Her Wardrobe

February 7th, 2010

If it fits this is the dress Isabella will wear to take her pictures at the hospital.

The Little Things

February 6th, 2010

Some of my favorite little things in the nursery.

Butterfly Knobs on the Closet

The Organized Closet

Adorable Shoes!

Cloth Diaper Stash

Bunny Ears (hiding the wireless video camera)

Newborn Drawer

Horse Planter

Prince Charming Holds her Bibs and Burp Clothes

Some Lovies in her Crib

Nursery Tour

February 6th, 2010

The nursery is ready and waiting for sweet isabella.

38 Weeks

February 6th, 2010

Total Weight Gain: 30 lbs.

Pregnancy Woes this week: contractions and more contractions.

Happy times this week: We got a TIME and are actually scheduled for the induction.  Wa-hoo.

Belly Button Status:  It’s actually gone back in quite a bit since she flipped head down.

Food Cravings:  salads.  weird.

Dr. Visits:  OB visit Tuesday.  We had an ultrasound and she has turned head down, wayyyyy down.  Head grinding against pelvis, going to fall out when I walk kind of down.  She weighs about 6 lbs.  One reading said 5lbs 14 oz, the other said 6 lbs.  Still in the 30th percentile.  And I am now a “loose” 1cm dilated.  The doctor said this should be good for the induction, and she said she didn’t expect it to take too long.  Hm, I’m not getting my hopes up.

Labor Signs: False alarm on Thursday.  I started timing the contractions at 10am and they were consistently 10 minutes apart.  Then they got down to 7 minutes.  Then to 5, like clockwork.  I drank 2 bottles of water and took a  nap.  They continued through the nap, so when I woke up I took a bath.  They continued at 5 minutes apart through the bath.  But I couldn’t see going to the hospital because they didn’t hurt and they weren’t increasing in intensity.  Eventually around 9 pm they tappered off and were completely gone over the night.  This whole labor thing is confusing.  Couldn’t she have a light that says “I’m done” with a little “ding” sound.  That would be very helpful.

Projects I worked on this week:  Re-nesting the nest.  If only these dogs would stop pooping on the floor!  They have no sense of respect for a freshly mopped floor.

Looking Forward to: February 15th at 12:30!

9 days until delivery!  (single digits!!  omg!)

look who's ready for a baby sister...

Date and Time

February 3rd, 2010

Craziness

January 30th, 2010

Minnie joins in the Nesting Craze

Pregnancy can make you do crazy things.  I spent the entire day obsessively cleaning EVERYTHING.  From the baseboards, to shampooing carpets, to door casings.  Everything must be pristine for Bella!

Now that I am full term there is this new sense of – what if she comes right now, in five minutes, today?  I know most first time moms go past their due date, so there is no logical reason I should think she would come before our set delivery date.  Yet there is the “what if” factor.  It’s difficult to deal with.  For the next 2 weeks I feel like I have to be completely ready in every way at the drop of a hat for Isabella to be here.

The thank you notes have to be finished and mailed, there can be no dishes in the sink, laundry must be folded, everything in order exactly where it should be – all ready for the guest of honor.  It’s like having royalty visitors on their way, but you don’t know when they will arrive.  And it’s beginning to wear on my mental state.

Just up the street from my house the city is putting in new culverts in a canal.  We live on a dead end street.  The other day while they were working on this canal they tore up the entire street.  I pulled up and saw the gapping hole across both lanes of my little road and proceeded to freak out.  I called my husband crying because “how can they block off an entire road, I’m pregnant and I could be in labor right now!”  I wasn’t in labor.  But the fact remains that I COULD have been.  Turns out they were directing traffic to drive straight through someone’s front yard to get around.  So I wasn’t trapped.  Whew.  It was a close call.  If those workers only knew they were about 5 seconds away from having a crazy pregnant woman yelling in their face.

I don’t think I can take 2 more weeks of this craziness.  Maybe it will calm down once I get every possible duck in it’s row.

37 Weeks

January 30th, 2010

Total Weight Gain: 28 lbs. (lost another pound, not sure how)

Pregnancy Woes this week: contractions, heartburn, her movements are now somewhat painful – there’s just no room to be doing cartwheels in there now Isabella!

Happy times this week: She’s full term!  My husband had a surprise shower thrown for him at work this week.  It was fun, but he is IMPOSSIBLE to surprise.

Belly Button Status:  the same.

Food Cravings:  I’ve been loving my pasteurized goat cheese lately.

Dr. Visits:  OB appointment Monday.  She checked me and said I was 1 cm dilated and she’s still breech, so it will be a c-section.  At the hematologist on Wednesday I found out that I needed another transfusion, so Thursday was transfusion day.

Labor Signs: Well I was 1cm dilated on Monday and on Tuesday I had the “bloody show” and lost my mucous plug.  Since then it’s been lots of contractions.  But they aren’t following a regular pattern yet.

Projects I worked on this week:  Nesting kicked into high gear.  I cleaned just about every square inch of the house, including the garage.  You can’t bring a baby home to a cluttered garage you know.

Looking Forward to: Now I’m just looking forward to Isabella being here.

2 weeks until delivery!

She has Eyes!

January 23rd, 2010

and likes to suck her thumb.

My Favorite Baby Books

January 23rd, 2010

Over the course of pregnancy (and before) I have read a LOT of books.  Some of them I loved and some were just okay.  Here is a list of my favorites.  These are the ones I’ve re-read time and time again.   The ones I will be going back to when I need help.

Baby Bargains

The best at helping you figure out what baby stuff you really need.  There is a TON of baby stuff out there.  Stores want you to buy it all.  But Baby Bargains helps you keep the budget under control by getting only what you need and by helping you find the good quality items so you don’t have to re-purchase the same thing in 3 months.

Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy

If I could have only one pregnancy book, this would be it.  It has a week to week guide, an extensive look at testing, labor, newborns.  Basically everything you need in one book.  I also love the chapter on different pregnancy symptoms.  You can look up a symptom you are having and it tells you if it’s normal, what you can do to help alleviate the symptom, and when to call the doctor.  Each month also has a chart telling you what things you should call the doctor about and what things are totally normal- don’t worry.  This helped keep my freaking out to a minimum.

Pregnancy To-Dos

My favorite pregnancy organizer.  Helps you make lists and more lists.  Keep track of Dr appointments, gifts received, day care interviews, pediatricians, registry lists, and more.

What’s Going on in There
whatsgoingon

My favorite book on baby’s brain development. It goes into great detail about all the ways the brain develops and what you can do to help it along the way. I love all the clinical case studies and examples. If you only wanted to read one book on development, this would be my recommendation.

36 Weeks

January 23rd, 2010

Total Weight Gain: 29 lbs.  (I lost a pound this week)

Pregnancy Woes this week:  Cramps, funny vision anomalies, and the usual…

Happy times this week: The 3-D ultrasound was really cool this week (my cousin is in training to be an ultrasound tech, so I get them for free!)

Belly Button Status:  the same.

Food Cravings:  I’ve been loving my pasteurized goat cheese lately.

Dr. Visits:  OB appointment Monday where we set the date of February 15th.  Everything looking good.

Labor Signs: BH are getting more frequent.  I started timing them the other day and sometimes they were less than 5 minutes apart, but it didn’t last. Sometimes they are crampy and hurt, other times just tightening.   She’s “dropped,” so maybe that’s a good labor sign.  Some days this week I’ve had cervical pain so I’m hoping that I’ll find out I’m a little dilated at next Monday’s appointment.  Who knows.  I think interpreting labor signs is about like reading tea leaves…

Projects I worked on this week:  Got the car seat installed!  After nearly an hour and a half with a state police trooper I am now officially a car seat installation expert.  Put together pack and play, which was NOT meant for a 36 week pregnant person to do.

Looking Forward to: Next week’s OB appointment.  Next week she’ll be full term!

3 weeks until delivery!  23 days!  (Deja vu)