Wednesday, February 27, 2013

35-36 weeks- Mom visits, One Month To Go!!!

Here we are at 36 weeks! Mike took the picture so I don't look completely goofy. We just got back from the doctor- got to do a quick ultrasound today to check positioning. The girl is continuing her trend of being completely normal and average. She is head down and progressing normally! The doctor is projecting a 7.5-8 lb baby. That was music to my ears.



Mike and I went to baby class this past weekend. It was... meh.... we got some good information, and a tour of the unit and delivery room etc, but otherwise I wasn't that impressed. Not that we already knew everything, that's not it, we certainly don't know everything. It was just not that helpful. We did get to practice diapering, bathing and swaddling a really frightening baby doll!


We got so much done this week... and by "we", I mean "mom". Mom arrived on Thursday of last week, and I got a nasty cold on Thursday which became worse on Friday. So, Mom took it upon herself to help us out tremendously. She FILLED our freezer top to bottom. We have lots of quick defrost meals that will feed us quickly and easily when the sweet girl arrives.

Then she worked on 2 major Blueberry room projects- the dust ruffle and the chair slip cover. They both look absolutely awesome. Mom did so much creative work while she was here- she really did a great job of caring for us.

The ruffle is pink, blue and green stripes. The green matches the chair and the blue matches her dresser. 

The color is actually a pastel green. This shot doesn't do it justice.

This is a picture of the clothes mom brought for the Blueberry. They fill the bed. There are things that she wore, I wore and new things... we went through them and culled it down to a reasonable amount. I haven't bought the little one any clothes yet... I am guessing I probably won't have to. 
This has been a time of tremendous gifts. My work colleagues threw me a surprise shower. It was absolutely lovely and they were so generous. They made it have a blueberry theme!!



Over the last few days, we have been getting a package a day with Blueberry gifts! We can't believe how kind everyone has been. Gifts have come from all over the world and from family and friends. Mike and I are so thankful. We both can't believe the outpouring- to say we are thankful doesn't seem to be enough. It's truly incredible. I can't wait for the sweet girl to meet everyone.

We officially have everything we need to bring the lovey home from the hospital. Now all we need is her!


Saturday, February 16, 2013

34 weeks

Here we are at 34 weeks! We had a doctor appointment yesterday. The baby seems to be growing well and the doctor is kinda predicting that she will be normal size, as I am gaining weight at normal rates and my belly measures 33cm. We go to baby class all weekend, which will be good. We are looking forward to learning about all this ... stuff. And we get to spend the whole weekend together. 

I have been feeling pretty good. I am tired constantly now, and am getting aches and pains. I struggle to put my shoes on, thanks to my belly. Slip-ons it is! Baby girl is kicking me in the ribs all the time. I want her scoot down, just a bit. But I guess she doesn't have enough space...

This is my "tent shirt". It's really comfortable, but also really "tent-like".
It looked cuter on the model online, but it's really really comfortable. 

I think the neck bow makes it somehow simultaneously
more work appropriate and makes me look even more pregnant.

We didn't do a big Valentines day celebration, we just stayed home and enjoyed being together. I made steak for the first time! Usually we put it on the grill and Mike does it, but I did it in a skillet and browned it and then put it in the oven for about 8 minutes.



Below is a picture of a Nigella Lawson pie- it was seriously just about the easiest cheesecake pie thing that I have ever made. It was 2 rectangles of cream cheese, about half a large jar of Nutella and a graham cracker crust.  Mix, stick into the fridge for like 2 hours. Holy delicious, batman. 



Here's the final book wall!! I am so proud of it!!


We got a Blueberry gift today- from our darling friend Tanja from Switzerland. I am so excited about the baby bjorn. It arrived on Tanja's birthday- what a great friend to give us a gift on her birthday.


Friday, February 8, 2013

33 weeks- accomplishing some baby room projects!

This week, I finished two major projects for the Blueberry's room. The first was her library shelves. I bought some moulding, which normally goes around doors. Then I got some 3 inch by 1/2 inch wood. My little brother was very helpful when I called him from Home Depot, where I had been standing in front of the moulding section for like 45 minutes. 


Then I bought some cherry stain to match the crib, and some polyurathane. I am really proud of myself because this project took 4 days. And I was really patient, I took all 4 days. I glued the shorter shelves with Titebond. With the longer shelves, I had to nail them together because it's possible the wood I purchased was cheap and thus warped. 


Here is the final product! There will be 4 shelves. 


Mike doing the hand modeling. 


We put her crib together a week ago. Mike picked it out and it really looks beautiful. 



In this picture, you can see the mobile I made and the new corner shelves. Mike hung the shelves while I was at work earlier in the week. On the top shelf are a few keepsakes, a few little things from my mom and a picture of Mike's great grandfather's signature, which says "God is love". On the second shelf, are her beautiful silver Noah's Ark bank from Margaret and Bob. Also on that shelf are baby pictures of Mike and I, just so she can have some goals for how cute she should work to be. We haven't decided what goes on the 3rd shelf, but currently, it holds our very precious teddy bears.


This is the final mobile! It's butterflies because they remind me of my grandmother. On the year anniversary of her death, I was talking on the phone to my aunt, sitting outside of my internship at Wright-Patterson in Ohio, talking about how much we missed Grandma. I started to cry and a butterfly came and landed on my knee. I felt my Grandma in that moment and ever since, butterflies have had a special meaning to me. I wanted to share that love and protection that I felt that day with the sweet girl. 


Here are our respective childhood bears- Mr. Kawawa and Sleepy Bear. They will watch over the squirt. Who am I kidding. Sometimes when Mike is out of town I still sleep with Mr. Kawawa.