showered with love

this past weekend we were again showered with love at our second baby shower and blessed to have gathered with friends and family from near and far - from across the state of pennsylvania! it was another emotional day and i feel so grateful to everyone that attended, and even to those who sent their well-wishes or gifts, because they couldn't be with us. our little boy is so loved already! thank you to everyone... thank you, thank you, thank you!

how far along?  34 weeks

development:  the little man is the size of a butternut squash, measuring between 17.2 and 18.7 inches and weighing between 4.2 and 5.8 pounds. his lungs, brain, and central nervous system keep rapidly developing, and his immune system is getting stronger as he is using my antibodies to help construct his own. his liver is not quite functioning to adult levels, so it wouldn't be uncommon for him to have slight jaundice (skin with a yellowish tinge) at birth. his eyes can also distinguish between light and dark now. we were told in our child care class that the last 4 weeks before birth are most important for brain development, so hopefully he stays content til around march 18 like he's supposed to.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  yep! 

sleep?  been sleeping through most nights lately, thank goodness

stretch marks?  not too many

best moments this week:  baby shower!  •  seeing family and friends that we really shouldn't go so long in between seeing  •  spending time in the mister's room and starting to fill up that closet of his  

miss anything? not too much

movement:  his movements have been a lot more often, and they're usually sweeping movements rather than jabs and kicks, now that he's slowly maxing out his space

food cravings:  not really craving much

anything making you queasy or sick? no

gender:  boy… "only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." ~t.s. eliot

pregnancy symptoms:  not too much to complain about  •  no real swelling in my hands or feet  •  i've had my moments, but pregnancy brain has not gotten the best of me  •  tiredness

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  mostly happy, a little emotional from time to time

looking forward to:  trip to ikea for odds and ends this weekend  •  warmer weather!  •  celebrating our niece's first birthday soon - can't believe it was a year ago that we were holding a newborn. and a little over a year later, it'll be our own!  •  hearing about the newest member of our family's birth - my cousin's baby boy due on february 24, just three weeks before our babe!
notes from dad: "Can't wait!"

"Can't wait!" - usually a joke saying Karin and I share, now its a true feeling. I cant wait!!! I find myself thinking more and more about our little man's arrival. I have spent tons of time in the nursery looking and thinking. Playing it all out in my head! I can't wait! I can't wait to hold him! I can't wait to play with him! The last couple weeks with baby care classes, nursery finishes, little man is all i think about. Top it off with another fantastic shower, its all been so awesome! I also have realized through our pregnancy how much our little guy will be loved. I can't wait till he finds out for himself! Can't wait!

^^^ welcome! remembering the small details of our mustache themed "little man" shower...

^^^ hand made baby bibs, made with love by grandma… deliciously good cake, "a little man is on the way"… shower favors in mustache-clad snack boxes and mustache confetti

^^^ our babe will be sporting lots of bears gear!

to do list:

- figure out daycare

- decide on our babe's name (first name, check. middle name, pretty sure of)

- wash and organize baby clothes, bedding, etc.

- pack hospital bag (started my list and have a few things prepped)

- make appointment to be sure our car seat is properly installed

- attend hospital tour and two child care classes

- write out birth plan and pre-register at hospital

- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, paperwork etc.

- prepare frozen meals for post baby boy

- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther… we've been close these past 10 years, lol)

- write thank you notes for gifts received from our family baby shower in chicago
- write thank you notes for gifts received from our most recent baby shower

just six more weeks!!

big 33

how far along?  33 weeks

development:  the babe is weighing in around 4.2 to 5.8 lbs and measures 17.2 to 18.7 inches. the coming weeks mark a time of astounding growth (about half a pound a week) and brain development. the pupils of his eyes can now adjust to light, and his lungs continue to develop.
this week, thebump.com compares his growth to a durian, which i'm betting not too many people are familiar with - i know i wasn't. it's apparently a stinky, tropical fruit found in thailand, malaysia, indonesia and other parts of southeast asia. 

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  some, yes 

sleep?  been sleeping ok at night, trying to rest as i need it

stretch marks?  maybe a few on my hips

best moments this week:  child care class  •  picking out blinds and shelves for the closet  •  assembling the crib (just need a mattress now)

miss anything? enjoying a cold highlife with the hubby… ahhh, the champagne of beers!

movement:  pretty consistent movement... most of the time it's pretty tame, but there have been times where i'm startled as to how violent a quick movement seems! i've read that he could be moving hundreds of times per day now.

food cravings:  not really craving much, except maybe ice cream. been kind of indifferent to food lately.

anything making you queasy or sick? no

gender:  boy… "sons are the anchors of a mother's life." ~sophocles

pregnancy symptoms:  being generally uncomfortable most of the time  •  restlessness in the evenings

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  mostly happy, a little emotional from time to time

looking forward to:  pulling all of the babe's stuff out of the garage closet and finding a home for everything  •  our baby shower this weekend, seeing friends and family and celebrating our babe!  •  trip to ikea soon for odds and ends  •  warmer weather!

to do list:
- figure out daycare
- decide on our babe's name (his first name is pretty much set… trying out middle names)
- wash and organize baby clothes
- pack hospital bag (started my list and have a few things prepped)
- make appointment to be sure our car seat is properly installed (yes, we have one - received as a gift!)
- attend hospital tour and two child care classes
- write out birth plan and pre-register at hospital
- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, paperwork etc.
- prepare frozen meals for post baby boy
- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther… we've been close these past 10 years, lol)
- write thank you notes for gifts received from our family baby shower in chicago

^^^ loving our stroller and car seat travel system, can't wait to use it!

33 weeks down, just seven more to go... seven! march 18 will be here before we know it!

live love squash

how far along?  32 weeks

development:  the babe is now the size of a squash, weighing between 2.5 and 3.8 pounds and measuring 15.2 to 16.7 inches. i don't know what kind of a weirdo squash this is below, but i'm following what thebump.com is telling me each week, lol. we passed the pineapple stage last week, at 31 weeks. by now, all of his senses are fully developed, and he's going through major brain, nerve and eye development - his irises now react to light! the ovia app on my iphone says that one of his favorite activities now is sucking on his thumb, which improves coordination and familiarizes him with his own body.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  yes! 

sleep?  been sleeping ok at night, trying to rest as i need it

stretch marks?  maybe a few on my hips?

best moments this week:  lots! - picking out carpet for the babe's room  •  hospital tour  •  family dinner, and being surprised with gifts and time celebrating our babe-to-be  •  doctor's appointment - hearing his heartbeat and checking in on the growth of my belly!  •  child care class  •  saturday morning sleeping in and homemade buttermilk pancakes  •  receiving the crib we ordered

miss anything? laying on my belly  •  wearing 'normal' clothes - i feel like i'm constantly pulling my pants up and my shirts down to make sure everything's covered

movement:  pretty consistent movement, usually feeling him on my upper right hand side

food cravings:  nothing really crazy. glad to see that giant is still carrying the chocolate soy milk i love in the mornings - i thought they were going to discontinue it

anything making you queasy or sick? no

gender:  boy… "prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish, and someday, you will be a real boy." ~the blue fairy from disney's "pinnochio"

pregnancy symptoms:  back aches  •  feeling large, but no swelling in my feet (thank goodness)  •  restlessness while relaxing on the couch in the evenings  •  a mind that won't stop thinking sometimes at night

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  mostly happy

looking forward to:  seeing the babe's room come together  •  finishing out the second of two child care classes  •  our next baby shower in a week and a half!

notes from dad: keeping busy working on the baby's room!

^^^ my fender pup... eight more weeks of this desk view 

^^^ selfie... oh so delicious and cute cake, celebrating with family!

randomness:

last week's evenings were busy, consumed with grocery shopping, a labor & delivery tour at the hospital, carpet shopping and lengthy conversations about daycare. i found myself somewhat emotional towards the end of our tour at the hospital, seeing labor & delivery and then the maternity floor where we'll be spending the first few days of our boy's life. we're keeping busy with things around the house and our minds are full of things to be weighed and decided on!

feeling grateful for family and friends that are surrounding us at this special time in our lives - i feel like i can't say it enough. it really means a lot to us that so many are supporting us, showering us with gifts, but most of all their love for us and our little one.

today's appointment at the doctor went really well, considering the doc seemed hurried, which kind of annoyed me. everything is checking out great - my blood pressure, the babe's heartbeat, the measurement of my belly and his positioning. since i feel his movements most in the upper right part of my belly, the doc said that's likely where he's doing his kicking and his head is down (where he should be for delivery and will probably stay like that since he's getting bigger and that's the most comfortable position for him). my belly is measuring right around where it should be - i felt lucky i managed to get this bit of information out of the doc that i found interesting and hadn't known before: measurement height in centimeters from top to bottom of my belly (called fundal height) should roughly equal the number of weeks pregnant, give or take 2 cm. today measured 32 cm, right on where it should be, considering we're at 32 weeks (so it could have been between 30 cm and 34 cm).

appointments from now on: the next two will be within the next month, two weeks apart from each other (feb. 3 and feb. 17), and then one appointment a week during the final month.

tonight's two-hour child care class was the first of two that we'll attend. obviously we can't learn everything there is to know about caring for a newborn over the course of four hours, but i think it's a good start. we covered feeding, cleaning and bathing tonight - it was pretty general, but informative and something i'm glad we're doing.

the babe's room is coming together... it's now painted two shades of grayish blue. we purchased a remnant of carpet which we love, some fairly inexpensive padding and anthony picked out the trim and is in the process of painting it. i have to get busy making/hemming the curtains.

to do list:
- figure out daycare (i think we're leaning toward one - just have to finalize it)
- decide on our babe's name (his first name is pretty much set… trying out middle names)
- wash and organize baby clothes
- pack hospital bag (started my list and have a few things prepped)
- make appointment to be sure our carseat is properly installed (yes, we have one - received as a gift!)
- attend hospital tour and two child care classes (one down!)
- write out birth plan and pre-register at hospital
- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, paperwork etc.
- prepare frozen meals for post baby boy
- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther… we've been close these past 10 years, lol)
- write thank you notes for gifts received from our family baby shower in chicago

32 weeks down, just eight more to go!

making this a new year to remember

how far along?  29 weeks

development:  baby w is between 15.2 and 16.7 inches long and is weighing between 2.5 and 3.8 lbs, about the size of an acorn squash or a pineapple. he's still slowly packing on the weight, his muscles and lungs are continuing to mature and his brain is developing rapidly.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  yep!

sleep?  i've not had a good night of uninterrupted sleep, although i probably shouldn't expect it... been tired lately.

stretch marks?  nothing yet

best moments this week:  lots of family time  •  christmas and baby shower celebrations! 

miss anything? sleeping on my stomach and back

movement:  yes, since visiting the doctor a week and a half ago i've been trying to keep count of the number of times the babe kicks me - the doctor said that i should be consciously taking count at least once a day, and i should be feeling at least 10 kicks during the course of 2 hours. obviously he's more active at certain times than others, so sometimes it's been 10 kicks within just a few minutes. in the past few days, i've noticed more slow actual motions rather than quick kicks.

food cravings:  nothing crazy 

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  all boy… "little boys are just superheros in disguise." ~ art moms

pregnancy symptoms:  back and hip pains. trying to sleep with a pillow between my legs for the most part, which helps a little. i pretty much wake up throughout the night with hip pain on one side, and have to roll over to the other side.

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy

looking forward to:  making this a new year to remember!

notes from dad:  i've been to my first shower. turns out i didn't need the shower cap, but instead a bigger car. karin and i are blown away by the amount of love and thoughtfulness we've received, and there's only more to come. the start of a new year, a year that will change our world immensely. 

we were so lucky to have such a fabulous baby shower thrown for us by family in chicago. it was overwhelming, the amount of love shown and well wishes given. i met some very beautiful ladies that i had only previously heard plenty of, and visited once again with those whom i've known for the past 10 years. it was an emotional day and one that i will remember for a long time. i am so thankful to everyone that attended and shared our special day, and especially our loving sister, mother and aunts who made it all possible.

^^^ sweets table, complete with owl cupcakes and oreo cookie truffles

^^^ adorably cute owl centerpieces made by rachell from diapers, bibs, washcloths and burp cloths 

we tentatively have our babe's full name picked out, although we won't share it until he's born. we've had so many people tell us that we may not know if the name suits him until we see him. we also would like to keep it a surprise, so we can introduce our son to you all properly (or as properly as technology allows us these days, rather than in person) lol.

to do list:
- figure out daycare
- wash and organize baby clothes
- pack hospital bag
- attend hospital tour and child care classes (already scheduled for january)
- write out birth plan and preregister at hospital
- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, etc.
- make up some frozen meals for post baby boy
- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther... we've been close these past 10 years, lol.)

- write thank you notes for gifts received from our first baby shower in chicago (working on it)

week 29 down, 74 days to go. just two and a half months!

ruta what?

how far along?  27 weeks

development:  the babe is 13.6 to 14.8 inches long and is weighing 1.5 to 2.5 lbs, about the size of a rutabaga. a what? yes, i had to look this up: a rutabaga is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. the ovia pregnancy app on my iphone compares the babe's size to a bunch a bananas - a little easier to visualize. :) we're in the last week of the second trimester... the little man is showing brain activity, increasing movement and his eardrums are developing. while his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with a lot of medical help - if he were to be born now.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  gonna be packing up my maternity jeans, leggings, maternity tops, long tanks and sweaters for our trip to the windy city soon - chicago, here we come! overall, i'm thankful that i'm going through this pregnancy during the wintertime. not only am i more comfortable not having to deal with 90 degree weather, but i can be cozy and warm in my layers, scarves and boots!
finally got that snazzy holiday dress i ordered, and let's just say it needs a little altering so i'm not swimming in it. i also received the pretty pushers labor & delivery gown and for what it is, in all it's simplicity, it seems pretty awesome.

sleep?  some nights are better than others. feeling a bit more tired lately during the day, and been having a heck of a time rolling over at night without it feeling like a project.

stretch marks?  nothing yet. my belly button hasn't popped yet either (not looking forward to that inevitable milestone, lol) but in preparation, i've ordered a flexible pregnancy belly button ring that i'll probably change out once it arrives. no, i'm not giving up the one unique piercing i've had for almost 11 years. :)

best moments this week:  weekend family time  •  receiving christmas cards and photos in the mail  •  spending time on diy gifts

miss anything? an espresso martini would have been pretty tasty at our office christmas dinner this past weekend

movement:  yes! been pretty much the same, regularly in the afternoons and evenings

food cravings:  nothing crazy 

anything making you queasy or sick? nope

gender:  all boy... "a boy's will is the wind's will." ~ henry wadsworth longfellow

pregnancy symptoms:  back pain - definitely a bit more affected by back pain now. let's say sitting on the floor for hours wrapping christmas gifts really doesn't help, either. an itchy back and belly (trying to stay moisturized - some may be due to winter dry skin, too!), some pelvic pain as my little body preps for labor, and a dry, sometimes stuffy nose.

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy

looking forward to:  glucose screening test tomorrow (friday) - well, maybe not exactly looking forward to it - i'm actually pretty anxious about how it will go  •  celebrating one of many family christmases on saturday  •  heading to chicago and hoping for decent driving weather  •  excited for my first baby shower goodness with family in chicago! can't wait!
notes from dad: Week 27 finds me in the baby's room. His little room is taking shape. The room's been rewired, new drywall and is about ready for primer and paint. The baby count down is ringing loudly in my ears. The tasks are mounting, but I do find myself enjoying working on his room.
     We are still hashing out a name for this little one. Our two top names are bold, strong and different. I have never met anybody with the names we have picked. It is really a bold step. Do we name this child / man a name that would get attention? or at least a second look?  or "oh that's different!"? I love that Karin is bold and wants to have a semi-unique name. I, on the other hand have been having more of a hard time with the decision. I am really happy and excited about both our top names, but I don't know a single person with them. Does that make it too strange? Well I don't know if it matters either way. Karin says "when you meet a person and they tell you their name, thats who they are!"  I guess that sounds like a good enough argument to me.

^^^ fender doggie, being so photogenic and festive

been keeping busy in general and with prepping for christmas... writing and checking my lists of things to do and christmas gifts, wrapping gifts, shopping, making some diy gifts, checking my lists, laundry, weighing out daycare facilities and oh, checking my lists. :)

been thinking lately about the things that need done pre-baby, and these are just a few. there may be a few happening further away than others, but hopefully soon we can start crossing items off the list.

to do list:
- figure out daycare
- wash and organize baby clothes
- pack hospital bag
- attend hospital tour and child care classes (already scheduled for january)
- write out birth plan and preregister at hospital
- figure out how to handle maternity leave, insurance, etc.
- make up some frozen meals for post baby boy
- baby proof the house (mainly - buy new coffee table not made of glass. farewell, panther... we've been close these past 10 years, lol.)

^^^ crisp, winter morning skies

^^^ pretty pushers labor & delivery gown... froggie doggie bottoms

week 27 down, just three months to go! 88 days. march 18 will be here before we know it. craziness!