28 Wks and Growing

As I compose this post, my innards are being pummeled by my sweet little girl. It’s the strangest thing to look down and watch my tummy twitch and shift with her movements. I cannot determine any specific body parts just yet, but at times, she appears to be at a diagonal, with one little foot or hand punching me to the left of my bladder while simultaneously, one little hand or foot punches me below my right rib. It’s not exactly pleasant, but as many moms will echo, I live for these little kicks. There’s so much vitality in them. It’s her way of letting me know she is alive and well, and for that, I am so thankful.

Over the weekend, my parents dropped off the crib and changing table that we’re planning to use. It’s been housed in a garage for the past twenty years, so it was quite dirty. Scott put things together on Sunday afternoon and we scoured it well. We checked everything out, and all meets code. As with the changing table, it’s going to need a fresh coat of paint and some tightening up, but overall, I am very pleased.

We still have a decent amount of work to do in the nursery, but we’re getting close. Trim went up over the weekend, and we’ll work on getting things painted over the course of the next week. For being a teeny, tiny space (11 x 9), I am completely charmed by the room and surprisingly, everything seems to fit just fine. It’s certainly big enough to house a 7 lbs baby (fingers crossed on that latter statement).

I’ve done a little shopping on Etsy as of late. I’ve purchased three little prints for the nursery that I plan on framing in vintage, white, distressed frames. See below:

Once things get arranged in the room, I'll make sure to get some pics posted. My plan is to finish sewing curtains over the weekend. It's an exciting time, race to the finish for sure.

Sunday-School Song: Pregnancy Remix

Today is the first day of my third trimester. It’s weird. I suddenly FEEL uncomfortable. Maybe it’s mental, but I don’t think so. I am suddenly grimacing while putting on my socks, HOT (even in these -40 temps), and feeling crampy and miserable at night. What happened? Scott bit the bullet and agreed to buy me one of those over-stuffed “pregnancy pillows.” It takes up more than half the bed, but it really does make a difference. In lieu of my newfound discomfort, I’ve rewritten the words to an ol’ Sunday school classic:

I’ve got pee like a river
I’ve got aches like an ocean
I’ve got heartburn like a fountain in my soul

For those of you that have blazed the trail before me, I am sure the discomfort of the sixth month is nothing compared to the discomfort of the ninth month. And for that phase, I am reserving my revised version of “Baby Beluga.”

Nursery Pics and Progress

Purchases for Baby and Other Misc . . .

I pulled out the old calculator today and added up the days until my due date and lo and behold, I am exactly 100 days out. At choir last night, we started rehearsing our Easter selections. As Easter comes late this year, it actually falls one day after my due date (April 24th). It was strange to think that perhaps I will not be able to participate in the festivities because I will be laboring through CHILDBIRTH!! One thing is for sure, there will be no cute, summery Easter dress for me this year! I will literally be wearing the TENT of the covenant this year. Ahh, oh well.

I’ve been making much haste with Craigslist these past few weeks. We were able to buy a virtually new Chicco car seat (same pattern that was on my registry), for half the cost. It still has all its tags and stickers. We also found a pretty cream glider & ottoman combo for the nursery for a fraction of the price, as well as a bouncy seat and video baby monitor. The monitor is a monster, so it is likely just something we’ll keep on our nightstand for bedtime. We’ll use a regular audio monitor around the house. I also purchased a crib mattress from overstock.com, which arrived a couple of days ago. It is very, very firm. I know they say this is necessary for infants, but I sure wouldn’t want to sleep on it. If baby takes after me, she’ll be wanting a feather bed topper before the age of one.

I just wanted to share the little blankie I just bought. It is from Jellycat, a company that is local here to MN, and shares showroom space with us. It’s a little giraffe/blanket combo. I would have loved this as a little girl. Hopefully baby girl will like it too!

Third Trimester Here I Come

I am approximately 11 days from entering my third trimester. Where these past 25 weeks have gone, I am not sure? Prior to being pregnant, I remember thinking, “Why can’t humans be more like cats? Nine weeks of pregnancy sounds about right.” Now this thought is incomprehensible to me. I NEED these nine months. I’ve decided you spend the first half of pregnancy trying to get your head around the fact this is real and happening, and the second half of pregnancy workin’ your tail off because you finally get the fact that this is “real and happening.”

Scott and I are in a mad dash to the finish line, with baby girl’s nursery being top priority. We’ve made really great head-way these past few weeks; the new window is installed, the walls have been dry walled, mudded, and sanded, the ceiling has been ridded of popcorn, and the walls have been painted a snowy cream color called Shearling. As of Sunday, Scott began installing the hardwood. He’s about 1/3 of the way finished. Hopefully we can wrap of flooring by week’s end. We’ll then have a light fixture to hardwire and install, trim to paint, and a closet organization system to figure out. And believe me; we need this closet organization system! Baby girl already has quite the budding wardrobe. Between hand-me-downs at work, generous friends and family, and a soon-to-be momma that can’t keep her wallet closed when it comes to cute little girl clothes, this little baby is on her way to being well dressed.

In other related news, Scott’s been able to feel baby girl for about the last week. Whereas I have been feeling fluttering and jabs since about 18 weeks, her movements have just now become magnified enough to be felt topically. Just last night Scott had his head on my belly and received a forceful punch to the ear. This was really fun for both of us, and I like knowing that Scott can feel more a part of the process at this point.

Babies R Us Excursion

I am guessing that in about one year’s time, the mere mention of this store will really rattle my boots. Perhaps instead of affectionately urging Scott to take me to Menards and Home Depot all the time, Babies R Us may just become my new store of choice. However, for the time being, Babies R Us holds much fear and loathing. There’s just so much stuff--little, tiny weenie stuff, not to mention plastic galore.

But I am pregnant, expecting a child, and there are just some things this little girl will need, so yesterday evening, I faced the giant (queue daunting music). Thankfully, I was not alone. I had two gracious, experienced friends to guide me through the seemingly endless aisles and offer suggestions and tips they’ve garnered from raising daughters of their own. Thank you Heather and Erin for sharing your expertise with me, it was greatly appreciated!

Unfurl Little Girl

So yesterday morning was a big day in our pregnancy. Not only did we get see our little sunray moving about, but with great finagling, we were able to determine that I am host to a baby girl!

This was a momentous occasion for me in particular. Whereas some women seem to experience this instinctual and instantaneous love for carrying a child, I have admittedly felt slightly disenchanted with the experience. I have not enjoyed watching my body, complexion, or hair change, and the immediate and severe loss of energy has taken its toll. That said, yesterday was magic for me.

Seeing baby girl bat and move around was truly something miraculous to behold. Her arms were flailing every which way (looks like there may be some serious swaddling in her future), and she routinely sucked her fingers, rubbed her head and eyes, and even yawned (when she did this, we could see the formation of all her teeth buds!) Seeing all the vertebrae in her spine, the already developing brain matter, and the tick-tick of her little beating heart put new meaning to the verse, “you are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

I love this little girl. I am honored that God has entrusted her into my care, and I cannot wait to see her, and hold her, and tell her all about our great God that created her for a purpose.

In the mean time, we make speedy preparation for her arrival—there’s a nursery to outfit, a scary store called “Babies R Us” calling our name, and many details that need to be sorted through before baby girl graces us with her presence. Until then, we wait with expectant hearts and baited breath.