the breeze…
Over the ocean…
And through the trees…

Until everyone heard it
And everyone knew
Of the one and only ever you.

Not once had there been such eyes,
Such a nose,
Such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.

When the polar bears heard,
They danced until dawn.
From faraway places,
The geese flew home.

The moon stayed up until
Morning next day.
And none of the ladybugs flew away.

So whenever you doubt just how special you are
And you wonder who loves you, how much and how far,
Listen for geese honking high in the sky.
(They’re singing a song to remember you by.)
Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo.
(It’s because they’ve been dancing all night for you!)
Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.
(Listen closely…it’s whispering your name again!)

If the moon stays up until morning one day,
Or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,
Or a little bird sits at your window awhile,
It’s because they’re all hoping to see you smile…

For never before in story or rhyme
(not even once upon a time)
Has the world ever known a you, my friend,
And it never will, not ever again…

Heaven blew every trumpet
And played every horn
On the wonderful, marvelous
Night you were born.

How your body changes

2011-07-12T07:30:00.000-04:00

I've been telling Chad the last several days that I just felt like I wanted to stretch out my upper torso so it was twice the length because it just felt so dang uncomfortable. It's hard for me to even twist around to reverse down the driveway because my body has no where to twist.

Then they showed a graphic like this at our birth classes this weekend.

Now it makes sense. And I think Chad gets it too. ;)

Sweet

2011-07-11T15:31:00.004-04:00

Chad called me last Friday afternoon to say he had a little surprise for me when I got home from work.

This isn't unusual for Chad (I know, I'm spoiled) - and he often has done something sweet for me like bought me a pretty bouquet of flowers, or a card or a special dessert to welcome me home on Fridays.

But I walked into the house and there was a lovely packaged bag from GreenPea Baby (my favorite baby boutique in the area) with the softest KissyKissy onesie, a Sophie teether (we bought one like it for baby James last week) and "chewbeads" --- which is a 'necklace' I can wear and not care if the baby chews and drools all over it.

I thought it was so sweet that Chad spent part of his Friday morning walking around a baby store picking up some things he thought baby and I would like.

I know it's the understatement of the century, but we sure are lucky to have him. Unfortunately for Chad, if he ever gets sick of my antics and decides to up and leave me... I'm packin' my bags and following him. I can promise you that I'd never find one better.

Power not Pain

2011-07-11T08:38:00.003-04:00

So this weekend was the "big weekend" where Chad and I spent 12 hours in a classroom at the hospital learning about how in the heavens I'm going to deliver this baby.

Other than a few funny words, comments and phrases from our tree hugger/hippie/doula instructor - I think it's safe to say Chad and I found the labor and birth education class to be super helpful and did so much to alleviate a lot of the concerns we had going into this whole "birthing a human" thing.

So here's the thing - if you only based labor off of what you see on television and what your "for some reason I think it's a good idea to terrify you with how hard and difficult labor is" friends tell you about it... no doubt, you'll be terrified. Obviously, I don't think any woman is stupid enough to think labor is easy and painless. But there is more to the picture than that.

As our instructor did a good job in explaining, "pain" during labor isn't pain for no reason. It's a natural response your body is giving because it's doing something it was made to do. It's not like pain from an injury or sickness where your body is telling you something is WRONG. Labor "pains" are completely different. And besides that, the pain is not constant. With each peak of pain comes minutes or seconds where you can regroup and focus to do it again --- God's awesome design. And if we can change from seeing it as scary, scary "pain" into something that is empowering (ummmm hello, you created life and are delivering it!!!) then you can go a long way into alleviating that fear we have going into labor... which will go a long way in making your delivery easier.

So with that knowledge, we learned all about the ins and outs of labor and delivery. We learned about the options available to us and how to advocate for things we do or do not want during labor in order to come up with a birth plan for our ideal birth to share with our doctor before our little man arrives. Everyone has the right to decide what they think would be best for them - so no judgment on what anyone else decides - but I'm glad that Chad and I were on the same page.

We had to do one helpful exercise where we laid out all the options that would go into having our "perfect labor and delivery" and then had to go through acting like if three things went wrong and we had to change what we had wanted, and then add three more things, and three more things until we only had 2 "cards" that were most important to us. These are things that our partner would advocate for us above all else if things were to go south.

Ours were:
Vaginal delivery.
No forceps or vacuum on baby. (I have an 'under no circumstances' for forceps, and if absolutely necessary, I'd let them try the vacuum ONCE very briefly to help guide the baby out. But if there was any resistance, I'd want it to stop immediately. If baby was absolutely lodged in there and was in distress, then we'd absolutely go for c-section.)

My other big "want" - which I know might be hard to fight for - is that I really, really, really unless absolutely medically necessary for the health of me or baby, do NOT want to be induced prior to 42 weeks. So many of the reasons people either want to be induced, or that doctors want you to be induced (mainly liability/medical malpractice reasons) aren't really necessary. We should trust our bodies know when baby is 100% ready to arrive.

Big reason being? Once you start one medical intervention, things are exceedingly more likely to snowball requiring you to need others. Again, this is no knock to those who were pleased as punch to figure out their induction date and proceed to have perfectly healthy babies. It happens all the time. But for us, we really want this to be as natural as possible for both me and our little one.

So here are some of our "wants" for our labor + delivery. As you can see, so many of these "wants" would be eliminated immediately should I have to be induced.

1) Spend as long as possible of "pre-labor" at home. Our hospital is only 7 minutes away, so when our contractions get closer together and more powerful, we'll head on in. Until then, I want to be in the comfort of our own home.

2) I don't want to be hooked up to an IV. I want the freedom to eat and drink as I want to during labor unless I'm showing signs of dehydration. I'll have the little port stuck in my hand ready to go in case I need to be quickly administered an IV or medications --- but I don't want to be tied to an IV.

3) I only want intermittent monitoring for baby. I don't want to be tied to a machine for this either. I'm happy for the nurses to come monitor the baby as often as they want to - but I don't want something strapped to me unless, again, baby is showing signs of distress. This monitoring is the same thing I had on during my non-stress test last week, and I was stuck lying perfectly still because whenever I moved the dang thing would slip and the nurse would have to come in and readjust it.

4) The biggest reasons for numbers 2-3 is I want to be able to move about freely during labor. I don't want to be lying in bed. Our hospital will provide us with a birth ball and each room is equipped with jetted tubs and showers for "aquatherapy" if we want to do that. We spent a good 2 hours practicing various techniques - standing, squatting, sitting and lying that will help open up the pelvis. A lot of times women can get stalled in labor simply because they aren't trying any other positions. Let gravity work with you!

5) After the baby is born, I want to immediately hold him on my chest and unless medically necessary, delay any testing or newborn procedures for one hour.

In terms of drugs, I've been super honest this whole time with the fact that I'm not going into this assuming I'm going to need them. At the same time, I'm not kidding myself that I won't want them. I have no idea how my body is going to be able to manage the pain. But I hope that by being able to move around and work through my contractions with Chad's support, I'll be able to put off (or avoid completely) any pain medications or an epidural. Of course, the ideal situation is for this baby to be born completely unmedicated - it is definitely the best thing for baby and mom if that can happen.

Our instructor mentioned more than once the biggest factor in allowing you to have a natural birth is you believing in your body's ability to do it. I don't want to second-guess myself and don't need anyone telling me "oh you say that now... just you wait!" What does that accomplish? Nothing.

I am completely realistic that in birth, like in every other area of life, things hardly ever go as planned. And I'll be okay with that. The only thing I really care about in the end is having a healthy baby. There are a million different scenarios that can all end with that - that involve any number of combinations of things I do or do not want during my labor + delivery. I just want my little boy at the end and we'll do what we need to do to make that happen. I'm not tied to my plan - because things will change... I have no doubt. But I'm glad that I have an idea of what I want instead of going in this blindly.

Most of all, I'm so thankful to have Chad. As big of a goofball as he is, took the class very seriously and I have no doubt he is going to be the most amazing support system for me in that hospital. I'm also so thankful to have baby Jack... I've said it before: Jack is a fighter. I know he is. I can feel it. It's crazy, but I really feel like the three of us - Chad, Jack and I - are going into this together as a team and we're going to work this thing out. I have completely confidence in my ability to do this, Jack's ability to cooperate with me to get him out, and Chad's ability to support us all.

Only a little over 6 weeks left.

And I finally feel ready.

Busy Bee

2011-07-08T15:33:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posting - it has been a busy week!

This weekend, Chad and I have our labor and delivery classes at the hospital where I'll be having our sweet little boy. I'm crossing my fingers that we have a great teacher, because I heard they can feel like a huge waste of time - or the best, most informative thing ever - depending on who you get.

Regardless, I'm sure I'll have some fun/funny stories ready for you on Monday.

Have a great weekend y'all.

Panic Routine

2011-07-06T11:56:00.000-04:00

This weekend, Chaddyboy and I go to our Labor and Birth Education classes at the hospital where I'll be delivering little Jack. In preparation for the class, the hospital sent a large booklet for us to read ahead of time.

I had to keep reading it in stages because all the talk about labor and delivery would freak me out and I'd start crying.

WHAT IF I CAN'T DO THIS?!!?!?

I know it's a little too late now. No turning back. But seriously, I'm terrified. And I know it's hormones and it's (somewhat) irrational - so no need for all my mom friends to send me pitying emails about how this is normal. I know this.

I texted Molly last night just to be sure.

I just got to keep reminding myself that babies are born every minute. Women have been doing this for generations. And they end up having MULTIPLE babies... so it's obviously not the end of the world.

But it's just the fear of the unknown. And knowing that every birth is different - so I can't assume my labor and delivery is going to be like someone else's.

With that said - I told Chad he better double- and triple-read the page on "What to do if the laboring woman panics."I loooove some of these "pre-panic signals" like if lose my focal point and start thrashing my head from side to side.

So great - I can potentially turn into the exorcist. Lucky for us there is a "Panic Routine" at the bottom which includes things such as holding my head in his hands, breathing with me and reassuring me. Chad said he thinks if he tries to touch me or tell me to slow my breathing than I'd be liable to start cursing like a sailor at him to leave me the $#%*^$% alone.

After Chad reads through this dang booklet, we're going to need another page:

"What to do if the support person panics."

Summer meals

2011-07-06T08:45:00.006-04:00

Got a nice little package from Papa Spuds yesterday - filled with summer goodness.

Yellow beans
Grape tomatoes
Okra
Yellow squash
Pickling cucumbers
Yukon gold potatoes
Peaches
Mini peach poundcake

So last night's dinner was a little sampler - sauteed squash, homemade fried okra, corn off the cob and baked beans I had left over from the 4th of July.

And, of course, some peach poundcake with fresh raspberries for dessert.

I'm so excited about continuing to get these fresh veggies once baby arrives and starts on solid foods. I will definitely be making my own baby food and I hope my little one will be open to eating all sorts of different foods. Since Chad and I are adventurous eaters, I hope Jack takes after us! I refuse to be "that mom" that insists her child will only eat Tyson's chicken nuggets for dinner every night.

And... while we're on the topic... Chad set up baby Jack's keekaroo high chair that we were lucky to get from my in-laws at our baby shower last week. How cute is it?!

Baby update: 32 ... or is it 33 weeks

2011-07-05T11:11:00.005-04:00

Back to the doctor again this morning for a ultrasound to check on the growth of our little boy.

Here's the rundown:
Mama's doing great -
Nice blood pressure of 108/60
Weight gain - 10.5 lbs
Gestational diabetes - readings are all great, nothing to be concerned about

Baby is doing great-
Our son is growing! First good new - he is in the head-down position. I know he can still twist himself around some, but hopefully he'll stay that way! The little one is now 4lbs 8oz and in the 53 percentile... which the doctor is very, very pleased with. I'm measuring closer to 33 weeks than 32 (fine with me - let's get this show on the road), and the doctor thinks I'm right on track to have a "perfect sized" 7lb baby. I can do 7lbs. ;) Little mister was very cooperate during the ultrasound and we got to see his sweet little face!

{profile shot of our lovie}

The only thing a little bit worrisome (and I stress little because the doctor told me to NOT freak out because my numbers are only slightly off) is the fact that my fluid levels surrounding the baby are a teeny bit into the low range. He said he'd be much more concerned about this if the baby wasn't growing right on target, as low fluid + low size could indicate a problem with the placenta.

So just to make sure this isn't an ongoing (or worsening problem) - I go back in later this week for a NST (Fetal Non-Stress Test) where they'll attached a "belt" to my stomach and monitor the baby's movements, heart rate and any contractions for about 20-30 minutes. Then we'll go back in next Tuesday for an ultrasound so they can re-measure the fluid around baby and to make sure the little guy is still growing.

In the meantime, I need to be drinking water like it's my job.

There are complications (of course) if low-amniotic fluid continues to be a problem - but I'm not letting myself get worked up over it until I know that it's an issue... and not just a miscalculation. So I'm trying to stay upbeat since all indications (mainly his growth and his veryyyy frequent movements indicate he is doing just fine.)

But I'm glad Chad and I got to see our little boy today. We just are so in love already.

10 Great Things About Being Pregnant...

2011-07-05T08:37:00.001-04:00

Thanks Pregnant Chicken!

Shrimp and Grits

2011-07-01T14:37:00.000-04:00

Last night reminded me why I enjoy cooking so much more than baking.

Because I don't "do" recipes. I mean, sure, if I've never made something before- I'll check out a recipe. But usually, I throw whatever I want to into a pan -based on my personal tastes and cravings - and see what happens.

And usually it turns out pretty dang good if I say so myself.

Last night was no exception. I knew we had shrimp and knew we had grits... so why not do one of my favorite southern classics.

My thought process while cooking goes something like this:

Grits or polenta... grits or polenta. I am running low on grits, so I'll use polenta this round.

Cheddar... cheddar makes everything better - add that to my polenta.

Shrimp... hmmm. I feel like a lot of flavor. Let me cook down some diced pancetta (which will be nice and crunchy to sprinkle on top), and the cook the shrimp in the pancetta drippings and some olive oil. Andddd let's sprinkle the shrimp with Old Bay. I like Old Bay. Might as well toss in some minced garlic and shallots... since I have those lying around. Hmmm this needs to be a little thicker to make some sort of a sauce. A pad of butter? Don't mind if I do. Anddd some white wine. I'm pregnant... white wine doesn't count if I cook it. And some lemon juice - butter, white wine and lemon are my trifecta... remember. Ohhh scallions? It needs something green in there. I'll toss some in with the shrimp while they're cooking and then put some extra on top for more crunch.

Let's plate this thing. Big scoop of cheesy polenta, lots of shrimp on top... drizzle some of the sauce too. I like some heat. Let's add a few shakes of Tobasco on top. And some fresh cracked pepper. Don't forget the scallions and pancetta! And... because I can... a little bit of Locatelli cheese (because we put it on everything.)And voila.

Dinner.

In, I promise, less than 15 minutes. And better tasting than you can find in most restaurants because I could make it according to what I want.

So take THAT baking. You and your measuring cups can get on outta here.

MPLT's Shrimp and Grits
(please don't ask for quantities because I don't measure anything. eyeball it.... except for the grits/polenta - that needs to be exact)

Grits or polenta (polenta is smoother than grits) - cook according to directions
Shrimp - peeled and deveined
A couple 1/4inch thick slices of pancetta --- ask at your deli counter, remember?
Scallions (green onions)
Lemon
Sharp cheddar
Locatelli --- totally optional, unless you live in our house... then it's mandatory
Garlic, minced... just a clove or two
Shallots, minced
Old Bay seasoning --- not necessary but it gives the shrimp a bit more kick
Tobasco - totally
Butter and olive oil... because you SHOULD

Directions:
Get your grits/polenta going. Timing is key because once they cool off, they turn into a hard jello. You want to time it so your shrimp are ready to be plated once the grits are done. Once the grits are almost done (the water is absorbed and they are nice and creamy) add your cheese. Salt and pepper.

Make sure your shrimp are clean and dry... sprinkle with Old Bay prior to cooking.

Sautee pancetta (cut it first into small pieces) in a teeny bit of olive oil (it doesn't need much.) Once they are crispy, remove to plate with a towel to remove excess oil. Don't clean the pan.

Depending on how much fat was in your pancetta, you might need to add olive oil or butter to the pan... the shrimpies need something to cook in. Add in your shallots and garlic first. Let them start cooking (but don't brown) and then throw in your shrimp. Please know that shrimp cooks SUPER fast. Once you can see they are pink on one side, flip 'em over. They'll cook even faster on the other side. Toss in your scallions to get soft. Once the shrimp are cooked, quickly add in your white wine, butter, tobasco... whatever else to make your "sauce." Salt and pepper.

Plate up! Grits first, then all the shrimp goodness on top. Then add your pancetta and extra scallions. Squeeze some lemon/put on extra tobasco/whatever. Add more cracked pepper.

That's it folks. So easy Chad could do it (but he won't). ;) It tastes amazing and looks fancy and is something out of the ordinary. If you make it for your man, he'll run out and buy you something fancy... I promise!

(Almost) Final Nursery

2011-07-01T08:20:00.016-04:00

I can't say there won't be another Final FINAL Nursery post - because I know there are a few more things that we'll be incorporating into the room - some shelves (sorry Chad, hadn't told you about this yet), storage, etc.

But..... for the most part - WE ARE DONE.

{baby jack's nursery}

I absolutely adore Jack's room - it is definitely becoming one of my favorite rooms in the house. It is so calming and serene, and, well - beautiful. We put a lot of hard work into making this room special - including lots of DIY projects.

So without further adieu...

{crib and cloud "mobile"}

{more crib + clouds}

{side view}

{crib and bedding}

{crib}

{crib bedding}

{the "clouds" came from by baby shower -thanks for the idea mom and sis!}

{end table, glider and ottoman, dresser and art}

{end table, chair and ottoman}

{dresser and art}

{details: lambie rattle from Pinehurst, "advice jar" to Jack and letter J from my shower}

{lovie and ratte from Eliza and Molly respectively, burp clothes from Heather}

So there it is --- Now all we need is the baby!

All the deets
Paint - Benjamin Moore, Lake Placid and Sherwin Williams, Dover White
Crib - Million Dollar Baby, Annabelle
Glider and ottoman - Best Chairs, Quinn
Bedding - Serena & Lily, Blake
Cloud mobile - Martha Stewart (raindrops by sister)
Toile minky blanket - Etsy, no longer available
Pictures - DIY based-off Spot on Square
Dresser and end table - bought unfinished, painted ourselves
Side table lamp - Target
Lovie and rattle - Angel Dear

Pregnancy Week by Week 29-32

2011-07-01T08:05:00.004-04:00

Week 29-32 (Month 7)How is it possible that I'm entering my 8th month of pregnancy?

Baby Size: A squash (or head of lettuce.) According to my "What to Expect" pregnancy tracker on my phone, this week baby is 19in. and 3.9 lbs! I have an ultrasound on Tuesday though so I'll get the "official" numbers then.
How I feel about being pregnant: I feel really blessed that I've been able to carry the baby as long as I have. Though I've had some bumps along the way, this pregnancy has really been an absolutely incredible experience. I have a feeling by the time I do my next entry at 9 months I'll likely been feeling a wee bit different. ;) Right now I'm still loving having this baby in me (despite the accompanying discomfort) and I just love watching and feeling my little boy move around all day.
Symptoms: My body is just pretty sore trying to carry around all this extra baby up front. My lower back is so sore that I have been sleeping with a heating pad every night (and often putting it on my work chair during the days) to try to combat it. Also, I'm drinking water like a crazy person - I'm soooo thirsty all the time.
Food cravings: I'd still saying nothing crazy. I haven't been dying for pickles, ice cream or anything. Every now and then I'll be in the mood for something, but I don't think it is any different (or more intense) than any pre-pregnancy food cravings.... minus the bag of peanut M&Ms I crushed yesterday afternoon.
What I'm most excited about: Ummm, no brainer. Meeting the little man. But also, seeing Chad as a father. I'm pretty excited for that. As for the more immediate "excitement" - I'm pretty pumped for my ultrasound on Tuesday to see our little guy again.
Something I've done to prepare for baby: Nursery is, for all intents and purposes, done! I'm sure we'll add little knick-knacks between now and D-day, but it's completely ready for baby! Also, thanks to generous gifts from friends and family, we have a lot of the big items we need - crib, carseat, stroller, high chair, etc.
Special moment: Definitely my baby shower this past weekend. I had such a nice time with a wonderful group of women. Also, all the continued love and support from other moms I know has been incredible.

Chad's kinda gift

2011-06-30T08:39:00.004-04:00

So I had Bible study last night and one of my small group girls, RobinAnn, brought the sweetest gifts for Jack.

When I brought the package home that night to show Chad - he zoned right in on it...

"IS THAT HANDY MANNY?!?!?"

Indeed. Indeed it is.

Jack's first Handy Manny toy - which is Handy Manny that comes with a motorcycle with detachable tailpipes. Chad was PUMPED. He quickly pulled all the pieces out to assemble it. I think Chad might love it as much as our boy is going to!

We have such great friends. Thanks RA!

(If this post makes no sense to you, see this or this.)

Nursery storage

2011-06-29T13:33:00.002-04:00

If Jack's dresser drawers are any indication, babies have A LOT OF STUFF.

{almost as many clothes as my mama}

I needed some cute storage solutions for not a ridiculous amount of money. Land of Nod is having a pretty swell summer sale, so I was able to pick up this in a navy blue:

and one of the big and little ones of these in green and blue, respectively, for under $50!

So now I'll have a place to put the knickknacks - toys, lovies, books, stuffed animals, rattles, etc. - that have already accumulated around our house.

Nursery... just a taste

2011-06-29T09:26:00.003-04:00

We have another "project" for the nursery I hope to have finished by tomorrow night, so hopefully Friday I'll do an updated nursery post.

Lots of changes since I last posted!

But for now, here's just a taste:

Cans and Cannots: almost 8 weeks to go

2011-06-29T07:45:00.000-04:00

I can shave my legs
I cannot paint my toenails

I can get really sleepy
I cannot sleep really well

I can get up and down on my own
I cannot get up and down on my own without grunting (attractive, yes)

I can still make dinner and do laundry
I cannot do any other household chore... or at least that's what I tell Chad

I can control my gestational diabetes
I cannot control my emotions

I can (with assistance) step up into Chad's too big Ford F-150
I cannot do it without saying "why can't we sell this and get a sedan?"

I can fold a huge load of baby clothes in like 2 minutes flat (cutest stuff EVER)
I cannot figure out how to work our carseat (we really need to look into this!)

I can imagine this little boy coming home from the hospital with us
I cannot imagine the process of going through labor without majorly freaking myself out

I can handle 8 more weeks of this if I have to, but...
I cannot WAIT to hold my child in my arms!

Sweets

2011-06-28T14:20:00.003-04:00

My husband has quite the sweet tooth. Since I'm trying to seriously limit my sweet intake (thanks gestational diabetes!), I don't really keep many sweets around the house.

Last night this came to a head.

Chad: "I need something sweet to eat."
Me: "Look around the pantry, I'm sure you'll be able to find something."
Chad: "No, we don't have anything."
Me (looking for myself): "We have a whole package of your favorite Reese's eggs. Have one of those?!"
Chad: "Your mom bought me like 12 packages. That's all I've been eating for months!"
Me: "Well I don't know what to tell you then."
Chad: grumble, grumble, grumble
Me: "Hey, we have that good sunflower bread we got from Papa Spuds, and the local honey we bought at the market this weekend. Toast some of that bread and put some butter and honey on top."
Chad: "I don't live in the mountains."
Me: "What does that even mean?"
Chad: "Only hippies would eat bread with honey as dessert."

Point taken. He's got it rough, doesn't he?

Pesto!

2011-06-28T11:36:00.001-04:00

Chad and I have desperately tried to grow basil in the past. Herbs, basil in particular, just hate us.

And, of course, this is the one herb that everyone and their brothers says, "You can't kill basil if you try!" Go figure.

I think part of the problem is everyone (including the farmers at the market!) tell us to do something different. So we have tried, sun and shade; damp, dry and wet; in a pot or in the ground - and in various combination. The only thing that is the same is the result: dead basil.

So instead of stressing myself out over it anymore, I decided to take the cheater's option: go to the farmer's market! And that's just what I did this weekend - three huge bunches (stuffed a whole plastic grocery bag) for $5. I love you N.C. agriculture!

And what better to do with a ton of basil than to make homemade pesto. And that's just what I did.

I cleaned it thoroughly.

Picked off all the leaves.

Chopped the garlic... a LOT of garlic.

Ground pine nuts, walnuts and garlic together in the food processor.

Blended in my basil and extra virgin olive oil. Added pecorino romano cheese.

Made a mess (sorry Chaddy.)

Packed it in several small containers (make sure to add a small layer of olive oil on top) to freeze for later.

Success! It is delicious. So go forth and make pesto!

Kitchen + Flowers

2011-06-28T09:17:00.000-04:00

Can I just say...

1) I love fresh flowers

2) I love my kitchen

A name

2011-06-27T11:01:00.001-04:00

Over the years, we've (and by we, I usually mean me) casually talked about names for our future babies. .

Girls names were easier for us; there were plenty we really liked. Almost too many, in fact. But we had a hard time coming to a consensus on a little boy's name. That was until we GOT it. Then we were so much more sure of our boy's name than we were on a girl's name.

We wanted a name that had meaning to us.

Something we both 100% loved... not one we got the other to just "agree" to.

A family name.

A strong name.

A name that would work just as well for a sweet little boy, as it would for a grown man.

A name that we wouldn't get sick of.

Nothing trendy.

Timeless.

Lucky for us, we already have a beautiful name in our home.

Chadwick Jonathan Barnhill.

My husband has a beautiful name. I've always loved it. We both smiled at the idea of passing down a father's name to his son. But we wanted them to be different. I didn't want to call little man Chad as well... too confusing. And Jonathan or John, while great names, just didn't strike either of us as the right nickname. So we thought some more... both of us have always loved the name, Jack. It's a great boy's and man's name. So, we figured, why not just call our little CJB, Jr. "Jack" for short. Though not the most common nickname, I figured Jonathan -> John -> Jack. And the "ck" in Chadwick also carries over nicely.

It just works for us. We love it. Baby Jack. Our little Jack.

We've already gotten used to it. We talk to Jack using his name all the time. We never really say "the baby." It's, "I'm ready for Jack to be here." Or, "I'm thinking about this for Jack's nursery." Or, "Oh my GOSH Jack will.not.stop.moving. in my stomach." (which is what I'm thinking right this second!)

So there it is. Our firstborn's name.

Jack, we're ready for you, son!

Showered!

2011-06-27T08:37:00.011-04:00

I had my first baby shower on Saturday afternoon - thrown with love by my baby sister Samantha... with some assistance from mom and Molly. It was such a special afternoon.

My sis, who has an affinity for design/wedding/creative blogs, did a masterful job of putting together SO many cute ideas for my "shower."

{cloud decorations which we're going to use as a mobile in the baby's room}

{milk bottles with cloud straws}

{homemade cupcakes courtesy of SK - which were the hit of the party}

{homemade marshmallows -plain, s'more and caramel pretzel. um yeah. as amazing as they sound.}

{advice table - my favorite thing. sweet j's jar is sitting on his nightstand}

{guest favors... i have an affinity for lemon drops}

Unfortunately, I did not get ANY pictures of the attendees or myself for that matter. Or the food (other than dessert) or drinks - which you should know is a real shame since it's well-established that the women in my family can COOK!

It was just such a fun afternoon and I had a great time with the loved ones there to celebrate our little boy. Thank you so so much to my family, especially my sister, for all her time and hard work she put into making this such a special day. (Inside joke: SK, if I had to "baby scattegories" you, I'd say amazing, beautiful, creative, darling, energetic... ;)

And... since Chad's already started dropping baby's name on Facebook... I figured I'll announce it later on the blog. But here's a hint: baby's first monogram cloth...

Chad and Pigs

2011-06-23T08:29:00.003-04:00

Chad's love affair with all things swine has been well-documented on this blog.

Here, here and here for reference.

I don't mean just eating it - though he is no doubt a fan of that. But whenever we see a pig ANYWHERE - on a TV commercial, as a stuffed animal, etc., Chad is always drawn toward it.

So when I came across this Hammered Iron Patio Pig Bench on Plow and Hearth, I had this overwhelming desire to want to buy it for the porkchop in my life.

So I sent him an email saying: "Why do I want to buy you this?!"

His immediate (less than 10 second later) respond: "That is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Since Chad's 30th birthday party is going to be (appropriately) a big pig pickin', I've been looking for weeks for inspiration. Unfortunately, most of the "pig parties" I've seen online are geared toward 5-year-olds... and while Chad does often act like a kindergartner, I was hoping for something a littttttttle more upscale. I guess as "upscale" as you get with pigs.

So if anyone has any great ideas for me, please let me know!

Yes, I'm still cooking

2011-06-22T09:27:00.005-04:00

I realized I have not done a good job about blogging about my food adventures lately - even though I'm back to cooking most of our weeknight meals.

I'm continuing to l.o.v.e. our Papa Spuds weekly deliveries. The last couple of weeks have been even better since there is an abundance of delicious summer crops so I'm able to get a lot for my money. We've gotten tons of stuff - green cabbage, red potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, salad greens, collards, kale, basil, corn, raspberries, blueberries, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, fresh milk and even - this week - flounder fillets caught the day before from the Carolina coast.

All these crops have made for some delicious - and easy - dinners. Most nights we've paired whatever protein we feel like (chicken, pork, beef... and now fish!) with potatoes in some sort of fashion (potato salad, roasted potatoes, boiled potatoes, etc.), and two or three fresh veggies.

{my shipment for the week - minus the flounder: sweet corn, red potatoes, kale, basil and tomatoes}

Last night, I made PW's Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes and Basil... since I've always had luck with her pasta dishes. I added some roasted chicken --- since I need to get my protein --- and used cellentani instead of mostaccioli and it was a perfect dinner. My fresh Papa Spuds tomatoes and sweet basil were perfect in it!

Even Chad, who doesn't prefer thicker pasta (he's a spaghetti/angel hair kinda guy) loved it. The best part was I was able to do all the prep the night before (cook the pasta, chop my veggies and cheese, make the dressing) and quickly assemble it that evening so I could feed Chad before he had to run out the door to Bible study.

Tomorrow night we're going to be cooking the flounder - which I'm leaving up to Chad. Despite my comfort in cooking, I don't have lots of experience cooking fish so I'm passing the buck on this one to the mister. I'll be happy to do the accompaniments - roasted potatoes, corn, sliced tomatoes and sauteed kale! ;)

So I'm sorry for not keeping you update with my cooking, but fear not - I'm back in action.

Baby update

2011-06-22T09:10:00.003-04:00

I had my 30+ week check-up yesterday and all went well. It's hard to believe I only have about 9 weeks left until my due date. Where does the time go?!

My gestational diabetes readings have continued to be completely normal - which I attribute to (for the most part) sticking well to my diet and exercise. I have gained 10lbs on the nose for this pregnancy thus far. My doctors continue to think that I'll likely gain right under 20lbs total for the pregnancy. One of my OBs yesterday told me that he is so proud of me and that I'm doing perfect. The baby is growing (according to the stomach measurements) and is measuring right in line with where he should be.

This is a relief, because I was definitely beating myself up for the diabetes thing - so I'm glad to know that I'm managing it all well and that the baby and I are responding appropriately. My blood pressure continues to be within a normal range and everything else looks fine.

The biggest thing I've been proud of during the last several weeks (despite my ballooning belly) has been my ability to continue working out on a regular basis (every weeknight that I'm home) for about 30-45 minutes on the elliptical. I asked my doctor about my exercise yesterday and if I was fine to continue up until the birth - and he told me absolutely and it was one of the best things I can be doing for myself and baby. Not only will it help me bounce back to quicker after the birth, but it will also go a ways to improve my endurance to help with the most intense work-out I'll likely ever experience - LABOR.

My evening workouts have been great to get me breathing hard and heart and blood really pumping. I also think it helps wear my body out a little more so that I'm sleeping better than I would without it.

As much as I'd like to pat myself on the back for all this, part of this has really been luck. I know some ladies, who despite their best efforts, for various reasons have to take it easy the last few months of pregnancy (due to swelling, sickness, exhaustion, bed-rest, etc.) I'm thankful that my body has continued to cooperate with me - for the time being - so I'm going to take advantage of it as long as I safely can!

I go back in 2 weeks for another check-up and ultrasound (yay!) to make sure the baby is continuing to grow not too big and not too small. I can't wait to see my little guy again!

Weekend at the Lake

2011-06-20T08:53:00.014-04:00

So we had a really, really, realllllyyyyyy awesome time at the lake this weekend.

{one of the many views from the deck}

We left Thursday night with Mike, Molly and little James and made the three-hour trek to Lake Norman. We stayed with Molly's aunt and uncle, who were so wonderful and SO much fun... and also got to meet lots of Molly's extended family (including some of her way-too-cute cousins) that we hadn't been able to meet before.

Needless to say, there was lots of relaxing, eating, spending time at the water, boating, rafting, game-playing, babies and laughing.

Lots of laughing. I think there was at least ten separate occasions where I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and tears were streaming down my face. One of which was when Mol's cousin Samantha, after Chad telling her he was almost 30, said quite matter-of-fact, "Oh, you don't look that age. You look maybe 40 or something." Got 'em.

Those are the best times.

But no doubt, one of the best parts of the trip was getting to spend hours upon hours of quality time with our nephew. He's at such a fun stage where he's still our sweet little baby, but loves interacting with all people. He looks from person to person and just gives the hugest smiles to everyone.

{james showing off his musical skills... and yes, he would play it!}

{uncle chad and his little buddy}

{sweet baby smiles}

And as much as I am a beach person, this trip has me convinced that I want every ounce of our savings beyond retirement to go to a lake house and boat. I do declare I'm converted.

Here are a few other pictures from the weekend:

{morning boat ride to choose our future home...}

{taking in the breeze and sounds on the boat. however, he's not a fan of his life jacket.}

{low country boil on the deck}

{boat ride at sunset}

{lazy James on the dock swing}

{lazy Chad on a boat ride}

We made it back Sunday afternoon in time to celebrate our fathers and watch the final round of the US Open. I'm so grateful for my own dad and everything he means to our family. I'm sure he loved that he was "celebrated" on father's day by having his two daughters, one son, one son-in-law and one daughter-in-law taking naps across the living room with him, with grandson asleep on his belly, and the US Open on softly in the background. It was quite a sight to behold, as I'm sure my mama can testify.

Hope your weekend was just as swell!

Letters to J: 30

2011-06-17T10:04:00.002-04:00

Hi my sweet boy,

Today is another milestone of sorts. 30 weeks. You've been growing in me for 30 weeks. Every day you get bigger and stronger. I know it seems crazy, but I feel like already know your personality just based on your movements. I think you are going to be a silly little boy. I think you're going to be feisty like your mama... with a little twinkle in your eye. You are, no doubt, going to keep me on my toes. But I bet at night, when all is quiet, you're going to love to snuggle up with me and your dad.

I keep thinking of all the little things I'm going to love doing with you... but one I hope I'll get to do a lot is sing to you. There is one song, that for whatever reason, whenever I would hear it, I'd imagine singing it to my baby one day.

Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hands

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father, You are king over the flood
I will be still and know You are God

Find rest my soul, in Christ alone
Know His power, in quietness and trust

I can't wait to have you here. I'm counting the weeks.

I love you,
your mama

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-06-16T13:25:00.003-04:00

I've gotten some sweet texts, calls and emails since my post yesterday (gosh, was that yesterday?!?) about feeling very overwhelmed.

One particularly sweet note was from my dear friend Amy who I have mentioned on this blog before - who has been such a rock for me while I was trying to conceive, and then now along the way since she's a mom x2 and knows the ropes.

I obviously won't share the whole note, but the end just made me cry like a baby...

You and Chad will be fun and wonderful parents!! Don't be surprised if you fall completely in love all over again :) Babies have a magical way of doing this. Also allow yourselves the opportunity to acknowledge your marriage has changed. It will never again be what it's been up til this point. It's ok to miss it and ok to be sad about it. It's something that just isn't talked about enough I believe. It is all so very good Carrie. I can promise you that. J will rock the foundation your life rests upon but in the most amazing of ways. The world will no longer look the same to you because your child will now be in it. Take lots of deep breaths cause y'all are about to enter the best moments of your life. It's truly the dessert phase :) So grab your fork and dig in!

I think - for both Chad and I - this has been the unsaid "scary" thing we both worry about. We have such a strong marriage... how is this baby going to change that? I've had friends that say how if you don't watch it, you'll find that after the baby comes you find yourselves just passing each other in the hallways at home is the extent of your interaction with each other.

I remember driving home a couple weeks back after Chad and I went on our fun "date night" and we were just holding hands. I said quietly, "There might not be many more of these nights before this little baby comes." Chad, very solemnly agreed, "I know." He had the look in his eyes that you have when you're trying to hold back tears. And we didn't say much more after that. I think we were scared to. What is there to say? It's all so unknown what will become of "us."

So Amy's note acknowledged what I really didn't have the heart to even bring up, and reassured me so much. This baby isn't going to divide what Chad and I have --- with God's grace it will only multiply it exponentially. I hope my love for Chad isn't lessened now that I have a baby to give my heart to, but that it will grow deeper because I'll fall in love with Chad as the father of our child, and half of the being we made.

It's been about 6 years since I fell in love with Chad.

I'm glad to know that I'll be able to fall in love with him again.

Worn out

2011-06-15T10:11:00.004-04:00

I won't lie - I'm feeling kinda out of it at the moment.

This has been SUCH a busy week at work for me. On top of that, I'm just feeling pretty sore, achy and tired. And then to add a cherry to the top, I've had some pretty bad heartburn and back pain.

And it's frustrating, because it's kinda hard to explain all that to Chad. I've just been kind of whiny and needy lately... and I don't think he gets it. I don't think it's a Chad problem, I think it's more a problem with men in general. Because while they can see you have a big belly, they can't possibly understand what your body (and emotions) are going through.

I'm waking up in the morning not feeling particularly rested... because, well... I don't really sleep that well any more. I am hard-pressed to find a comfortable position so I spend a lot of the evening tossing and turning. I've had a couple pretty intense leg cramps overnight that have literally woke me up screaming... which is always a fun way to wake up in the morning for both me and Chad (who has freaked out every time convinced I'm going into labor.) Some of these cramps were so intense that my leg muscle would be sore for days afterward.

I head in to work, where I'm either sitting at my desk working all day (which hurts my tailbone) or I'm running around with a reporter all day on my feet (which hurts my feet, lower back and THEN my tailbone.) I rush home and try to fix a healthy, wholesome home-cooked meal and then clean up the kitchen so I can head upstairs and spend 30-45 minutes on the elliptical in hopes it will decrease the heartburn and get me tired enough to fall asleep.

But more than anything, I'm just kinda emotionally drained. As excited as I am to meet this little boy, there is still so much "unknown." The thought that within a few short weeks I could be going into labor any time is scary. And bringing a new baby into our home, while being the greatest blessing ever, is just going to completely change our lives in every way possible. So that's pretty scary too. As much as I'm ready for him to be here on the outside - I also am scared that I won't have him in me for protection from this crazy world.

And then, of course, I have pregnancy hormones still doing a number on me. So I just feel like I'm walking (or limping) around in a haze while still trying to stay with-it enough that my work quality doesn't slip. So much of what I do is reactive and involves quick thinking and fast responses and coordination. I don't really have time to say "oh, this can wait." It's all go-go-go, which is what I usually love about what I do. It's just a little more difficult to do in this stage.

I guess I'm just tired. I'm thankful that we're heading to Lake Norman this weekend with Mike, Mol and baby James for another mini-vacay (our last of the summer). I'm hoping some time away from the grind will help lift my spirits.

Pregnancy Wives Tales - Boy or Girl

2011-06-14T09:15:00.001-04:00

These are more funny to look at now that I know the gender. People will try to convince you throughout your pregnancy that they can tell what you're having based on certain old wives tales.

Let's see how well these held up for us:

Pregnancy Wives’ Tales
Baby’s heart rate - If baby’s heart rate is 140 or below you are having a boy and if it is over 140 you are having a girl.
Baby J's heart rate has often been over 140.
Myth: FALSE

Carrying high or low - If you are carrying your baby high you are having a girl and if you are carrying your baby low you are having a boy.
I'm carrying this baby very high - hence the horrible heartburn, pain in the ribs and shortness of breath. Minus. But I'm also not having to pee every 5 minutes. Plus.
Myth: FALSE

Watermelon or basketball - If your belly looks like a watermelon you are having a girl and if it looks like a basketball you are having a boy.
I definitely think my belly is rounder than wider.
Myth: TRUE

Morning sickness - If you having really bad morning sickness you are having a girl and if you are not having morning sickness you are having a boy.
Hahahahaha. I was sick as a dog.
Myth: FALSE

Cravings - If you are craving meats and cheese you are having a boy and if you are craving sweets you are having a girl.
Any time I've had a major craving for something, it's been something sweet.
Myth: FALSE

Heartburn - If you are having a lot of heartburn, your baby will have a lot of hair on his head.
Well definitely experiencing the worst heartburn E.V.E.R. (seriously, heartburn that made me want to call the doctor because the sharp stabbing pain in my heart could easily have been confused with a heart attack.
Myth: TBD

So as you can see, the majority of these wives tales did not hold true for us. So for all you mamas-to-be that can't wait to find out the gender, don't think for a second these silly tales will give you any insight.

But it's fun to look into!

Okay, I know I don't need it...

2011-06-13T12:17:00.000-04:00

...but I want it.
Pippa Middleton bag envy.Just because I'm about to be a mom doesn't mean I can't lust over handbags, does it?

Nursery updates and more

2011-06-13T09:30:00.008-04:00

So I kicked off my weekend last Friday by getting together for lunch with one of my sweet girlfriends, Eliza, who was in town from D.C. We had a great time at lunch catching up - and probably spoke a million miles a minute to try to recap everything that was going on in our lives.

{me (@29wks) and eliza }

She also brought the sweetest little gifts for baby J - including a "pee pee teepee" which is exactly what it sounds like, and exactly the type of gift Eliza would crack up over buying.

Man this little boy is spoiled already! I forgot to take a picture of the precious Kissy Kissy outfit my love Laura bought for him last week. How lucky was I to be able to lunch with THREE college girlfriends within five days. What a great week!

The weekend continued by knocking some things off the nursery checklist. Our Quinn chair and glider arrived and has already become my new favorite seat in the house!

The sage toile minky blanket hanging on the back is this little love:

... and it has a story behind it! A couple years ago, in the midst of our trying to conceive, I was surrounded by friends getting pregnant. So I was having to constantly shop for baby shower gifts for friends, despite a pain in my heart and a barren womb. Well I found this gorgeous blanket on Etsy and fell in love. I marked it as one of my favorites and would go back and look at it from time to time. I wondered if I should buy it for a friend, because I refused to by anything for my future baby because I was terrified we'd never get pregnant.

But this blanket just had a hold on me. I finally sucked it up and bought it - telling myself if I became convinced purchasing something for our non-existent baby would jinx me, I'd give it to a friend. So I've had it sitting in the back of a closet for almost two years! I'm SO glad I bought and kept it because it's a gentle reminder of a tender stage of our lives. I can't wait to wrap baby up in all its softness!

Chad also finished painting Baby J's new dresser, and hung two of the new pictures! We have the third one done, but haven't been able to put it up yet. I swear Chad and I can never finish a project without some unforeseen (minor) complication that delays it. I know it's God's way of teaching me patience. I'm definitely a "get it done" girl - so it drives me up a wall to have a project half-finished.

We (and by we, I mean Chad) still need to prime and paint the end table to go next to the chair, but after that's finished... we're really pretty much done with the nursery --- minus a few knick knacks!

But the room is really coming along and I couldn't be more pleased. It's such a sweet, calming room and I wish the pictures could do it justice. Everyone who has seen it in person said they love it so much more than they even did online. It's just hard to translate to pictures!

Cloth diapering

2011-06-10T13:04:00.006-04:00

Okay so since I follow many other "mommy bloggers" (and have since pre-pregnancy), I have always been interesting in cloth diapering --- as opposed to disposable, for those not 'in the know.' Actually - I should start by saying now unless you are a mom, or mom-to-be, you'll probably have no interest whatsoever in this post so feel free to quick reading now.

But onward and upward...

I wanted to be a "cloth diaper" mom but I knew the reaction Chad would have to the idea. Which is the exact reaction he did give to the idea: head shake, arms crossed and an "absolutely not." And while the concept of cloth diapering seems to have so many advantages (less diaper rash, less blow outs, less expensive, better for the environment, easier transition to potty training, etc.), I was also trying to put myself in the place of my mother-in-law (who will be kindly watching our child during some of the workdays). Her watching our baby is such a godsend anyway, I didn't want to do anything to make watching our baby MORE difficult for her. And I know the idea of cloth diapering can seem super scary.

So I told myself 1) Chad says no, 2) Tons of people use disposable and have for years... it's going to be fine, and 3) This will be easier.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it. Finally, Molly decided she wanted to attempt cloth diapering with James --- and within a day she was already feeling like a convert. Sure it's more expensive up front, but you're saving money in the long run and it really isn't any more difficult, once you get the hang of it.

I went home last night and told Chad that I knew he already was against this, but please let's look into it further. There are plenty of advantages and I'd at least want to give it a shot. He didn't oppose - and I feel like I'm going to be able to show him that we'll be able to find a system that can work for our needs.

And I think I've figured it out. At least, here is my general plan... for now.

I want to get several gDiapers - these seem like the best of both worlds because we can use the cloth inserts at home, and if Chad's mom is completely grossed out by the idea of cloth, she can use 100% biodegradable inserts that she can just flush down the toilet (and reuse the outer shell.) This is what is called a "hybrid" diaper. It allows us to go completely cloth at our home and overnight, but we have the option of bringing flushable inserts when we go out so we're not carrying around soiled inserts.

Then, I'd also like to try a couple other brands of all-cloth diapers that are "one size" so that it can transition as baby grows. A few brands I'm interested in are Fuzzibunz...
and Best Bottom, which Molly has been using and really likes.
I have still not been given the "all clear" from Chaddy yet to proceed, but I'm hoping he can watch Molly do a few demonstrations on his cute little nephew to ease his fears that cloth diapering will be SO overwhelming.

So, moms - what do you think? Anyone else have any good/bad/indifferent ideas on cloth diapering? Please comment and let a sista know!

Bad blogger

2011-06-09T14:59:00.005-04:00

I know, I know. Bad blogger again. Things have just been super busy at work lately - and being in Charlotte for the beginning part of the week made my schedule a little wonky.

That said, let's recap!

We had a really, really nice weekend. Friday night, Chad and I had a good ol' fashioned date night at our favorite restaurant in Raleigh. The executive chef is a dear friend of ours and was wonderful to come assist us with our food choices throughout the evening. The standout (for both of us, I'd say) was our appetizers... we had Chef James' curried corn soup which was honestly the best soup I've had in my life, along with chick-pea crusted oysters... which were perfectly cooked and super fresh.

Saturday, we got up early to head to the farmer's market for some breakfast and shopping. We bought some delicious goodies at the market - fresh basil, red potatoes and, of course, the first crop of sweet white corn of the season. That night we had my parents, Mike, Molly and baby Jamesy come over for a "summer + James' 3rd month celebration." We made a heavenly frogmore stew that night - crab legs, shrimp, corn, onion, potatoes boiled in water, beer, lemon juice and lots and lots of Old Bay.

{let's dig in!}

James enjoyed getting strapped in his Moby with his daddy and couldn't keep his eyes off all the food! Now, eating this feast with a baby strapped to your chest is no easy feat - as Mike will attest. He had to lean to the side each time he took a bite so juices, cocktail sauce and butter wouldn't fall on baby's head. It was definitely entertaining - if nothing else.

This little guy and his chunky little legs seriously has my heart. And his mama and daddy aren't too bad either. ;) I feel so blessed that Chad and I have some built in "friends" within our family. We always have the best time with them.

Sunday, we had church and KidCity - and then went to a surprise birthday get-together for one of my best friends... which was a blast (and a definite surprise to the birthday girl!). After that, we hit the road to Charlotte.

The hotel we stayed at was super nice - and we were right in the middle of the city. I worked from the hotel during the day, and Chaddy and I would walk to dinner each night and then walked around uptown after we ate (since it's becoming increasingly uncomfortable for me to sit or lay with a full stomach.)

But, by far the best part of the trip was getting to see two of my really close girlfriends.

Monday I had a great lunch with Amy - and got to enjoy comparing pregnancy stories together... all the more fun since our little ones are only about a week apart. It has been so nice to have someone who is going through all the same things I am at the same time. She looks absolutely glowing and beautiful and I'm so excited for her baby girl to get here!

Then on Tuesday, I got to see my sweet Laura - who has held her own special little place in my heart since our college days. I took one look at her and almost burst out crying because I forgot how much I missed her. There are just certain people you meet in your life and you feel like no matter how much time passes, or how far away you live from each other, that you will always have this bond. I told Chad it was sad that Laura had to go back to work after our lunch because I honestly think we could have sat there talking until midnight. But I'm already going to force her to make a special Raleigh trip once baby J arrives so he (and I) can get some Laura time.

Chad and I headed home last night, and while we appreciated the getaway, we were SO happy to be back sleeping in our own beds.

As for a pregnancy update:
1) I've thought I had heartburn once or twice. Ummm, I obviously didn't. Because starting yesterday there is no mistaking the distinct feeling that my esophagus is on FIRE.
2) And speaking about being on fire - today is the first day that I have finally grasped the whole "Omg, I'm SO sorry you're going to be super pregnant over the summer" comment I've gotten about 390093249032 times. It is miserably HOT outside.
3) Baby J's new trick includes trying to wedge his foot up under my ribs. Needless to say, I hope he gets bored with it soon.

Pregnancy Week by Week 25-28

2011-06-03T08:25:00.003-04:00

Week 25-28 (Month 6)
Hellooooooooooo 3rd trimester!

Baby size: Eggplant
How I feel about being pregnant: I really have loved being pregnant these past several weeks. I've felt good, had lots of energy, have enjoyed watching/feeling my little one get stronger and stronger (and bigger and bigger.) It's just an amazing experience... one I desperately hope I'll be able to do at least one more time. ;)
Symptoms: I'm just generally a bit more sore now. It takes more work to stand/sit-up. My muscles are always a little achy and my back/tailbone give me the most problems. Other than that, most nights (assuming the baby isn't waking me up with kicks) I'm sleeping really well... other than the occasional getting up to go to the bathroom.
Food cravings: Well diabetes put a damper on this one since most of the things I would want to indulge in I'm having to say "no" too. But it really hasn't been bad. The one thing I desperately miss is my WINE. White, red, rose, sparkling - all of it. It's especially hard now that it's getting warmer. Last spring/summer I would be out on our screened in porch most every night with a cool glass of sauvignon blanc. I won't lie, once or twice I've had the teeniest bit of wine (like seriously 1/4 cup or less.) Especially now that I'm in the third trimester I have the all-clear from my doctor to drink a glass every now in then if I want one... but I'm trying to not. Maybe only one or two teeny tastes between now and my lil' hoppa being here.
What I'm most excited about: No question - meeting my little fella in person. I'm thankful to have reached 28 weeks... so if my baby was born any time after now, it would have a 95% chance of survival since its lungs have reached a good maturity level. So as much as I might want him here now!now!now!, I want him to keep growing for several more weeks so he's nice and strong when he arrives!
Something I've done to prepare for baby: The nursery is really coming along! We have purchased all the major items we need for it - now it's just finishing it all up. I hope within the month it will be complete enough for me to put up some pictures!
Special moment: Can't think of one thing in particular, but Chad and I have really been enjoying our time together these past several weeks... the last few months of "just the two of us." I remember wanting to get pregnant RIGHT after we got married, but in retrospect, I'm glad by the time baby arrives, we will have (wow) 3.5 years of marriage under our belt. I feel like we have a really solid foundation for our family to grow upon. I hope Baby J benefits from having two parents who really love each other and cherish our time together. I pray that as much as I'm sure our lives will become wrapped up in this little person, that we never stop being "us."

My wish

2011-06-02T13:45:00.000-04:00

During a nine-month pregnancy, you spend a lot of time thinking about what your baby is going to be like. What will they look like? Will they be funny/smart/athletic/beautiful? Will they be outgoing or an introvert? Will they have blue eyes or brown? And what will they be when they grow up? Nurse? Lawyer? Scientist? Teacher? Who will they marry? Will THEY have kids of their own? The list goes on.

I've spent some time thinking about those things. And after a bit reflection, I've realized that there is really only one thing I want for my child.

I want my child to know and love God.

Man.

If I get that, I don't care about a single other thing. If during their time on this earth - be it short or long - if they love God, that's all that matters to me.

A friend of mine posted this video of her church's Easter service (this is the same amazing church my parents and sister go to) - and about 3:30 minutes into the video they show a little boy - probably 9 or 10, being baptized. And I cried like a baby for about an hour when I saw it. Because, I want so badly for that to be my little boy one day.

Summit Church Easter Experience from The Summit Church on Vimeo.

Why? Because knowing God is absolutely life changing. I know. I've experienced it. I know the difference. I know what I'm like, and how I feel, when I have left God behind and walked in the flesh. And I know what it's like to live in the freedom of God's sovereignty and grace. And there is really no comparison.

I know a lot of people feel strongly that you shouldn't force your kids into church and religion. You should let it be a choice.

But I guess the way I see it is this: I know what the Bible says is true. I believe that the only way to heaven is through Jesus. So, knowing that, why would I not do everything I can to let my children know about Jesus and who He is? In the end, it is still their choice. They get to an age where no matter how much teaching and instruction you have given them, they get to choose on their own. And that's the way God wanted it to be. We can't accept God for our child - he or she must decide it for themselves.

Chad accepted this truth at 6. I didn't truly accept Him until 16. And then we both continue to accept it every day.

Months ago, I was talking to my wise mama about this very thing. And I thought she explained it so well: "Say you had the secret to financial security. You knew what it would take to have financial peace, stay out of debt, etc. Would you want to tell your child about it? Or would you wait until they ran up thousands of dollars in credit card bills and foreclosed on their house and then decide whether or not to talk to them about it. Of COURSE you would tell them. We teach our kids millions of things. We are constantly expressing our opinions on them in every other area of life. Why would you NOT teach them about the most important part - their salvation?"

I guess I just would never want to wait a second to tell my child about the most important truth in their life. With Him there are no tricks, gimmicks or hoops to jump through.

All He's ever asked if that we just BELIEVE him.

Kinda overwhelmed

2011-06-02T08:00:00.003-04:00

Okay so the one thing that I've learned from the second I found out I was pregnant is how amazingly generous other moms are. I remember, being only like 5 weeks along, sitting at Mike and Molly's and one of their good friends Sofi, who has in turn become a sweet friend of mine, had brought along a little Christmas outfit that her son just wore over Christmas and asked, "Which one of you will have 3-6 month old at Christmas?"

It was me, so she tossed it my way.

And that was just the beginning. I've had so many friends bring me clothes, blankets, etc. Heck, every time I see Molly she has a handful of outfits that baby James just grew out of that she's passing down to Baby J.

So here's the thing- Molly, queen child-watcher that she is, has developed some really close relationships with the moms she babysits for. Moms that are a few years older than I am and are done with having babies of their own. They are so sweet to want to pass down anything and everything they think someone else could get use out of.

Because of that, I wasn't too surprised when one of these sweet mamas - who lives minutes from me - asked if she could drop by on our doorstep yesterday some maternity clothes she had that she obviously doesn't need any more, and an infant seat for our baby. I honestly was expecting maybe a dress or two and a few tops.

I have been really frugal when it came to maternity clothes shopping - I bought some cute stuff but have been wearing the same few pieces over and over again, it seems. And I really couldn't justify buying anything else when that money could be much better spent in other areas. I think a $50 pair of white Gap maternity jeans were my biggest purchase - and I had to tell myself 100 times before purchasing them that it was okay to spend a teeny bit of $ on myself.

So I get home last night and there are two HUGE (must have weighed 20 pounds a piece) shopping bags absolutely stuffed to the brim with gorgeously nice clothes. I'm talking like pairs upon pairs of jeans and shorts, plus more dresses and tops than I could count. I just stared at Chad stunned as I pulled out item after item after item (it must have taken me 20 minutes to take everything out of the bags.)

I even started tearing up. I told him I felt like one of the poor families on Extreme Home Makeover after they moved the bus.

This woman had absolutely no expectation of anything in return - she was quick to say take whatever I want and don't worry about things I don't... to do whatever with them. Which obviously means, in this sweet mama world, to pass them along to someone else who can use them.

It's a generosity that you don't see much any more. And it's something I learned from so many amazing moms around me... and I hope I never forget to pass on not just stuff but encouragement to every other new mama that so many ladies have given to me.

I've gotta say, becoming a mom is seriously like entering the super-coolest club ever.

Can we like develop a secret handshake or something?!

Pinehurst weekend

2011-06-01T09:08:00.006-04:00

We had a great weekend in Pinehurst with my parents. It was so nice to just get away for a few days and break out of the boring routine. Best of all, the trip to Pinehurst was just a little over an hour --- so we didn't have to spend hours in a car to feel like we "got away."

We'd get up in the morning and have lunch at the club with the boys, and then they'd take off for a round of golf and mom and I would do our thing. One day we went to the pool (until we got rained out) and the next day we went to the spa, shopping and THEN the pool (my kinda day!)

One late afternoon before dinner, the boys decided to play another "quick" nine holes so mom and I hopped in a golf cart and road around behind them.

Then we went out for a few nice dinners.

How cute are my parents?

Right when we got to The National Club on Friday - we went to get some lunch. My dad quickly pointed out that my mom was going to be drawing a lot of looks from the men at the club. His words "You're not allowed to walk around this place without me. The club is crawling with men who will be wanting you to be their next trophy wife." ;) And it was true... my mom (who is oblivious to ANYONE checking her out) drew lots of looks from all the fellas.

And here is me and the Chaddyboy.And finally, the gratuitous 27 week bump shot.

If I look relaxed, it's because of the massage and the sun!

Note: I need to find a way to convince Chad to let me get massages every couple of weeks from here on out. Any suggestions?

This baby of mine is moving up a storm lately - which is making sleep a more difficult task. He's so active at night that I have a hard time falling asleep. And every time I toss and turn to readjust myself, it wakes baby up and he likes to punch me for a little while to let me know he didn't appreciate it. But it's a special time and Chad and I have enjoyed laughing at him as he moves around my stomach (so hard that we don't even have to feel for him, we can just watch my belly.) It's the craziest thing to have this wild man in me!

Lawd Help Me

2011-05-31T09:27:00.002-04:00

I walked into my office this morning and it was humid...

in my office...

at 7:30 a.m.

Turns out the A/C is broken. Must have been for a few days.

Luckily my best buddy on campus - who is a counterpart in another college - is having pity on my poor soul and is picking me up and taking me to partake in an iced coffee ASAP.

Hopefully this is not an omen for the rest of the work week.

So anyway - I had a fab weekend. And I'll be happy to update y'all on it once I'm not boiling inside my office. So it might have to wait until tomorrow.

Baby J Update

2011-05-26T15:43:00.003-04:00

So sorry for the lack of posts this week. Blogger has been down - and I thought to try logging in from Internet Explorer instead of Firefox and it magically let me in. Hope they fix it soon!

Welllll, we had our follow-up appointment with a perinatal doctor this morning - which included a nice long ultrasound. We got a good 30 minutes to watch our little boy, and it was awesome. He has been moving nonstop lately, and he definitely was jabbing back at the ultrasound tech whenever she pressed down. She even had to told him, "I know you're in there!!!" He just wanted to make himself known.

We got another full anatomy scan, and all his organs are still growing perfectly. He's also still a "he" - because, ya know, I just had to triple check. He looks so much bigger now and I could definitely see his sweet little face much better than last time. He was looking right at the camera just for us!

J is measuring right on point - 26 weeks 6 days (right where I am.) He's a little thing - weighs exactly 2lbs right now and in the 18% percentile... but everything looks great and he's still super active... and if the kicks are any indication, he's nice and strong. The doctor said he's pretty sure I'm going to have a little baby, so I shouldn't have much to worry about with a "big baby" associated with gestational diabetes. But they'll do another check between 32-36 weeks to make sure he's still growing appropriately.

And on the diabetes front, my blood sugar readings were completely normal throughout the week. I get to decrease my finger pricks from 4x a day to 2x... much more manageable. The nutritionist also told me to feel free to be less strict with my diet, since everything looks so good. I was down 0.6lbs since last week, so now I'm only up 7.4lbs so far. The doctor doesn't seem too concerned, but told me they do want me gaining at least 1lb a week from here on out.

My mom is most concerned and is threating to show up on my doorstep with cupcakes if this weight gain doesn't come. But, if you could see my belly, it's definitely not the issue. My stomach has definitely grown - I just think my weight redistributed from other places... and I can't complain about that. ;)

But I'm off work tomorrow for an extra long Memorial Day weekend. We're heading to Pinehurst in the morning for a few days of sun, food, spa appointments and golfing. I can't wait to just relax for a few days!

I promise to be back next week with a good 27 week bump picture!

Hope you all have a blessed weekend.

Weekending

2011-05-23T09:10:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday everyone.

I'm having a hard time believing that May is almost over.

That gives me June and July... and then sometime during August, a little boy will make his big debut! Crazy.

So, all in all, it was a pretty busy weekend. I guess for the gestational diabetes update, things have been going fine. I've been great about testing my blood sugar levels at all the right times. All my readings (up until today) have been completely normal... if not low. Today, my fasting level and my post-breakfast level are just a little over... 3 or 4 points... which is odd, because - at least for breakfast - I ate the exact same thing I've been eating all week that has given me super-low levels. Go figure. Looking forward to the doctor's appointment on Thursday to hear what they say.

Other than that - we're just busy, busy! After some deliberation, Chad decided that he wanted to pull all the fescue grass out of our yard and hire someone to re-sod with zoysia (a warm-weather grass.) I hemmed and hawed over the whole thing because I realllly didn't want a warm-weather grass (that goes dormant once it gets cold), but our yard is just too big and gets way too much sun to justify trying to keep fescue alive during the hot summers. Our irrigation bill last summer was out.of.control. and we still ended up with burnt grass.

I must say, the zoysia does look really good and once it starts greening up in the next couple of weeks (this 90+ degree heat we'll have all week actually will help it), I know we'll enjoy it. Next weekend, once we return from Pinehurst, we're going to tackle some of the new flower beds we put in. It's a big undertaking but I know the end result will be worth it.

We're also still making moves on the nursery front. We picked up our dresser and end-table this weekend, and in the next few weekends (after the yardwork gets done), Chad will start painting them. I think they're going to look awesome when he's done. That room is really coming together.

Paint: check
Crib and mattress: check
Crib bedding: check
Glider and ottoman: check
Dresser: check
End table: check
End table lamp: check
Art work: check
Window treatments: check

We still need to buy a few shelves, and perhaps a corner bookshelf (though this can wait), and the room will be complete!

Gestational Diabetes update

2011-05-20T08:27:00.004-04:00

So I had my first appointment yesterday with the kind folks at Duke University's Perinatal Specialists. First, can I give a cheers for being able to live in an area with some many great medical institutes surrounding us? We truly can find some of the best care in the nation within minutes of our door... and that is something to be thankful for.

I met with the perinatal doctor, a nurse and a nurse/diabetic counselor yesterday. All three were really wonderful. They made me feel so much better reassuring me that this just sometimes happens with women - it's nothing that I did and nothing I should beat myself up for. They reiterated that they knew I was a healthy person... so I didn't have anything to be worried about (for me or the baby long-term) assuming I keep up a healthy lifestyle. It was actually interesting to meet with the counselor because she gave me such great information that I'll likely keep post-pregnancy.

Just looking at the meal plans, I realized that the protein in my diet has been severely, severely lacking. I am a veggie + fruit + carb person. And I likely enjoy the carbs (pastas, breads, potatoes, etc.) because they fill me up since I'm not getting the protein I need.

Now, that's not to say "no carbs" - the nurse was quick to tell me to be careful to make sure I am eating all the portions of carbs they laid out for me because I need the energy and the baby will need the energy that comes from them. Besides, if the baby isn't gaining enough weight, they will have to modify it. But, if I can get used to eating more protein (and finding extra sources of protein that I wouldn't normally think of), I can likely make longer-term changes on my diet.

So that part = good.

As for the blood sugar testing... ehhhh, not such a fan. Certainely it really doesn't hurt - it's a quick pinch, collect the blood drop, deposit on my testing strip and get my blood sugar count. More than anything, it's an inconvenience. For the time being, I have to test first thing when I wake up, and then once after every major meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner.) I have to do this a full week, and assuming my readings look good next week - indicating that the diet is working for me - I'll get to cut back how often I test. For most people, the diet does the trick... but there is still a chance I could follow the diet perfectly and STILL end up on medicine. But, I'm staying positive here and hoping that won't be an issue for me. My first two readings this morning were completely normal - hoorah!

And a big "Thank You" to my sweet Chaddy who, again, woke up at a little past 6 a.m. with me - despite it being his day off - so he could support me when I did my first blood-draw solo and could help me make my breakfast. He really is the best.

So now for the good part about, once again, being a "high-risk pregnancy":
1) Meetings with the perinatal doctors... who specialize in high-risk pregnancies and are truly the best of the best. Baby J is really getting the best care possible.
2) I get at least TWO extra ultrasounds on my little peanut (or, at 26 weeks, a 2-pound eggplant.) This is to make sure the baby isn't growing too big (a side effect of gestational diabetes) or too small (a side effect of the diet you're put on.) Next Thursday is our next ultrasound, and we'll get another one at 32 weeks. We had thought after the gender ultrasound, that would be it. So Chad and I are really excited to be able to see the baby again a few more times before he's born.

So, all in all, I'm doing fine. I had various screenings done during this pregnancy, and if ANY one was going to be come back negative or abnormal, this is the one you want... because while it's an inconvenience for you, it doesn't really have an impact on the baby (assuming you're treating it.)

There you go, my friends! All you ever wanted to know and more. :)

Happy Friday and have a great weekend.

Thursday Tune

2011-05-19T15:32:00.000-04:00

...or tunes, I supposed.

I had forgotten how much I l.o.v.e.d. this performance by Mumford & Sons, Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan at this year's Grammys. Especially M&S and ABs.... two of my favorites singing some of my favorite songs. And I just loved how the much younger guys in M&S and ABs got to play and sing alongside one of their idols. Just so cool.

And of course, one of my favorite lines from Avett Brothers:
"If you're loved by someone you're never rejected. Decide who to be and go be it."

211213212512 by yardie4lifever2

Chad and I love blasting music while we cook, clean and just hang out around the house. I can't wait for us to dance around the house with our little baby to these songs.

99 days...

2011-05-19T07:58:00.003-04:00

Yes, my friends. The countdown is in the double digits...

9 9 D A Y S
until baby j

Three months to go.

Can't fool Chad

2011-05-19T07:53:00.002-04:00

Since we're having some landscaping work done, Chad took off work today to oversee the progress. Still, I convinced him that it would be reallyyyyy nice if he still woke up with me at 6:30 a.m. this morning to keep me company. I made us both breakfast - the half english muffin, slice of cheese, egg and turkey sausage.

Well.... let's just say Chad wasn't such a fan of the sausage.

Chad (chewing): "Ugh, what's this?!"
Me: "Turkey sausage... it has a lot less fast."
Chad: "I can tell."
Me: "I don't mind it. It's just chewier."
Chad: "No, I'll tell you what it is - it's an impostor. It's a turkey wearing a pig costume. And I don't buy it."

I'm telling ya, don't mess with Chad's pork products. He feels strongly about his swine.

Letters to J

2011-05-18T13:10:00.004-04:00

Hey little one,

After several days of lots of movement, you've been pretty quiet all morning. I was so busy that I really didn't pay much attention.

But you just gave me a few swift kicks, and I actually teared up because I forgot how much I miss when I don't feel you moving around.

So I gave you (via my stomach) a quick pat, rubbed you in circles a few times and told you, "Hey there bud. I miss you and love you today."

Man I'm so ready to meet you!

Love,
mama

Gestational Diabetes - How I'm dealing

2011-05-18T08:38:00.004-04:00

So I'm not going to lie... I was really upset at the news yesterday. I think 1) I was just shocked that I failed. I was so convinced my one-hour test was a fluke. And 2) I was upset that the staff person who called me from my OB's office gave me essentially NO info... pretty much said I failed and expect a call to schedule my follow-up with Duke to get more info.

I had no clue how much I failed by.
I had no clue about gestational diabetes other than what I learned from Dr. Google
And I am pregnant and hormonal and we don't take bad news very well.

So I was super thankful that I had a good friend Amy to call... who was right by my side during my infertility issues and gave me SO much support and advice. She had warned me ahead of time to just plan on calling her if I failed, because she had gestational diabetes with her first little girl, but didn't have it with her second. Talking to her made me feel so much better. She gave me an idea of what I could expect --- and just a reminder that it was nothing I did wrong, my baby was going to be absolutely fine if I manage it correctly, and that pregnancy hormones can just make your body do all sorts of crazy things.

Then, I got a call from a nurse at my doctor's office this morning who gave me pretty good news. I barely failed. The only blood draw I did bad on was my one-hour (but REALLY.... whose blood glucose levels could possibly be normal after drinking that sick stuff)... my fasting draw was barely over, and my 2- and 3-hr draws were completely within normal ranges. So at least I know that it's not my body cannot handle insulin completely, it just might take it a little while.

Well, I figured I could wait until my meeting tomorrow with my nutritionist to discuss my new diet, or I could google what everyone else had to go through. From what I'm getting, it's not SO terrible (other than an annoyance to have to do the finger pricks every few hours to draw blood and counting your carbs)... but it does mean "bye-bye to carbs" for me for the next 3 months.

I can deal with no cupcakes, sugar, ice cream, cake, pie, chocolate, etc... (but still, really? no sweets for a pregnant person. sads.), but taking away my bread, potatoes and pasta is going to be the hard part. I know I can sub smaller portions of whole wheat, but anyone who thinks whole wheat pasta is as good as regular is off their rocker. The other hard part will be making sure I'm getting good protein (which is hard because I'm not a big meat-eater.)

But alas, I'll make it happen. I've heard the key is to combine my proteins with carbs to counteract them a little.

I'm going to learn MUCH more at my doctor's appointment tomorrow about my new gestational diabetes diet, but from what most people say I should be eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day. I need to keep my snacks under 15g of carbs and breakfast/lunch at 30g carbs and dinner at 45g carbs.

So here's my trial gestational diabetes diet for today, which I'm affectionately calling my "Baby J Hates Me Meal Plan":

Wed. May 18
Breakfast: 7 a.m.
Half a whole wheat English muffin with one scrambled egg and a slice of cheese, 2 pieces of turkey sausage

Breakfast snack: 9:30 a.m.
Yogurt and almonds

Lunch: 12 p.m.
Homemade egg salad (I made a killer batch last night) on half a whole wheat pita
Baby carrot sticks

Afternoon snack: 3 p.m.
String cheese
7 wheat crackers

Dinner: 6 p.m.
Roasted chicken
Salad
Mini baked red potato

Evening snack: 8 p.m.
Pudding cup

So it's really not bad. The big thing is that I need to be consistent in the times of day I'm eating, that I don't skip meals/snacks, and that I spread those carbs out throughout the day. I'll be great at this during the weekdays, but it will be rough on weekends. I'm hearing the night snack is one of the most important because your bloodsugar levels are most likely to get out of whack over night. That's also why a good breakfast of protein helps too. So, no more Crispix and milk for my breakfast anymore - wahhhhhhhhhhh.

So that's the latest. I'll let you know what more I found out tomorrow.

Baby J, you are worth it. But I'm going to warn you ahead of time if you get whiny about having to go to the doctor's for a shot, you're going to get an earful from me about how I became a human pincushion to have you and grow you! ;)

Let me cry a minute...

2011-05-17T12:05:00.003-04:00

So I had a hard time getting pregnant.

I had a really rough 14+ weeks of morning sickness/nausea.

I was finally at the "good stage" of pregnancy when I get another good whammy.

Gestational diabetes.

Of course I'm in the lucky 1-4% of pregnant women who get it. Even better, I have none of the risk factors. Seriously?!?!?

I know it's not the end of the world. I do. Hopefully I can control it with diet and exercise - though with my luck, it's not likely. I'm just so frustrated. And, of course, the doctor's office didn't give me any info --- pretty much told me to be waiting for a call from Duke Hospital to schedule my diabetes education class and start my blood sugar monitoring.

I think the biggest thing I'm bummed about is that I was hopeful since a lot of other area of trying to get pregnant and the beginning of my pregnancy were difficult - that at LEAST I'd be able to have a normal, natural labor and delivery. But, women with gestational diabetes often have larger babies (since their bodies can't control the sugar levels) who can be injured by coming out of the birth canal. Thus the vast majority are delivered via C-section.

So I'm just kinda weepy. I want to go home and have a good cry. I know I'll get over it and I'll wake up tomorrow and have a more positive spirit about things.

But for now, it just sucks. :(

We found a nursery dresser!

2011-05-17T11:50:00.006-04:00

Chad isn't too picky about much - but when it comes to purchasing furniture (of the wooden variety) he likes to put his two cents in.

Here are the issues:
1) Chad likes REAL WOOD furniture. No engineered wood, pressed-particle board drawers and backing, etc. If he's going to spend the money on something, he wants it to last for years.
2) Real wood is expensive.
3) Chad wants me to be cost-conscious when it comes to nursery decorating.

So I did some looking. I found some nice looking pieces for a great prices, expect they were made with materials Chad would frown at. I found some real wood pieces that looked great, but they had a price tag Chad would frown at.

This was not going to work out well.

So last week - after I spent lots of time researching options for a dresser for the nursery - I expressed my frustration to him. I asked him if HE was the one in charge of looking for the baby's furniture for a good cost and high quality, where would he start?

He told me to look into unfinished furniture stores - that he wouldn't mind painting the dresser himself if we could get a nicer piece of furniture for less money.

Score!

So we headed to a local unfinished wood store on Sunday and checked out the selection. We found a couple pieces that fit the bill, but I liked this shaker-style one better. Chad liked one that was a bit rounder and had the drawers set on the outside (instead of flush). He asked how we would decide which one since we both liked a separate one a teeny bit better.

I said easy... the person carrying the baby decides. ;) So that's that! There's a cute matching end-table that goes with it, so hopefully Chaddy can go pick up our pieces this weekend and he can start on the finishing!

Prayers

2011-05-16T08:53:00.003-04:00

I forgot to mention in all my pessimistic grumbling that I know a family that needs some REAL prayers. I've been lucky to get to know a lady who had an IUI right around the same time I did and we're only a few days off on our due dates.

Due to some complications with her placenta not developing the way it was supposed to - and therefore not nourishing the baby - she was forced to deliver her little boy Liam at a little past the 25 week mark -- weighing 1 lb and 10.5 inches. Her little fighter is doing fine for now - all things considered - and was able to let out a good cry for her right after he came out, and has been grasping her finger when she comes to visit him in the NICU (which just makes my heart melt.) According to her doctors, babies have a 70% chance of surviving at 25 weeks. The rate jumps to 95% at 28 weeks.

It just goes to show how seriously every day I get to carry baby J is. Each day makes a HUGE difference in his ability to survive outside the womb if some unexpected complication would arise.

She had her baby last Thursday, and was sweet enough to post some pictures of him a few times already. Just seeing that little boy made my heart break - because I know our little baby is likely about the same size (if not a bit bigger, since - as far as I know - I'm not having any placenta issues). Continue to keep Liam and his mama and daddy in your prayers as he continues to fight. He'll likely be in the NICU until August or September... so he has a long road ahead of him.

Here he is... about 3 days old. Check out daddy's wedding ring by his head so you can see the size difference:

The (uncomfortable) weekend

2011-05-16T08:23:00.005-04:00

So I had been riding the pregnancy high for several weeks now - feeling great, tons of energy, etc.

Because of that, I feel bad to complain over one crummy weekend... but hey, it happens.

Friday morning I had my 3-hour glucose challenge test. Ugh - I wouldn't wish that stupid test on my worst enemy. I'm lucky that when I called to tell my mom Thursday that I failed the one hour test and had to go back for the 3-hour the next day, she quickly said "I'm coming with you." It's one of those things that I would never have thought to ask my mom or Chad to come along, but I'm sooooooooo glad she was there. (Tip #1 to girls having to do the 3-hour tolerance test: bring someone with you)

For whatever reason, 90% of my nerves were tied up into having to drink that beverage again. I have a hard time chugging drinks to begin with... nevermind something that tastes like you put a whole jar of this:

into a bottle of this:

But, smart girl that I am, I decided to bring along a straw with me (Tip #2) to hopefully get it down faster (which definitely helped.)

So the appointment went something like this:

8 a.m. - baseline blood draw #1 (some folks said they only had to get finger pricks... not me - they got the whole vial of my blood. but infertility completely cured my fear of needles... so this part wasn't bad)
8:01 a.m. - chug, chug, chug
(8-9 a.m.: feeling like my eyes were bulging out of my head and my heart was going to explode, talking a million-miles-a-minute to anyone and everyone in the Labcorp waiting room)
9 a.m. - blood draw #2
(9-10 a.m.: continued heart racing, feeling sick to my stomach and like I wanted to pass out at the same time)
10 a.m. - blood draw #3
(10-11 a.m.: begged the nurse to let me walk around for awhile --- against the rules since if I would have passed out they would be liable --- but she obviously liked me and let me do it. Tip #3 - be super sweet to your nurse and ask them to let you walk around the building or something -which they'll be more likely to do if you have someone with you- because you'll feel like you want to kill someone sitting in a waiting room for 3+ hours)
11 a.m.: blood draw #4

So yeahhhhh, it was a REAL fun morning... and afternoon. I should find out today whether or not I "passed."I'm trying to keep cool about it - because honestly, it really isn't the end of the world to have gestational diabetes... but it's one more thing to have to worry about so obviously it'd be super nice to get an "all clear" from my OB.

The rest of the weekend wasn't much better. I've had an off-and-on headache that isn't going away, and just general uncomfortableness in my back and tailbone (that maternity massage I have booked in 2 weekends is looking better and better.) And then last night, I obviously was sleeping in an odd position because I woke up with a searing pain in my back and it took me awhile to find a comfortable position to fall back to sleep.

But despite it all, I've had a very active baby this weekend. I felt him pretty constantly throughout - with some of the most crazy movements yet. Saturday afternoon I was laying on the couch and J was obviously practicing his "So You Think You Can Dance" skills or SOMETHING because he was moving so hard and so fast that for the first time I could actually SEE my stomach moving... not just feel it. He put on a repeat performance (to a slightly lesser extent) last night that Chad got to feel.

So all in all, that was my weekend. Hoping for good news from the doctor this afternoon and a more comfortable week ahead!

Um, excuse me dcotor, I don't FAIL tests....

2011-05-12T16:15:00.000-04:00

Just got word that I failed my 1-hour glucose challenge...

Which means I got an higher reading for sugar in my blood than they want to see...

Which means I get to start my Friday morning off drinking TWICE as much nastiness as I had to Monday morning, followed by 3 hours of blood drawings.

Soooo, yeah. I'm pissed. And scared. And hope I pass the 3-hour one because I realllyyyyyyyyy don't want to have gestational diabetes.

And yes I already cried.

Bummed.

Diaper Bag - check!

2011-05-12T09:12:00.000-04:00

Okay, so here is the thing. If I know exactly what I want - I am a quick trigger person. I don't hesitate. I whip out my credit card and do the dang thing.

So I've learned to pay attention to my instincts if I don't want to instantly purchase something. Because if I have to hem and haw over it... and then I purchase... almost always I get buyers remorse. That's how I've felt for the past 6 months about diaper bags. I'd see something I'd like, make a note of it, and even tell myself that I'd really like it.

But there would always be something that held me back. I never had the urge to take out my credit card and swipe.

Truth: finding a diaper bag is no easy feat. There are soooo many different styles, sizes and shapes. Different patterns and materials. Reviews that are conflicting - too big, too small, not enough compartments, too many compartments, not wipeable enough, not good enough material, not as pictured, etc., etc., etc.

So, yesterday I was very close to purchasing this yellow Liz Lange diaper bag. I had been eying Liz Lange bags since the beginning... but for some reason I couldn't pull the trigger. Sure, of everything I had seen, I liked it best. It looked the most like something I would carry. I liked the bright yellow leather and gold hardware. But then I'd hesitate - I was afraid after a few months of bright yellow, the color would wear on me. I was afraid that the a bright color in the winter would look funny. I was scared that yellow would clash with about 50+% of my outfits.

And, honestly, if I'm buying a diaper bag because it looks like something I would carry, I need it to be something that at least matches the majority of my wardrobe.

So I kept looking. It wasn't easy.

I thought about this one...

or this one...

or this one...

but none of them felt 100% right... though there were parts of them I liked for different reasons. But still, nothing "trigger worthy."

And then I found it.
The Storksak Gigi. It was me in a diaper bag. Simple. Good quality. Without the bells and whistles. Something I could carry all the time and not get sick of. Something that if Chad had to carry around a shopping mall, he wouldn't feel like an idiot. Something that even post-baby would probably work great as a laptop bag. It just worked. I had found it.

The next decision. Brown or black. I love them both. How can I possibly decide?!?!

Answer: hassle one of my best girlfriends at the beach with a 7:45 a.m. text message to pleaseeee help me decide. It was hard enough for find a bag I actually wanted to purchase- why did it have to tempt me with two excellent color choices.

We both quickly agreed that black with the tan piping would have been ideal... but alas, that was not in the cards. But when I thought about it:

1) Although you can totally do brown+black together, I wear black much more often than brown.
2) Black is less likely to show scratches, pen marks and stains. (A necessity for me in a normal purse - never mind a diaper bag.)
3) My stroller (which this puppy will be hanging on the back of often) is cream and black.

So black it is.And thanks to free two-day shipping, this little princess will be mine all mine come Monday.

So I'm sooooooo glad I didn't purchase one of the other diaper bags just because I was anxious to mark it off my list. I found one that I 100% adore. Three cheers for me!

Mini Vacays

2011-05-11T16:00:00.000-04:00

This will be the first year in a long time that Chad and I won't get at least one full-week beach vacation. I love the beach in the summer time... but saving up extra vacation days for work so that we have more time home with Baby J once he arrives obviously takes precedent.

So we're having to be more creative with some short getaways before baby arrives.

In a couple weeks, we're taking off on a Friday and heading to the National Golf Club in Pinehurst, NC with my parents for a few days of golf (for the boys) and pool/shopping/spa-ing (for me and mom.) We're renting a villa right on the course, and I'm sure it will be beautiful. I told Chad he can golf as much as he wants, but that I'm not leaving Pinehurst until I've 1) spent several good hours getting a little sun by the pool, and 2) gotten a prenatal massage at The Spa at Pinehurst. They have a nice little "stork package" I'm checking out that includes a 50-minute massage, facial and pedicure... and it might need to happen for me.

Then, in early June, we're having a much-less glamorous getaway by heading to Charlotte, NC for a few days. Chad has a work conference to attend, so I'm going to spend my days working from the hotel or a nearby coffee shop and hopefully finding time to grab lunch with a few Charlotte girlfriends while there. Then, at night, we'll at least be able to head to a few nice dinners together and just enjoy being away from the "grind" you experience at home.

A few weeks after that, we're heading back west again to spend a few days on Lake Norman with my sweet sis-in-law, brother, and - of course- baby James. Chad and I always have so much fun with Mike and Molly... so this little road trip will be great bonding time before another baby enters the picture.

Eek! Sorry!

2011-05-10T16:06:00.005-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in a few days. It's been really busy on the work- and home-front.

Some quick updates.

1) My "first" mother's day (I can count it right? I do have a baby... it just lives in my stomach for the time being) was very nice.... despite the fact that Chad tried to poison me by bringing me coffee with 2-month old spoiled half-and-half. The fact he felt so bad he looked like he wanted to cry, I decided to let it go and only bring it up about 15 times, as opposed to 115... like I'd normally do. Anyway, since our Sunday school lesson was on "forgiveness" it was perfect example for 2nd and 3rd graders and our kids loved hearing about how Mr. Chad gave Ms. Caroline bad milk that she had to spit out.

Needless to say, I don't think the mister will ever pour a milk product out again without checking the date and smelling it first (helloooo doesn't everyone do that?).

But he made up for the milk gaffe with an a.w.e.s.o.m.e. mother's day gift... this beautiful Quinn glider and ottoman. Our chair and ottoman, which is more of a neutral beige-grey burlap, is set to arrive in 4-6 weeks. I can't wait! I can already envision it with a big cotton blanket hanging on the back of it waiting for many nights of storytime with our little one.

2) And yesterday, I had a check-up appointment which included the glucose challenge test (still awaiting the results.) First of all, while not absolutely undrinkable - that drink is nasty. 10 fl oz of disgustingness. I felt like I drank 15 melted freezer pops (and I don't like freezer pops) at 8:30 in the morning. But I chugged it down as quickly as possible and hopefully won't have to repeat the test!

On a separate note... well, the weight gain finally arrived. After 20 weeks of pregnancy, my +2 lb weight gain is a thing of the past (wah wah wahhhhh), and I managed to put on another +7lbs in the past four weeks. Thankfully though, I'm pretty sure 95% of the weight gain has been in my stomach and not elsewhere. We'll see how long that lasts me. While you feel like having a panic attack to see you've gained 7lbs in 4 weeks, I have to remind myself it is for the sake of the baby's health... and weight gain is a GOOD thing.

I have a brutally honest friend who works in the office next door to mine who promises to tell me the moment she notices I've started waddling instead of walking. So far, so good. But I'll be honest, if I'm ever picking anything up from the floor, I've started giving out an ugly sounding grunt that you honestly cannot control. I never thought I'd see the day where I have to get other people to pick up things I've dropped, but I'm slowly inching in that direction.

All right- time to sign out. Baby J is giving me some good stomach jabs to remind me I need to go chug some water. Happy Tuesday!

Pregnancy Week by Week 22-24

2011-05-06T09:38:00.005-04:00

Weeks 22-24 (Month 5)Baby Size: Papaya
How I feel about being pregnant: It really is amazing. I feel healthy, energized, beautiful and excited. The baby is definitely growing a lot, and I feel lots of movement during the day and at night.
Symptoms: With the baby's growth, I'm growing too! Lots of days I have lower back and tailbone pain by the end of the day. And, if I make any sudden adjustments at night, I sometimes feel like a muscle is tearing in my stomach... so that's real fun! ;)
Food Cravings: I'll be honest - nothing too crazy! Other than my Crispix -- which I mentioned yesterday. But I really am not eating anything out of the norm, and I honestly don't eat much more than I did pre-pregnancy. The only real difference is I've had a couple random days where out-of-nowhere I am STARVING and have to eat that very second or I feel like I could pass out.
What I'm most excited about: Continuing to work on the nursery. I really love, love, love this room of the house. The paint color is so fresh and serene... I am ready to get a comfy glider and ottoman in there so I can spend more time in there reading and stuff!
Something I've done to prepare for baby: Whew - we've gotten a few major things taken care of. We now have our infant carseat, bassinet, crib and mattress... all the major things we'd NEED to take a baby home. We also have more newborn clothes (thanks Molly and James) than we know what to do with.
Special moment: Painting the nursery with our families was really special. It was a labor of love - but I'm glad we did it together, and with my mom and Chad's dad. It was sweet to have grandparents help make that room so special. Also, it never stops being amazing to me and Chad to feel our baby move. We love those couple hours at night where he's bouncing all around. I love (despite how uncomfortable it can me some times) when he presses his head/back/butt against me because I know it means he's stretching out... and I think it's so sweet. Chad's a big fan of J's "double kicks" - where he'll give me a good one-two punch.

I have my next doctor's appointment on Monday morning. It's a normal check-up, but I have to do the (groan) 1-hr glucose challenge where I have to chug this syrupy sweet fruit punch concoction and then get my blood drawn to see how my body is handling the sugar -- an indication of gestational diabetes. Normally this wouldn't be terrible, but the idea of chugging a sugar-filled drink first thing in the morning (for a girl who doesn't drink sugared beverages - coffee or anything) is not really appealing. Hopefully I pass the test!

If there is any truth to the old wives tale...

2011-05-05T10:53:00.005-04:00

... that your baby will love what you eat a lot of during pregnancy...

Baby J is going to loooooooooooooooooove Crispix.

No lie... I think I've eaten my weight in Crispix during pregnancy. It's like crack to me. At any given point during the last few months, I've eaten them for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner... and sometimes for all four during the same day. I average about a box a week.

This

+

This

= Happy me.

Last night I was having heartburn and didn't feel like the original delicious meal I had planned... so I went to the pantry. Chad, anticipating what was about to happen, said "Don't even think about it."

But sure enough, my old friend Crispix came down and that was my dinner (with the addition of a few cut up strawberries.) And life was good again.

My produce box: May 3

2011-05-04T09:17:00.003-04:00

I got two boxes full of goodies last night. Here is the rundown...

For 21 credits, about $21, I received:

- Cabbage, Green (1 head)
- Sugar Snap Peas (~2/3 lb.)
- Cucumbers (2 ct.)
- Salad Mix (~1/3 lb.)
- Sweet Potatoes, Covington, (~2.0 lbs.)
- Baby Bok Choy (~1 lb.)
- Strawberries (~1 lb.)
- Sourdough, Old World (1 loaf)

You'll notice the salad mix, sweet potatoes and sourdough are repeats from last week. Why? They were all DELICIOUS.

And my resulting menu is:

Tuesday: Homemade grilled BBQ chicken, coleslaw and sour cream + dill cucumbers
Wednesday: Ginger and garlic stir-fried sugar snap peas and bok choy over white cheddar polenta
Thursday: Sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches (Chad made using Cabot white cheddar and our bread last week and it was ah-maz-ing) with garden salad (greens, sugar snap peas, cucumber) and homemade dijon+shallot vinaigrette

And of course, I'll be munching on my pound of strawberries for as long as I can stretch them.

Our menu from last week worked out great, and provided us with some flexibility. I was planning on just serving a big garden salad for dinner last Thursday, but we ended up having our friends David and Jamie come over... so I served a big salad along with cheese tortolleni that I added tomatoes, olive oil and wilted arugula too. And then on Sunday, we cooked for just the two of us at home using the remainder of our Papa Spuds items --- Chad grilled a couple beef filets (which I didn't eat... wasn't feeling the red meat) and then I made a salad with the rest of our pea shoots and salad mix (along with some shaved carrots and garbanzo beans), used the leftovers from our roasted sweet potatoes to turn them into a mash with a little butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, grilled squash and zucchini (which we had sitting in the fridge from the week prior) and used the rest of our sourdough to make fresh garlic bread.

So first week of Papa Spuds = success! Hope our items from this week are just as yummy!

Death of bin Laden

2011-05-03T11:46:00.003-04:00

I don't have the time or energy to get on my soapbox about how I feel about this - his death and the aftermath.

But these two quotes sum up my thoughts on the issue:

"There's only one Man's death that has ever made this a better world. Only one death that has ever led to lasting peace. And only one death that is worth celebrating, and He died for bin Laden ... and for me."

-and-

"Celebrate justice without ceasing to pray for the redemption of your enemies."

Cooks Illustrated Project

2011-05-03T09:45:00.005-04:00

I blogged last week about my low-cost art project to fill an empty wall in our kitchen. Since we were on a worker-bee kick anyway this weekend with the nursery, we decided to knock out both projects.

Here's before:

And after:

I think it looks great and was exactly what the wall needed. It also really ties the kitchen, breakfast nook and living room together.

Letters to J: First Times

2011-05-03T09:12:00.003-04:00

Hi, my little boy,

Sunday, after two days of hard work painting your nursery, assembling your new crib, hanging your curtains and organizing some of your clothes, I reflected for a bit.

Your daddy was downstairs working on something, so I just sat down in the middle of your new room and cried. Hard. For awhile. I don't think your daddy even knew. I just thought about how this time last year I doubted that I'd ever have a baby.

I never thought I'd be able to watch my stomach grow and feel a baby moving inside me.

I never thought I'd get to wear ugly jeans with elastic waistbands to accommodate a growing belly.

I never thought I'd get to pick out paint colors and crib bedding.

I never thought I'd get the chance to sit in the freshly painted nursery of my own little baby.

And I just wept. It brought back all those old feelings. All those times where I'd just cry for hours and hours because I didn't understand why God didn't want me to have a baby. Your daddy would hold my hand, give me a hug and reassure me, "We WILL be parents. We don't know when or how... but you're going to be a mom one day. I just know it."

And now here we are. According to calculations, you're about a foot long and weigh a little over a pound. Not a little poppy seed any more, buddy. We've come a long way. And I'm starting to see maybe a little of what God was doing in making me wait for you. Namely - I think I can see more clearly what's really important in this whole thing. Yes, it's a blast thinking about your nursery and selecting your stroller, carseat and crib. But really, none of it matters. It's just stuff. And, if the tornadoes whipping across the south are of any indication - it can all be gone in an instant.

All I need in this crazy world of ours is that sweet daddy of yours, and a healthy little you.

I love you,
mama

J's Nursery: Ohhhh the painting!

2011-05-02T08:21:00.014-04:00

So this weekend, we set out to paint J's nursery. I had called my father-in-law ahead of time for his assistance - but told him that according to the instructions given on Project Nursery, it didn't appear to be too hard.

HA! Of course, f-i-l knows better than to listen to me when it comes to how difficult things will or will not be. He (logically) figured that since every person's wall is a different size and shape, there is no "one-fits-all" set of instructions. Besides, he wanted the pattern to be perfectly symmetrical on all sides.

{here's the man behind the magic}

So, father-in-law and Chad sat down with pen, paper, tape measure and a calculator to make it happen.

{having an engineer as a f-i-l once again pays off. oh yeah, and i hate math.}

{the taping begins!}

{i wonder if chaddy would have still married me if he knew ahead of time the work involved}

{MPLT's mama here to help with painting!}

{using a chalkline to make sure it's straight}

{paint over the tape... crossing our fingers this worked!}

{RIP lots of tape}

{woke up at 7 a.m. Sunday to tear off the tape to see if it worked. success!}

{daddy assembling j's crib}

{yay! we did it!}

{nursery before}

{nursery after!}

Can I just say that I love, love, looooooooooooooove it? A million thanks to Melisa @ Project Nursery for sharing her great design with the rest of us! What a great start to the nursery and now I get to find little knick knacks to customize this little room to make it ours.

Next step:
1) Finding a glider + ottoman I love (a la this one) without breaking the bank. Not sure if this will be possible, but I'm determined.
2) Finding a white dresser and matching end table.

And the great grilled cheese debate is over

2011-05-02T08:19:00.002-04:00

Of COURSE it's a lunch food!!!!!!!!! I knew my readers were smart.

I told Chad he owed his solo "breakfast" vote to our friend Amy who I swear only sided with Chad so he didn't feel stupid by himself. ;)

Thanks for voting. ;)

Debate - Need your vote

2011-04-29T08:34:00.002-04:00

So Chad and I had a debate this morning (yes, we debate at 7 a.m.) And I'm going to start a poll on the top right hand of the blog so you can help us solve it.

Here was our convo (both our initials are CB so you won't be roped into taking sides):

CB: Can you put some toast in the oven for breakfast?
CB: Do you want toast or do you want a grilled cheese?
CB: Ummmm, toast?! Grilled cheese is NOT a breakfast food.
CB: ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Of course it's a breakfast food!
CB: Show me a breakfast menu with grilled cheese listed as a breakfast item and I'll concede. I'm not saying you can't eat grilled cheese for breakfast. But you could eat spaghetti and meatballs for breakfast, it doesn't make it a breakfast food.'
CB: You are crazy.
CB: YOU are crazy.

So there you have it.

The question is:
Is grilled cheese considered a breakfast food?

The winner gets a 5 minute backscratch (our standard our betting.) Vote people!

Childbirth

2011-04-28T13:34:00.003-04:00

Since my dad was out of town, Chad and I had my mama come over for supper with us last night. Chad had some work to do in our storage room, so it gave me some time to just catch up and have some good ol' girl-talk with my mom.

Can I just say that I love, love, love my mom? I could say it a billion times. My mom is just the greatest. They don't make 'em better... that's for sure.

But anyway, my mom and I were talking a bit about childbirth. Coming from a woman who has done it (naturally) five times, I trust what the woman has to say.

I follow so many (too many, probably) blogs - many of them from women like me who either recently had babies or in the process of it. And so often, I read about women making their big stance on natural childbirth... and wanting to do it in birthing centers, with midwives/doulas/etc. They site their higher rates for natural births versus conventional OBGYNs+hospitals. I had to admit, just reading it- it does make it seem pretty convincing.

But I talked about this with my mom (a former NICU nurse), who made such a good point. Any women who has ANY sort of complication during their pregnancy is going to be turned away from any midwifery/birthing center in the first place --- for liability reasons. These places will tell you that they are designed for healthy, low-risk mothers and healthy babies. So right off the bat, you're eliminating a huge chunk of women that are going to need medical intervention during the birthing process anyway. (+1 in favor of the 'natural childbirth stats' for birthing centers.) And chances are, that healthy, low-risk mom and baby would be able to have a "natural" birth in a hospital too, so long as there were no complications.

And then, you read stories about women who had completely complication-free pregnancies like Sherry on Young House Love who a year later shared the birthing story of her daughter Clara. She had a completely normal and healthy pregnancy. Yet, when she gets to the hospital to have her baby, IMMEDIATELY she is thrown into a very dangerous situation and ends up in the emergency operating room minutes after arrival. I can't help but think, as I'm sure her and her family do, about what would have happened if she had plans to go to a birthing center without a team of doctor's and nurse's ready and equipped to handle the serious issues her and her baby were dealt with (without warning.)

I think about my own sister in law, who also had some very scary complications during and after the birth of my sweet little nephew James. I remember me and Chad being SO grateful that she was in a hospital that night and not somewhere else. I remember talking to my mom that morning and her saying, "Carrie, now THIS is the reason people have babies in hospitals."

The thing is, of course I want a natural childbirth. I want a complication-free, easy delivery with no unexpected issues. But that's why you find a doctor that you trust. Let them know that you want to do whatever you can - as long as its safe for you and baby - to keep things as progressing naturally. I'm sorry but I don't believe that these OBGYNs, who have spent their lives devoted to birthing children and having healthy mamas, are conspiring to give you drugs early and often in order to keep you in the hospital longer so they, the hospitals and insurance companies make more money off you. Please. Any doctor worth his salt cares about keeping you and your child safe. Period. If you don't trust that, you need to find you a new doctor.

But, for me, I want to have my child in a hospital... a GREAT hospital. I want to have a world-class team of doctors and nurses right there ready and able to take care of me and my baby in a instant if anything goes south.

Because here's the thing: you ask ANY mom... from those with easy labor and deliveries and those with the most complicated... as long as a healthy baby was placed in their arms at the end of it, that's all that matters.

I remember feeling so bad for Molly that her birth didn't go as planned. I was sad thinking that she would be so caught up in all the things she "missed out on" because she had a rough delivery. But you know what... one look at her told you all you needed to know: all she cared about was that little boy.

So, for me, that's all I care about. If I have this magical birthing experience, yippee! I'll be thrilled with it. But I would rather, a million times over, feel completely sure that if the worst were to happen, I'd be in a place were it could be handled and in the end, a healthy baby would be placed in my arms.

Easter Sunday @ 22+ weeks

2011-04-28T08:35:00.001-04:00

Me, the Mister and the little mister.

My produce box - April 26

2011-04-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

Yippee! Like a kid waiting for Christmas morning, I anxiously counted down the clock Tuesday afternoon and couldn't wait to rush home to see the goodies I selected for my first week's shipment from Papa Spuds.

For 20 credits (about $20), I received:

- Asparagus (~0.90 lbs.)
- Tatsoi (1 bunch)
- Arugula (1 bunch)
- Sourdough, Old World (1 loaf)
- Snow Pea Shoots/Tips (~1 lb.)
- Salad Mix (~1/3 lb.)
- Sweet Potatoes, Covington (~2.0 lbs.)

All local, and almost all organic + pesticide-free.

A couple of new-to-me items include tatsoi and snow pea shoots/tips - both of which are in the "greens" family which I'll be able to eat raw (a la salad-form) or sauteed.

And my menu for the week is as follows:
Monday (pre-Papa Spuds delivery): zucchini and tomato lasagna with a ricotta-lemon-basil white sauce
Tuesday: Tatsoi & pea shoot saute with grilled Asian-marinated ribeye on top, sourdough
Wednesday: Roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus and wilted arugula
Thursday: "Papa Spuds Salad" - all my leftover veggies + greens assembled into somewhat of a cold salad with homemade dijon-shallot vinagrette and toasted sourdough

I rarely make dinner plans for Friday thru Sunday, since we often end up making plans with family or friends and my meal prep goes out the window. That, and I deserve a couple days off from cooking!

But, all in all, a good first week!

Big Night

2011-04-27T08:38:00.002-04:00

I started on painting Baby J's nursery last night. I had plans to only tape the accent wall (where we'll be doing our blue and white pattern), and MAYBE cut it with paint on the edges.

But by the time I got going, it seemed silly not to at least paint that wall white - and get one good coat in. I'll probably put another white coat on tonight, and then we'll let it sit until Saturday morning, when we tape over it and then fill it in with the blue.

So, maybe it was the paint fumes or the yummy dinner we had last night, but Baby J was kicking up a storm (and still is this morning.) Soooooo, Daddy Chaddy got to feel his son kick for the first time... and he gave 'em a few good ones that he could feel without me prompting "Did you feel that!"

Good job, J.

(Another) New Project

2011-04-26T09:37:00.006-04:00

.... soooo I'm crafty.

Not normally, but I'm becoming more-so. The fact is, we're still in a semi-new (year old) house and I still have some bare walls that are desperate for a pick-me-up.

My conundrum is this:
1) I have expensive taste.
2) Right now my discretionary spending money is tied up in Baby J. And unless I want to get the stank eye from Chad (and trust me, I get it enough already), I don't have a couple thousand to drop on wall decor.

So I'm taking it one-room, one-wall at a time.

Right now - behind our kitchen table (hard to see in this pic, since this pic was originally of the gor-geous-table that my Handy Manny husband made), is a long bare wall that is screaming for SOMETHING. I had thought about getting Chad and his dad to build in a corner cabinet/bookshelf for where the wall meets the side of my cabinets... but 1) it might be a little squished over there and 2) Chad and dad-in-law's to-do list for me is getting longer and longer.

So I had a bright idea.

I have a yearly subscription to my favorite cooking magazine, Cooks Illustrated. It is a fabulous magazine - full of great recipes and tips... and gorgeous artwork. On the back of each issue is a "theme" of a food, veggie, herb, etc., accompanied with sketches of the different varieties. They are all printed on a beautiful cardstock and I felt sad letting the little back covers sit in my kitchen cabinet to be noticed by no one.

{I mean, how beautiful is this!}

I decided, what better idea than to frame a series of the back covers (they are almost exactly 8''x12'') and hang them on this lonesome wall in my kitchen. I had several already, and purchased other back-issues from Ebay, so I could choose my favorite eight to frame... two rows of four. And, depending on the season or my mood, I could temporarily change them out. I have covers that range from goat cheeses, to heirloom corn, to Italian cookies to Indian spices.

Here's a big lot of 'em. Aren't they beautiful?

Next step: going to buy 8 frames and then getting Chaddy boy to hang 'em for me.

Some people hang covers of the New Yorker, I hang the back covers of Cooks. It's just the kinda gal I am.

Will post pictures when my project is done!

Why MPLT Should Not "Ebay"

2011-04-25T09:58:00.006-04:00

Bidding on items on Ebay is pretty much amazing. Unless you are Type-A like me and therefor prone to being:

1) Anxious

2) Competitive

Anxious and competitive people can be dangerous in a setting like Ebay. Dangerous to ourselves and others.

So I found the exact Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 30-30 SIP infant carseat plus TWO bases (same colors and everything) that I was registered for (and figured we'd end up buying for ourselves anyway), on Ebay last week. Bought in Dec. 2010, and barely used for 3 months by a NYCtier, and seller said the only way you could tell it's been used is there is one scratch on a sticker on one of the bases. Other than that, absolutely pristine condition. Buying new would cost us $330. I started my bidding on Ebay at her lowest offer: $120 last week.

Lesson 1 to novice Ebayer: Don't bid early.

But whateva. I was the only bidder for days and was convinced I was going to make out like a bandit with this sucka for $120. Needless to say, Friday night some other probably desperate, hormonal mama-to-be decided to duel and upped my ante. Price soared up quickly to $150. Winning = other mama.

I decided to not rebid until this morning (when the bidding closed.) With about an hour to go, I increased my max and was winning out at $180. Holllla. Was convinced this chick knew better than to step to me. (aka: why you can't be an competitive person on Ebay... we take this 'ish personal.)

Of course, homegirl decided to come at me again and jumped her max bid up to who knows what, so I knew that it was going to be down to the wire. I called Chad and confirmed he would let me raise my bid to $200 (knowing shipping is going to cost $30)... so that we'd still be saving $100. He told me to go for it.

So with 30 seconds left (aka: why you can't be an anxious person on Ebay... my heart was literally pounding out of my chest watching the Ebay clock tick down on my cell phone), I decided to up my bid to $200. However, in a moment of sheer genius --- which is what makes MPLT, MPLT --- I thought this other crazy probably bid right over $200, so if I really wanted to win, to bid like $202.50.

10...
9...
8...
7...
6...
5...
4...
3...
2...
1...

WINNER: MPLT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like you even had to guess.

Checked the bidding history - sure 'nuff OCM (other crazy mama) had put in her max bid at $200.99. I bet she's a crying hormonal mess on the phone with her husband that she lost out by a $1.50. I would hope her tears would be dried knowing she was going against a most worthy opponent. Unfortunately, she doesn't know that and will probably spend the rest of the day drowning her loss in a tub of Breyers Butter Pecan.

MPLT's Ebay Lesson to OCM:

MPLT's Ebay Lesson to MPLT:

He Is Risen

2011-04-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter, everyone.

A letter to my son

2011-04-22T12:34:00.002-04:00

Hello sweet boy,

Your mama has been a bit overwhelmed thinking about you these past few days. Almost two weeks ago I felt you move for the first time, and have been lucky enough to feel you every day since! Time to time, you'll give me a good kick during the morning or in the afternoon. But the evening is definitely our time together. I'll lay quietly in bed, rest my hand on my stomach, and sure enough within minutes I'll start feeling your steady movements. It is my favorite time of the day.

Now, you need to keep growing because your daddy is not to happy about the fact that he can't feel you kick yet. He's so patient to leave his hand on my stomach for minutes at a time in hopes he'll catch a good one. He thinks he might have felt one or two, but is ready for you to make it crystal clear for him. But you are good about pushing your weight against me so that your dad can feel where you are in my stomach. Last night we were sure we felt the curve of your little back pushed against me for a good couple seconds before you settled in. It's hard to believe in just a few short months, my hand will be resting on your actual back as you snuggle into my chest for the first time.

Do you know how much I love you, son? I've wanted a baby for some time, but it's a different feeling to want you - and not just any baby. I feel so bonded and close to the little being that you are already. Your mama had a hard time getting pregnant, and I was so scared for awhile that I would lose you. I became even more fearful after we lost your little twin brother or sister so early on. But, J, you are my fighter. I think you knew that you had to hold on for me and your dad. You stuck with me, and I'm so grateful for that.

I keep picturing what it will be like when I look at you for the first time. I try to imagine out of the millions of words in the dictionary, what words will form when I talk to you for the first time.

But I hope I remember to thank you.

I love you,
your mama

New food feature: My produce box

2011-04-21T09:50:00.003-04:00

So for probably about a year now, I've been realllllly interested in co-ops, CSAs and online farmer's markets. I'm not some crazy nut about my food - but I think it's increasingly important to know where your food comes from, what you're eating, how it was raised/made, and supporting local farmers. Mass-produced food only really became a big thing starting in the 60s (thank you, McDonald's) and has changed the way we eat... and not for the better. With the sudden and alarming rise of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. over the years, it's important to be making educated decisions about your food choices (especially if you're in charge of food within your family!)

During the warmer months, Chad and I are really good about going to our local farmer's market to get lots of fresh fruits and veggies. But during the the cooler months (or weeks where we're just too busy), we often end up falling into the rut of liking the convenience of going to a grocery store 5-minutes away.

But that didn't keep me from every couple of months looking at some local CSAs and wanting to try them. I would bring it up to Chad, he'd semi-listen and agree that it was interesting, but never really give me the "Yes! We should do it." that I was hoping for.

Finally, I decided - especially after he made the point that what we eat/cooking/buying food is my domain in the house - that I was done thinking about it and it's time to take action. One of my good friends joined a local "online farmer's market" - Papa Spuds - and I think I had been just as excited as she was every week to hear what goodies she got.

The way it works is you can pay (for the service we're getting) $23/week and with that we get 20 credits to buy fresh, locally/and-or/organically grown produce that is delivered weekly right to our doorstep. Then you choose whatever items you want to buy for your 20 credits - sample list here - from a variety of in-season veggies and fruits, plus meats, cheeses, breads and more... all either local and/or organic. The site gives you the option to filter by category, local-only, local-and-organic, organic-only, pesticide-free, etc.

Yes it might be a tad bit more than what you'd pay for in-store (assuming you'd buy local/organic anyway), but you get the added satisfaction that you are getting to choose exactly which farm your food is coming from and you are supporting local farmers with your purchase!

The reason I think/hope that the bit more in cost will be made up for, is that hopefully it will significantly decrease our trips to the grocery store, and thus purchases of stuff we REALLY don't need. We will eat for lunches and dinners what we have purchased for the week from Papa Spuds (perhaps with a few supplemental things from the grocery store - like pasta if we want to use that, grits, cereal, etc.). Especially now with our little boy coming in the next few months, I am even more determined that I want to know what my child is putting in his mouth - so I will be making my own baby food with produce that I know is organic and pesticide-free.

So why is this exciting for you? Because each Wednesday (I'll get my deliveries on Tuesdays), I'll post a picture of my produce box and let you know what I'm cooking for the week based on my box. During summer months, it will be easier to get produce that I'm used to working with, but - being the adventurous eater I am... and a husband that luckily will eat just about anything once - buying in-season will force me to pick items I'm not necessarily used to and hopefully learn new recipes to share!

If any locals in the Triangle area are interested in hearing more about Papa Spuds, holler at me. If you sign up thru PS using me as your reference, both you and I will get an extra 4 credits!

And for my non-local readers, I encourage you to explore if there are any groups like this close to your home!

Well heyyyyyy newbies!

2011-04-20T08:32:00.003-04:00

Over the past few weeks, my readership has shot up again. If you are new to MPLT: hello, welcome, I think you are beautiful and I'm glad you're here! If you are a fellow blogger, please feel free to leave me a comment with your blog or shoot me an email to myprettylittlethoughts @ gmail.com. I'd love to return the favor.

Also, please click my little "follow" button on the righthand side of the screen - I love to look at your pretty faces as I type to remember who I'm writing for.

A little bit about me for my new readers (which you can also see more of in the About Me section):

1- I promise I don't always talk about baby stuff. But baby has definitely been consuming my thoughts lately.

2- I promise I usually give you some good food/recipe info because... well... I love food. Hopefully I'll have a new food feature starting in the coming weeks. I'll keep you posted.

3- I do rant sometimes. I'm sorry. And it's worse now that I'm pregnant since my hormones are OOC (out of control.) But I really am a nice person... just ask LF.BP. if you don't believe me. But then again, she's hormonal too and can probably not be trusted.

4- If I get 10 more people to "officially" follow the blog, I'll convince Chad to guest post again. My husband is infinitely more funny than I am (or, at least, he thinks so).

5- I do write about Jesus. Hope it doesn't scare you. But I love that guy.

6- If for no other reason, follow my blog because I periodically post pictures of THIS guy... and, well, he's worth seeing.

Mom-To-Be Promise

2011-04-19T08:24:00.005-04:00

I know you should "never say never" when it comes to what you WON'T do when you become a mom, but I have a few that I realllllyyyyyyyy hope I keep my word on. If not, I have a couple girlfriends that I know would have no problem calling me out for one of these infractions:

1) Talking about my child's bowel movements on Facebook. Neither in this world or the next is any person other than me/myself/and/I interested in if, how often, where, what color, what consistency, etc. my child's pee or poop is... and I hope I'm never disillusioned enough to think otherwise. And that lead's me to #2...

2) I will never use the word "blowout" in a status message unless, perhaps, it refers to something that happened to my tire on the side of the interstate. Also, following a theme, leads me to #3...

3) Post pictures of said bowel movements/kid on potty/etc. on Facebook. Hey, way to mortify your kid 15 years down the road. People do realize that once something is put online... it is there FOREVER. Like this even needs to be said, but let those at STFUParents show you otherwise.

4) Be "soooooooooooooooooooooo busy" being a mom... yet having time to write status messages every 10 minutes about what I'm so busy doing. A girl I knew from high school would do this, and I finally ended up having to remove her as a friend because it would drive me absolutely crazy and I was scared one day I was going to blast her saying, "I bet you'd find a wholeeeeeee lot more hours in the day if you get the heck off Facebook."Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt being a mom is non-stop, 100% demanding job that exhausts you in a way you have never been exhausted before. But your credibly is lost when you find time to share it constantly on a social networking site.

5) Ooooh, I might ruffle feathers for this one... but I'm doing it. I promise to not bring my child out to a restaurant and let my child scream his/her head off for minutes on end without taking action. And action = bring his/her butt outside until they calm down, or leaving completely... if need be. So many people have the attitude "I shouldn't have to barricade myself at home just because I have a baby." No, no you don't. But if you're bringing your kid to a place whether other people are also going to enjoy an afternoon or evening out - I don't think it's fair to let your little one ruin it for everyone around them. My mom and dad had five of us kids -and they both maintain to this day that this constant screaming of kids (and their parents ignoring it) is not necessary. If we'd scream, we went outside. Period. If your kid is too young to behave, find a babysitter. Not everyone is as good as you are at drowning out your child's wails.

Those are my big ones at the top of my mind, so I just felt need to put it in writing. If there are any other things that new moms do that drive you C.R.A.Z.Y. please let me know.

Shopping and Storms

2011-04-18T11:12:00.007-04:00

Well, Saturday turned into quite the eventful day.

We will start with the most eventful part, and work our way back. Saturday late-afternoon, bad storms and tornadoes ripped through our (normally) peaceful neck of the woods. We rode out the actual storm at my parents house in their basement. We are extremely blessed to be able to say all our family (and respective houses) are safe... but many, many people were not so lucky. Tornadoes touched down a mile or less from both our house and my parent's house. So many homes and cars were destroyed, and many lost their lives. We continue to pray for those who are trying to put their lives back together after the storms.

Here's a pretty intense time-lapse video of the storm approaching downtown Raleigh. And here are some pictures of storm damage from around the area.

The day, however, started out much more lighthearted as me, Chaddy, my mom and mother-in-law headed out to Green Pea Baby to check out some baby gear and hopefully get my registry together. For anyone in the Triangle area with-or-expecting child, PLEASE check out Green Pea Baby. They are a precious baby boutique in historic downtown Apex that actually has a wonderful website as well (for those not so lucky enough to live in my neck of the woods.)

I was spoiled (despite a busy Saturday morning of shoppers) to get the nearly undivided attention of the store owner, Krista, for about 1.5 hours as she walked me around and personally wrote down all the things I should/wanted to register for so that she could later into them into the online registry. I'd like to say that the attention was because my sis and Krista's eldest daughter are longtime friends, but I have a feeling that Krista is just as dedicated to any customer that comes through her door. She was SO thorough in her explanations that you can tell not one item is picked for her shop without painstaking examination from Krista. (Which is a big relief for this first-time mommy.)

Krista spent tons of time talking over advantages of different strollers with us, but when we got down to the Peg Perego Pliko and the Baby Jogger City Mini, we were too carried away with the lightweight and transportability of the Baby Jogger City Mini to imagine another stroller for baby J! Even Chad was in love with it.

I begged and pleaded for Chad to let me order a black one, but "Mr. Practicality" wouldn't back down on the fact he thought a black stroller would by way to hot for ol' North Carolina... despite my argument that the material is super breathable. He said breathable or not, black material absorbs heat and his little baby wasn't going to be our taking walks in the Carolina summers in a black stroller.

Chad doesn't argue with me much, so I would have felt guilty choosing the black stroller for superficial reasons (i.e. - i'm a vanilla ice cream kinda girl and I like the simplicity of black) over the health (and body temperature) of our little boy. Bah.
Anyway, we decided to register for a light green one, which is nice and neutral and should suit us just fine.

Note: I DID win the argument that I can register for the black Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP 30-30 --- in Nero --- by promising that I wouldn't strap our baby into this "black death-trap" and leave him out in the sun. ;)

...little victories...

(And thank you to Krista for being patient as we had this argument in front of her.)

And while I was originally going to register for a good ol' Baby Bjorn, Krista walked me through why she MUCH preferred the Ergobaby Carrier... mainly for the fact that after the baby is about 15 pounds, the Baby Bjorn is simply not comfortable for mom and dad. Chad was a trooper and tried on that Ergobaby - since I have a feeling we'll be splitting the time wearing this thing 50/50 - and even requested the fake baby doll to sit in the thing so he could get the whole experience. We both agreed Ergobaby was the way to go... and wouldn't have known a thing about it were it not for Krista.

Among tons of other "little" things, we also found our crib at Green Pea! I love the simplicity of the look with the high-quality of the furniture (and had been wanting a white crib), so this one by Million Dollar Baby was a winner.
So all in all, the shopping experience (despite completely overwhelming Chad) was a huge success for all. Except, maybe not so much for my mom's credit card who left with a big ol' shopping bag of goodies for her grandbaby James and grandbaby-to-be.

So I could go on for way too long about how fabulous Krista and Green Pea Baby are (and no, I promise I'm not a paid spokesperson), but I tried to keep it as short as possible. But - even for those who aren't in my area - let this be a reminder to please please PLEASE support your local businesses. The customer service is a million times better, their products are more carefully tested and selected, and often times the prices aren't that much more than what you'd find in your big-box chain. Yes, their selection is more limited - but that's because they've taken away the options that they find aren't up to their quality standards (which I much prefer!). I could have walked around in Babies R Us or Target (or even 'nicer' ones like Pottery Barn Kids) for HOURS and not had a fraction of the experience I had at a local shop.

So, GO LOCAL!

Pregnancy Week by Week: 21

2011-04-15T09:11:00.005-04:00

Week 21Baby Size: Banana.
How I feel about being pregnant: Still feeling great! I've definitely popped in the last couple of weeks
Symptoms: None - feel good!
Food Cravings: Sigh... a sweet tooth has hit me. Luckily, I haven't had enough sweets around the house to tempt me. But I did have to beg Chad to let me eat one of his Reese's Easter Eggs (if you've read my previous post, you'd understand why I have to beg) one night.
What I'm most excited about: Still excited about starting the nursery - hopefully the week after Easter. While registering, I've found some bedding and decor stuff I love, so I'm excited about this new undertaking.
Something I've done to prepare for baby: Nothing I've done, but my sis-in-law brought me some clothes baby James has outgrown already (wahhhh from both of us) along with some newborn diapers. It just seems more real to have clothes hanging in the closet and diapers sitting under the bassinet. Now we're just waiting for the little mister to get here. Also, I (thank goodness) thought about registering for our labor and delivery class at the hospital yesterday... I had put it off so long there was only ONE weekend left between now and the due date offered at our particular hospital.
Special moment: Getting to feel the baby (and being sure about it) for the first time Sunday night, and every subsequent evening. It's awesome knowing he's in there!

Believe it or not, this is my last "week by week" post, since starting next week, we start measuring by months! Time is absolutely flying by.

Three cheers...

2011-04-14T08:13:00.005-04:00

... for my bro and sis-in-law putting up new pictures of baby James on Facebook.

No crappy week can withstand the cuteness of this face first thing on a Thursday.

{i.dont.care.what.anyone.else.says.my.nephew.is.the.absolute.cutest.baby.alive.ever.for.real.ever.}

It just seems unfair that James is here to play and his BFF cousin is still a couple months away...

Two things... only semi-related

2011-04-13T14:06:00.003-04:00

1) Baby is on the MOVE. Last Sunday night I began distinctly feeling baby J move around in my stomach. I've felt it every night since... and a few times during the day. I wouldn't describe it as a "fluttering" like many people do.... more like a massive movement in my stomach. Last night I felt huge pressure right in the middle of my stomach, and felt what was likely a head or back pushing against me for about 20 seconds. My stomach was hard as a rock... then when the pressure was removed, it felt back to normal. But it's been awesome to feel him moving... I'm just jealous Chad hasn't been able to feel anything yet.

2) Since Chad is turning the dirty 30 shortly after the baby arrives, I'm trying to go ahead and start planning his big pig pickin' bash ahead of time. While getting quotes for rental tables and chairs and menu requests from caterers, I've found what's REALLY important:

Matching onsies that Baby James and Baby J will be wearing for the party.

Rhetorical question...

2011-04-13T08:43:00.002-04:00

Ladies, does doing your makeup in the car really save you THAT much time in the mornings?!

I swear, 3 out of 5 mornings during the week, I'll be behind a woman who is putting on make-up in her car. Granted, it's usually while stopped at stoplights... but still.

How long DOES it take you to do your makeup?!

It takes me maybe 2-3 minutes from start to finish. I guess I could get an additional 2-3 minutes sleep if I decided to haul my make-up bag with me in the car. But really?!?!!?

It boggles my mind.

3 Years

2011-04-12T08:27:00.000-04:00

So here's how it went.

Chad and I met each other about 9 years ago.

We started dating about 5.5 years ago.

We got married 3 years ago, today.

We've had a lot of fun times since then.

I mean, A LOT of fun times.

And now we're making a person together. A real-life representation of our commitment to each other. A little piece of me and a little piece of Chad made into one perfect little boy. It's the craziest thing ever, I'll tell ya. He might have my hair and Chad's eyes. My smile and Chad's laugh. My ability to memorize rules of comma placement and Chad's ability to memorize comedy quotes. I bet he'll pout like I do when he doesn't get his way, and whine like his daddy does when he doesn't feel good. But he'll be ours. A baby "us." I'm so excited for it.

So happy anniversary to my sweetest husband. You are seriously the most wonderful and precious part of my life here on earth. I can't wait to grow a family together. I'll love you forever.

(Bad) 20 Week Bump

2011-04-11T10:34:00.004-04:00

Because I love you guys and have had numerous requests for an updated bump picture, I will put this gah-awful picture that Chad took of me yesterday before church.

I'm pale and squinty, but here it is nonetheless.

I had my regular OBGYN check-up this morning. Baby's heartbeat sounded fabulous and the doctor says everything is perfectly normal (growing a baby is the one time in your life that the words 'average' and 'normal' are music to your ears!)

And, at 20 wks 3 days, I've only gained 3 pounds since my last appointment which I believe puts me at a +2 lbs weight gain total. How did I celebrate? By happily accepting a "Hot Now" Krispy Kreme original doughnut brought to me by a coworker. For my readers who do not have a Krispy Kreme within driving distance - my sympathy is with you.

Ohhhhh

myyyyy

gosssshhhhhhhh.

I had forgotten how sinfully amazing those things are when they are hot and fresh. If left to my own devices, I could have easily polished off four. EASILY.

Happy Monday y'all.

Buy Now, Ask Permission Later

2011-04-08T10:18:00.008-04:00

I had been SO good to not shop for sweet baby stuff until we knew the gender. But now, the reigns are removed. Thanks to Zulily, I'm able to find some great items for Baby J for much less.

Zulily has daily emails (like Rue la la, HauteLook, etc. --- all of which I've unsubscribed from during my pregnancy... because, why tempt yourself when your body ain't gonna fit in it anyway) for moms and babies. And oooohmyyygoooosh so cute. If you want to join, use my referral link here.

Today's "Sweet Peanut Boy" shop tempted me too much to say no. Baby J now has...

this...

this...

and this...

...all on the way to our house. Each normally $30, now $15.

But I did exercise restraint. Because I could have easily added

this...

and this...

and this...
to my shopping cart. See Chaddy? I didn't do too bad!

Pregnancy Week by Week: 20

2011-04-08T08:33:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'm about to confuse you guys. Well, I've kinda confused myself. I've been doing my week-by-weeks by recapping what had happened the previous week. So, for example, on a Friday, when I'd turn 18 weeks, I'd title my post 17 weeks and write about how that previous week had been. But the more I've seen other people's blogs, I've learned I'm the only one who does it that way.

So today, when I'm 20 weeks, I'm going to PUT 20 weeks (which is much more logical), instead of 19 weeks with the previous week's recap.

Are you thoroughly confused yet? Good.

So yipppeeeeee! I'm 20 weeks today.... halfway there. Can you believe it? Here's what's up with baby boy this week:

Week 20
Baby Size: Cantaloupe. Man, how is this possible? I swear, just a few weeks ago you were the size of a raspberry!
How I feel about being pregnant: Loving this. Everything you hear about the second trimester is true - you feel a million times better and it flies by.
Symptoms: I've been too distracted by allergies to think about pregnancy symptoms.
Food Cravings: Not this week! But my appetite has definitely kicked in and hunger can strike in an instant.
What I'm most excited about: Hopefully starting the nursery in a couple weeks. And both your daddy and I are anxiously awaiting those first few kicks. Hopefully any time now.
Something I've done to prepare for baby: We bought baby J's bassinet! The first "big" thing for our little man. I've also slowly started to put together a registry. I'm starting to feel more productive by knocking a few things off my to-do list.
Special moment: I was snuggling with your daddy on the couch this week, and we were just laughing and having a good ol' time together (as we usually do.) It just warmed my heart the idea that you (being in me) get to be a part of that special time with us... and that when you come out, I bet you'll be used to the sound of our laughter. If there is one thing that your dad and I like to do together, it is laugh. I hope there is never a shortage of laughter in our house.

Fast Eddie and the Neti

2011-04-07T13:59:00.004-04:00

You know that we call my dad "Fast Eddie," right? If you met my dad, you'd immediately understand. My dad just is Fast Eddie. Whenever I talk about Fast Eddie at work, all my coworkers start to laugh because they can picture this "Fast Eddie" in their head. It's just such a fitting name for him... though I do let a 'daddy' slip out from time-to-time --- especially when I need something.

But anyway, my spring allergies have been KILLING me. Like they do every year. Pollen hates me and I hate it. While I usually don't mind doping myself up during allergy season (not that it ever seems to do a lick of good), with this little baby growing in me, I try to get by with as little medicine as possible (even medicine that is baby doctor-approved.)

So finally, after about 2 weeks of not being able to breath (and therefore not being able to sleep), I decided it was time to take action.

My dad, who is king of all crazy sorts of remedies, has always been a fan of the neti pot.

{not MPLT. Who smiles while doing this?!?!?!!?}

The neti pot terrified me though, since I can just picture nasty mucous-y salt water going down the back of my throat. So I've avoided the neti at all costs. But desperate times call for desperate measures. So I called up Fast Eddie yesterday and asked if he show me how to use the neti pot. And boy oh boy was he excited.

I went over after work yesterday and he had the "neti station" all set up for me in the bathroom. Neti pot, warm water, "neti salt", kleenex and a towel. He was like a doctor prepping for surgery. He gave me thorough (overly thorough) instructions and guided me through my first neti pot experience.

Fact: The water doesn't always immediately come right out your other nostril. Don't let this freak you out. I swear I had to keep my head bent over for about 2.5 minutes until it finally drained (just goes to show you how stopped up I was.) Of course, during these 2.5 minutes, Chad thought it would be a good idea to take video of me doing it without telling me (and I will murder him if he ever shows a soul.) But, please if you are ever having a bad day, YouTube search neti pot videos. You'll get hours of giggles.

But man oh man, the neti changed my life. I didn't gag once and never did water touch my throat. While I'm still blowing my nose from time to time, it is NOTHING like the last couple weeks. I actually slept through the entire night last night without waking up to blow my nose once. It was amazing. I'm a true neti fan now.

Thanks, Fast Eddie!

Our first big purchase...

2011-04-05T08:47:00.003-04:00

Baby J's bassinet!
Since our house is a two-story (with the master downstairs and nursery upstairs), we knew we'd be keeping the little peanut in our room with us for the first few months while I'm nursing frequently. This bassinet is precious and just the right size to get us through until we transition baby into his crib upstairs.

I think I finally...

2011-04-04T14:07:00.002-04:00

...found bedding.
Thank you Serena & Lily.

Let me tell you: finding crib bedding was a pain in the butt... for me at least.

Here's what I didn't want:

1) Anything "themed." No butterflies. No jungles. No elephants. No alphabet. No sports. No nautical. Here's the problem - 95% of nursery bedding has a theme. This is not to say I don't think it's not great for someone else... but personally, I want simple.simple.simple.

2) Anything that is super gender-specific. This also kinda ties in with the theme thing.

3) At the same time, I didn't want something "boy" that is really girlie. Although I liked the bedding from Land of Nod, even the boy stuff looked like something for a little girl... very floral-y.

With that said, there is very little left over. And, if you buy it from one of the major retailers, chances are you know lots of other people with the same bedding. Again, not that this is a big deal - but I wanted something a little different.

... plain, clean, high-quality material, but with a little pop of something. Which is why I think this Sprout bedding fits the bill - the little green piping and the dots on the crib sheet give it just enough character for me.

Pregnancy Week by Week: 18

2011-04-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Week 18Baby Size: sweet potato! Our little mister was measuring at 9 oz!
How I feel about being pregnant: Content and so, so happy.
Symptoms: Lots of cramps and growing pains. And I can do longer sit at my desk for longer than 30 minutes without taking a break to walk around... or else my tailbone starts to kill me. Heating pad on my lower back at night helps!
Food Cravings: I ALMOST said "no cravings" but I have a feeling Chad would have yelled at me about this since I DID make him go out and buy me java chip ice cream because if he didn't make me a java chip milkshake (daddy makes the BEST milkshakes by hand), I would have started crying. So I do believe that was my first REAL pregnancy (bad, bad, bad) craving!
What I'm most excited about: Planning the nursery for our son! Going shopping this weekend to hopefully get some ideas. I learned this week that I have an anterior placenta (which means my placenta is between the baby and my stomach), so it will probably be another couple of weeks until I start feeling more steady movements. I'm definitely ready for those first kicks... especially the ones that your dad will be able to feel!
Something sweet your daddy did for me: We drove separately to our doctor's appointment, and on the drive Chad called to tell me to turn my radio to a local station where Joe Cockers' "You Are So Beautiful To Me" was playing. It was sweet. Your daddy always makes me feel very loved and special.
Something I've done to prepare for baby: We 100% decided on your name! I'll call you baby J on the blog for now, since I'm not sure if we'll make it public before you arrive. But I love having your name so we can start talking to you using it! I talk to you every morning in the shower and lots throughout the day.
Special moment: Learning our little sweet pea was a son! We are SO excited for this little boy and can't wait to hold him in our arms. You are so special to us already!

This WILL be purchased this weekend

2011-03-30T14:49:00.002-04:00

I'm going shopping with my mama this weekend to pick up some things for the little man and nursery (since I've withheld until we knew the gender), but while I'm out...

... a stop by Anthropologie will be made where this milk bottle measure cups resides. They will be coming home with me, no doubt.

love.

J's Nursery: Inspirations

2011-03-30T09:15:00.000-04:00

So when I was thinking of a little baby girl, I had more ideas of what I could do decoration-wise.

But let me tell you, it didn't take me but 5 minutes to switch into boy-mode. And I couldn't be more excited.

Project Nursery has some great inspirations.

I think blue, white and green nursery is going to be happening for us. I know I said grey and yellow, but these have changed me otherwise...

Can you get over the cuteness of this room? Love the pattern with the accent wall:

And this Serena & Lily "Blake" bedding is to-die-for. And die is probably the right word because I think Chad would seriously do me bodily harm if I spent $400 on crib bedding without his permission (and trust me, I would NEVER get his permission):

Land of Nod has some cute bedding too:

And this PB Kids bedding is sweet and simple:

How cute are these pictures from Spot on Square!?!

They have a little pig one too that might need to make an appearance... Chad has a soft-spot for swine. ;)

I'm so ready!

A letter to my son

2011-03-29T08:35:00.004-04:00

{Written after our March 28th Doctor's Appointment}

My sweet little boy,

Your daddy and I got to see you again today. Like most of our ultrasounds so far, you were quite the wiggle worm... bouncing all around in my tummy. I can already tell you will be one high-energy little guy! Daddy and I were super patient and watched with the ultrasound tech as she slowly and carefully pointed out all your perfect little organs... the two chambers of your gorgeous heart, all four hemispheres of your brain, the kidneys, ribs, your beautiful spinal cord... and more.

And then, she got the perfect view. "You're having a boy!" Like your mama tends to do, I burst out crying. But not before I got to see the look in your daddy's eyes. And hear the excitement in his voice. We have a son! Wow. We are simply amazed and thankful.

Your daddy was the last of the Barnhill boys in his lineage... so you will have the honor of carrying on your father's name. How blessed we are to get to continue another generation of our family through you, my son. You are so lucky to have such strong men to look up to. Daddy is going to teach you all sorts of things. Silly ones like how to swing your first golf club and learning your multiplication tables and long-division (please don't ask your mama for this.) But also, important things like how to respect a woman and what it means to live life with honesty, integrity and compassion. Mostly, he'll show you through example the importance of being a godly man in every area of your life.

Your mama... well, son, I hope to teach you a thing or two along the way as well. But more than the teacher, I am going to be the one that will love you with every teeny ounce of my being every minute I'm alive on this earth. I vow to never let you go a single second without knowing that you are so beloved and cherished to me.

I don't how I'm going to wait another few months before I get to hold you in my arms. To look deep into your eyes. To touch your skin, and count your toes, and inhale your smell and kiss your head.

I can't wait to snuggle you up at night and read you bedtime stories.

I can't wait to watch you smile at me for the very first time.

I can't wait to hear your giggle.

I could go on forever, sweet boy, because it's a lifetime of things I can't wait for. So for now, I'll savor the time that is just yours and mine. The time where I get to carry you with me constantly, and know that our heartbeats are in rhythm together making the most gorgeous sound we've ever heard.

I love you, my darling boy,
your mama

The results are in!

2011-03-29T08:02:00.004-04:00

The family's guesses...

.... and the result...

...

...

...

And we celebrated with this:

Ready to meet you, sweet boy!

My best buddy

2011-03-25T11:24:00.008-04:00

Since I had a weak blog post this morning, I felt that you at least deserved a little somethin' somethin' of my favoritest little boy in the world.

...be still my heart... (in his hooded towel from Aunt Care)

... are you dying yet? (this was on the way home from the hospital... holding on for dear life)

... heart officially melted. (wondering about what his in-utero cousin is up to)

It is apparent baby Jamesy likes his blue binkie.

Chad and I are crossing our fingers for a baby girl at this point because I don't know how there can be another baby boy in the family as impossibly gorgeous as this one.

Pregnancy Week by Week: 17

2011-03-25T09:32:00.003-04:00

I don't have time to do a full survey this week - but yes, we're through week 17!I can tell the baby is growing a LOT this past week. I feel like my stomach has definitely grown, I've felt lots of growing pains and cramps, and my nausea and headaches have come back... even though they are mild.

We are SO excited for Monday morning when we get to find out the sex of our little precious baby. More than anything, I'm just happy to be able to see our baby again. It's been 6 weeks since our last ultrasound, so I can't wait to see how much he/she has grown.

We're having a little party for family on Monday night to announce the gender, so you guys will have to wait until Tuesday for the big news. ;)

Have a great weekend!

The Firestorm Behind "Love Wins"

2011-03-24T11:15:00.001-04:00

Maybe it's because I live in the Bible belt of the south, but the news of megachurch pastor Rob Bell's new book "Love Wins" is making headlines locally and causing quite a stir in the evangelical world. Check out the big AP article going around here.

The book isn't available yet, so I can't speculate on the full text, but the premise that Bell is promoting (smart move... marketing it early with the controversial) questions whether or not there is a hell, and how is it fair that only Christians go to heaven --- when they are such a small portion of the world's population.

Many Christians are up in arms over Bell's claim. But I have to honestly ask them, "Have you not questioned it too?"

Before we get into it, let me start by saying that I am always worried about putting too much "Jesus talk" into my blog... because I don't want to ostracize those with different beliefs than mine. (And I hope my readers of different faiths/backgrounds know that I not only respect your ability to disagree, but I warmly welcome it. I wish there was more open, honest and respectful dialogue between people of different faiths.) So while it might make me uncomfortable at times, I don't believe in hiding my beliefs either. And I don't think there are enough of us that are willing to stand up and speak on our faith (respectfully) for exactly that reason. We don't like to ruffle feathers. The REAL reason those "coexist" bumper stickers are so popular: because it's easier to pretend that we all believe the same thing than it is to respectfully argue our differences. You will not meet one Muslim who would argue that Allah is the same entity as our God. Why should Christians feel like we need to? I could do a whole other blog post on that, but I'll refrain for now... since this post will likely be long enough, as is.

So back to the book and topic at hand... I think Christians do ourselves a disservice by pretending that we never question what the Bible stays. Let me make it clear - that does NOT mean I don't believe what the Bible says. I don't believe you can pick and choose what parts of the Bible you choose to believe and shy away from the ones that make you uncomfortable. I take the warning in the end of Revelation very, very seriously - we do not add anything to the Bible and we do not take anything away from it. I believe the Bible is divinely inspired and there is no "reworking" what it says to make us more comfortable with its words.

But I'll be the first to tell you, there are things in the Bible that are hard for me to comprehend. I struggle with the same thoughts most of us believers, if they are honest enough to admit it, do (or should). I think we'd be hardpressed to find a honest Christian who can say without reservation that they have no questions about the Bible. That they don't have any things they want cleared up for them when they enter heaven one day. And God doesn't expect us to!!!!! Why we put on this "gameface" for God that we - without reservation - accept what He says is silly to me. He knows our heats. He knows we struggle. He WANTS us to struggle. We're not pushing ourselves spiritually if Christianity comes "easy" to us. There is nothing easy about it. Unfortunately, here in America, Christianity has worked its way into our secular culture. Most people identify themselves as Christian because they have embraced the cultural and moral norms associated with the faith. Again... tangent --- that could be a whole other post again.

The point is, the whole idea that nonbelievers who are wonderful people might not go to heaven BOTHERS me. It should bother all Christians. It's a hard statement.

But here's the great part:

I AM NOT JUDGE.

Neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr in the Bible does God give any inkling that He wants us to do His job for him. No sir, He is more than capable to decide on the fate of His beloved children allllll by himself. He does not need, nor want, my two cents in the matter. I don't get to judge the fate of others. THANK GOODNESS for that or those people at the Dunkin Donuts in Apex who would ALWAYS be out of decaf coffee when I'd stop in on the way to work would be in troubbbbleeeeee.

The fact is, I'm no biblical scholar - but I have been exposed to God's Word from a young age and have been actively studying it for the past 5+ years. What I've gained from it, is more confidence that in God is the absolute perfect balance of grace and truth. The times I struggle with the truth part of it, I remember God's grace. The times I get too wrapped up in grace (and there is such a thing), I have to remind myself of God's truth. You don't get one without the other. They are gloriously weaved together.

So from what I've experienced through God's word and in my own life - I am okay with admitting that "I don't know" some things. I know what God's word says about them.... and I will never deny His words. But that doesn't give me the right to judge someone else. Only God knows someone's heart. And he rules with grace and truth. And honestly, that is good enough for me.

I just wish more people in the church would feel comfortable enough to do the same. The judgmental attitude we see in the majority of today's churches is NOT biblical. We have every right (and the responsibility) to tell people what the Bible says about things, but we should NEVER be judge and jury on someone's life. And on the other end of the spectrum, I see a scary number of churches that are playing quite liberally with the Word of God. Churches who are afraid to speak the truth, and only want to show God's love and grace ... which is where I see this book going.

With God, you just aren't going to get one without the other.

I know this one is a doozy, so anyone who wants to delve more deeply into this than simply leaving a comment are more than welcome to email me at myprettylittlethoughts at gmail.com.

Humbled

2011-03-23T10:43:00.003-04:00

For this child, I have prayed. - I Samuel 1:27

I've said it so many times. And tried to express it so many ways. The fact simply is that I'm simply humbled by the love and grace so many people gave us during a very difficult season of our lives.

I don't think anyone - myself including - can truly understand how many people prayed for Chad and I to have a baby for so very long. I bet I could list out without thinking at least a hundred people that I know have been committed to praying for us. My friends told their friends who told their friends to be praying for us. People told their mamas, sisters, cousins and church families. Entire small groups were praying for us. People who don't even know us, have been praying for us. People who don't even normally PRAY have been praying for us.

And prayers in every which way. Some - like my Bible study girls and my dear friend Dru from church - wanted to literally place their hands on me and call for a miracle under the name of a mighty God. Some who would send me text messages and emails before and after every major appointment (so thankful for you M.J.B., J.P.A. and A.H.B.) Some - like our couples Bible study group - who would listen every week to our struggles and lift them in prayer for us. Some who prayed for me without speaking a word to me about it - I've had so many after I announced our pregnancy who have said that they have been praying for us since the beginning.

Like I said - humbling.

This child, before it was even conceived, has been absolutely bathed in prayer.

It absolutely moves me to tears every time I think about it.

Because when we finally got the news we were wanting so desperately to hear - WE ARE PREGNANT - the aftermath was incredible. This wasn't just our answered prayer.... this was THEIR answered prayer too. So many people were able to be a part of the blessing. And it was evident.

The look in my mother and mother-in-law's eyes when we told them the news. They had battled this nasty thing called infertility right alongside us since the beginning with the love and ferocity only a mama could have.

How my brothers and sisters felt a weight that they had carried for so long had been taken off their shoulders too. No one shares joys and burdens like your family.

The way one of my very best friends (and the fighter-when-I-didn't-have-strength-to-fight by my side for the past two years) burst into heartfelt tears.

The shrieks of joy from friend after friend after friend when they heard the news.

The number of people who had tears stream down their face once they learned of our answered prayer.

Incredible. We got to watch it all. We've heard all your stories.

I'm so grateful for you. I'm so thankful you were able to be a part of our miracle. Let no one ever try to convince you that God does not hear our prayers. Let me assure you from personal experience, He most certainly does. It might not be in the manner we thought... or the timing we intended... or the way we saw it happening. It might not even be the answer we want. But dear friends, He does hear you.

First Freakout

2011-03-22T13:31:00.003-04:00

I've been surprisingly (considering I'm quite the control freak) calm for most of my pregnancy. Other than a few hiccups at the beginning, things have been pretty smooth sailing for us and the baby.

But for whatever reason, today I've just felt completely overwhelmed.

Work has been busy, I've had a couple of "sick days" --- nausea and migraines which I am attributing to the fact this baby is g-r-o-w-i-n-g, so I know that's not helping.

But I gave myself through my first trimester to really not think about anything in terms of baby. No picking nursery paint, looking at strollers/carseats/bottles, nothing. I wanted to enjoy being pregnant before allowing myself to be consumed with decision-making.

I've actually felt guilty when people have asked me "oh, have you thought about so and so..." because I HAVEN'T.

But now, at almost 18 weeks along (and a couple weeks away from being halfway there), I just feel like I'm so behind. I feel like I have 8934573948573 decisions to make and I just know the next couple months are going to fly by.

I guess what I'm more scared about is I'll be in such a rush to make a decision to have it "done" that I'll choose wrong. I know it's silly. I know it's probably 90% hormones 10% me talking. But I'm just such a decisive person. Even with wedding planning, I look back and think of things I would have done differently had I just taken more time to THINK. But I'm a do-er... always have been. I like to get things checked off the list so I can move along to the next thing. In a lot of ways, this is a great attribute to have. But it can also cause problems.

The thing is, there is no "trial run" for having a baby. With marriage, you have the whole few-years-of-dating thing to proceed it. You kinda know what you're going to expect.

But for a baby? You're just kinda flying by the seat of your pants.

Next week this becomes more real for us. In six days, we'll know if this sweet little being growing in me is our son or daughter. I'm trying to just take some deep breaths and focus on one day at a time.

We'll get there.

(PS: In the middle of writing this post, Chad called to let me know he just got off the phone with the landscaper about some things we wanted to have done in the yard. Once he told me the cost, I burst out into hysterical tears and told him I can't handle it. I'm prettttttyyyyy sure he regrets making that call. Thank goodness I have an office, not a cubicle, because my coworkers would have looked at me like I was nuts.)

Pregnancy Week by Week: 16

2011-03-18T08:33:00.000-04:00

Week 16

Baby Size: avocado --- yum!
How I feel about being pregnant: I've had another great week of feeling well. I have so much anticipation for the coming weeks as the baby gets bigger and we'll have more milestones - finding out the sex, feeling the baby's movements, etc. It's a really exciting time that has made the 14+ weeks of nausea completely worth it!
Symptoms: Still feeling great! Lots of little cramps which reminds me that the baby is growing super fast!
Food Cravings: No real cravings this week... eating like normal.
What I'm most excited about: Finding out the sex in a little over a week - Hard to believe!
Something I've done to prepare for baby: Daddy and I spent Saturday afternoon organizing the room we selected as your nursery. We had a bunch of random stuff in boxes in that room from the move (it was sort of our catch-all room), but we made a LOT of progress in there! Just a few little things left to move. Then, hopefully in two weeks we can start decorating!
Special moment: Getting to hear the baby's heartbeat on Monday, definitely. I love this little one so much already and cannot wait for August to be here!

...and here's my 6 week, 6 day bump picture from yesterday! Sorry for the squinting --- it was a bit bright out!

Week 16 Check-up

2011-03-15T13:19:00.002-04:00

Things have been super busy around work as of late, but wanted to give a quick update on our little baby bean.

I had a routine check-up with my OB yesterday, and everything looked great. These appointments are pretty quick - come in, pee in a cup (to test for protein in your urine), get weighed (I'm down one pound since I got pregnant, so in the coming weeks I should start gaining steadily), get your blood pressure checked and listen to the baby's heartbeat.

Chad didn't come this time - since there was really no reason for him to be there - but I'm sure he was a little jealous he didn't get to hear the baby. It's been four weeks since our last appointment, and it is always so reassuring to hear the baby and know everything is a-okay!

Our bean is still quite the wiggle worm - the moment our OB would find the heartbeat, we'd hear a woosh, and then the doc would have to find it again. He said we have quite the active baby and it just didn't feel like sitting still. I have no doubt about this after seeing the last ultrasound!

Just two more weeks til our next "big" appointment where we'd do an ultrasound that will scan the baby's anatomy... and obviously find out if we have a little son or daughter! We are BEYOND excited, and I can honestly say I don't care one way or another what we're going to have. (Though I will say, my nursery plans are a lot more far along in the event it is a little baby girl.) I'm just ready to know for sure!

Pregnancy Week by Week: 15

2011-03-11T08:22:00.004-05:00

Week 15
Baby Size: navel orange
How I feel about being pregnant: This was an interesting week - since obviously I got to experience Molly's whole delivery ordeal. It just made the whole thing very real to me. So I'm a little bit more nervous now, but also much more excited. I hope the next five months just fly by!
Symptoms: Hoorah - I had a reallllllly good week. Every night when I lay down I have heartburn, but it's not too bad. But all in all, I have been good in terms of nausea and headaches. I have been having lots of round ligament pain - which is like short, sharp cramps which just mean my uterus is continuing to grow and expand.
Food Cravings: There is NOTHING better on this planet than a ruby red grapefruit. Not the cheap variety, but the the $2/grapefruit variety that makes Chad give me the raised-eyebrow when I put more than three in a bag. I've always loved grapefruit, but they are definitely my favorite thing to eat now. I'd eat one every hour if I could! I've also been a big fan of cereal (which is the perfect way for my to get in my milk+DHA) - so this week I've been on a Crispix kick.
What I'm most excited about: Having baby James here just got me really excited thinking about our own little baby and how hopefully they will grow up being the bestest of friends. I'm so thankful Mike and Molly live so close (and hopefully will remain so), so that our kids will be able to grow up together.
Something I've done to prepare for baby: Learning vicariously through Molly right now. Baby, me and you have got a lot to learn still!
Funny moment: Nothing that was particularly funny per-say, but it was a bunch of FUN having both sides of our family and Molly's family at the hospital last Friday waiting for James. Our families get along so well - so we had a grand old time waiting for James to get here!
Special moment: Obviously, seeing James and holding him for the first time was just beyond special for me. But another special moment came is last Friday night while Chad and I were driving home from the hospital, after the baby arrived. It was an emotional night for everyone, so I think we were both really drained. But Chad said how he realized for the first time tonight that he'd been really stuck thinking about all the things that would change in our lives with a baby - lack of sleep, no more spur-of-the-moment plans, etc. But after watching Mike look at James for the first time, he realized that none of those things would matter any more. All he would care about is our little baby. Nothing else would even come close to that. So that was a special conversation. We're so ready for our little baby to be here and to change our lives forever!