our little pumpkin...

how far along?  38 weeks

development:  the babe is measuring 18.9 to 20.9 inches long and weighs 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. his head is now about the same circumference as his abdomen and he probably has an inch or so of hair already. he has a firm grasp, ready to test when we hold his hand for the first time.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  still trying to stay comfy… i wore this striped shirt to work recently and one of the guys joked about the horizontal stripes - heck yea, i know they're not really the most flattering. what am i trying to hide?!

sleep?  ok overall… napping on the couch in the evenings, 'pre-sleeping' for about an hour before i wake up and get my behind off the couch and into bed

stretch marks?  not too many

best moments this week:  weekend diner breakfast with family  •  reading up on breastfeeding and baby care  •  laughing out loud, almost in tears, with anthony  •  baby movements  •  getting some relief from back pain by sitting on my exercise ball  •  a surprise lunch shower for us at work

miss anything?  lying on my stomach  •  sam adams winter lager

movement:  trying to pay attention to our boy and enjoying his last few weeks (or days!) of belly movements

food cravings:  sweets... ice cream, starburst

anything making you queasy or sick? no

gender:  boy… "between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find a delightful creature of a boy." ~ author unknown

pregnancy symptoms:  being pretty much exhausted at the end of the day, but still having small bursts of energy here and there  •  slight swelling in my feet  •  back pain

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  happy

looking forward to:  meeting our little one!
notes from dad:  this could be the last post before his arrival! all systems go!

^^^ patiently waiting

^^^ this guy, going to be a big brother soon ;)

^^^ sunbathing in the nursery… so exhausting, yawn.

to do list:

- figure out daycare

- decide on our babe's name

- wash and organize baby clothes, bedding, blankets, bibs, etc.

- pack hospital bags

- hem and hang curtains

- put supplies and hospital bag in car

- wash and sterilize bottles

- set up bassinet, swing, infant seat, etc.

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

- attend hospital tour and two child care classes

- write out birth plan (do i need to do this?) 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

- finish thank you notes for gifts received from our most recent baby shower

- start thinking about birth announcements (thanks to shutterfly, we have a coupon already!)

^^^ the babe's gonna be stylin' in these baby leggings - i got an email from babyleggings.com for 5 free baby leggings (just had to pay shipping), so i jumped on it with these cuties! they look great to wear with onsies around the house to keep his chubby legs warm and have easy access for diaper changes.

^^^ chocolate pb cookies (yum!) and gifts at our work shower lunch

we're ready! getting down to the end, with less than two weeks to go until his march 18 due date!

i've already been given a few predictions that the little one will make his grand entrance:
- this friday 3/7... what?!
- on/before wednesday 3/12!
- late, during the last week of march

what do you think?

thinking warm thoughts

how far along?  35 weeks

development:  the little man is the size of a coconut! he now measures 17.2 to 18.7 inches long and weighs approximately 4.2 to 5.8 pounds, getting really close to the size he'll be when born. incredibly, he is now pretty much fully developed, with the exception of his brain which will continue long after birth. he's also hopefully turning and positioning himself to be where he needs to be for birth.

from thebump.com

maternity clothes?  maternity jeans have now become annoying - wish i could constantly wear leggings. putting on my pants and shoes has become tricky lately - trying to balance and lift my legs/feet at the same time... it's just better to sit down on the bed, lol. i also miss a lot of my closet - i feel like i'm wearing the same things over and over.

sleep?  not necessarily getting up at night, but waking multiple times to roll over or think about the most odd things that i shouldn't be thinking of in the middle of the night

stretch marks?  not too many

best moments this week:  two shopping extravaganzas (to ikea and babies r us) to pickup the last few things needed for the babe's room  

miss anything? not too much

movement:  pretty consistently throughout the day

food cravings:  eating my way through a bag of starburst candies this past week  •  ice cream, as always. i think a trip to mcd's may be in order soon, too, as i see that their shamrock shakes have resurged for the time being

anything making you queasy or sick? no

gender:  boy… "a boy's story is the best that is ever told." ~charles dickens

pregnancy symptoms:  back pain  •  being uncomfortable  •  feeling worn out by day's end - i think i've been done by 9 or 9:30 every night, and i know this is just the beginning!  •  shortness of breath  •  minor belly tightening from time to time

wedding rings, on or off?  on

happy or moody most of the time?  mostly happy, a little annoyed 

looking forward to:  celebrating our niece's first birthday this weekend  •  hearing about my cousin's baby boy, due very soon  •  weekly doctor appointments, this coming monday and every monday from here on out

things have been busy busy around our house... anthony's been clearing the driveway like mad, trying to rid it of ice and snow (which doesn't help that it's on the side of the house that doesn't get much sun) and spending tons of time on that 'gem' of a dresser re-do i found months ago. i'm thankful he's putting up with it, and see where he's coming from when he says that we could have bought a brand new dresser for the money and time he's putting into this one - at least it'll be unique. :)

^^^ assembling and unpacking part of our ikea haul

my big undertaking this past weekend was spending hours sorting through all of the clothing we've acquired through two baby showers and a consignment sale. who knew it would take so long to cut those darn little plastic tags off of everything, wow. everything newborn to size 6 months has been washed, sorted and folded, and size 9 months and up is packed away til later. our boy definitely has enough clothing to look like quite the handsome little man for a while!

all of this weather we've been experiencing lately makes me wondering what it'll be like when the babe is due. back in 2007, we were moving into our house at that same time (the weekend of march 16-18), one day after getting a decent snow and ice storm. we cancelled the rental truck we had scheduled and were going to put off moving til the next weekend, but decided at the last minute to get it done and then used an 18-passenger van to move everything from our apartment that weekend.

^^^ belly shots - it's all about perspective… been hooked on listening to country in the car lately… keeping warm with lots of hot chocolate - soo ready for spring!

to do list:

- figure out daycare

- decide on our babe's name

- wash and organize baby clothes, bedding, blankets, bibs, etc.

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

- hem and hang curtains

- put supplies and hospital bag in car

- wash and sterilize bottles

- set up bassinet in bedroom

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

- attend hospital tour and two child care classes

- write out birth plan (do i need to do this?) 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

- finish thank you notes for gifts received from our most recent baby shower

less than 5 weeks!! just 32 days!!

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!