Finally some progress

This weekend we finally made a little bit of headway with our nursery. Almost everything is moved out of the room so J can start scraping the hideous popcorn ceiling on his day off today (I don't get MLK Day off or I would help).

Here are some shots of the (almost) empty room:

View from the hallway.  The mattress on the floor is only in there because the dogs were sleeping on it. They are being booted today.

You can see we already have a baby gate, but that has been used to keep the dogs out of things. I guess we should get a new one when the little guy starts walking.

And the reason that the ceiling needs to be scraped. We had a leak from the skylight upstairs and now there is water damage.  Plus popcorn ceilings suck and this is one of only two rooms left in the house with it. Time to upgrade.

Also this weekend we got the dresser that we are going to use sanded and stained.  Thankfully the weather was nice during the day and we were able to do this outside on the deck.  This is an antique dresser that we got from his grandmother. I hope she isn't pissed that we stained it, but the color before was awful and now it will match the crib better.

The stain is called Bombay Mahogany - a nice dark brown to better match our espresso crib. We'll be using this as the dresser and changing table.

Here are the drawers. We need to pick out some new knobs to put on them since the old ones were pretty ugly.

I know it doesn't seem like a ton of progress, but based on how little we had done before I am pretty happy with it. I'll be even happier if J gets the ceiling scraped today.  We still need to decide on a wall color and go pick out new carpet.  The rest of the house has hardwoods, but this room and the guest room still have carpet and we are leaving it that way.  Softer and warmer for the little man to play on.

Mostly I want to get things done so we can finally set up the crib. I am dying to see it in the room.  Maybe I should call J and make sure he is awake and getting started...

I looked like an extra from 'True Blood'

This morning I had my dentist appointment bright and early at 8:00 AM.  I of course flossed in preparation for it and due to my swollen pregnant gums had quite the mouthful of blood.  I haven't had any issues when I'm brushing my teeth, only when flossing.

Well, the hygienist went to work on my cleaning with her little scraper.  Pretty soon my mouth was filled with the metallic blood taste. Excellent. At least I'm not suffering from any sort of morning sickness or that probably would not have gone over too well.  As it was, I was in the reclined seat and the little guy didn't seem to be enjoying that position. Lots of kicks and squirming from him throughout the process.

She finished up her scraping and flossing (with many pauses to squirt out and suction my mouth) and moved on to the baking soda spray cleaning.  I'm still not sure if I like that stuff.  It doesn't seem to get my mouth as nice and clean as regular brushing.  Plus now my lips are all salty and sore.

Anyway, I was given my little goody bag of a new toothbrush (which I never use since I have a Sonic Care), some floss, some toothpaste, and an appt card for July and sent on my way.  Strange to think that the next time they see me I will officially be a mommy.  Eeek!

Now I need something to drink to get the blood taste out of my mouth.  Coffee should take care of that quite nicely...

"Haven't you ever seen a pregnant woman before?"

This is what I wanted to yell at a guy at the gym last night.  It's this older guy (I would guess late 60's) and I always see him kind of looking at me.  Last night he was on the stationary bike right next to me and he kept looking over at me.  And not just little glances out of the corner of his eye. He would pretty much turn his whole head and look at me.

Now I know that I look obviously pregnant and maybe to some people it's weird that I am still working out at the gym.  But it's not like I was running all out on the treadmill or over there pumping iron. I was on a stationary bike for crying out loud.

At the time I was feeling particularly bulky and kind of uncomfortable and with my whacked out hormones I was close to just snapping at the guy - "Why don't you just take a picture?!?"

I know it will only get worse as my belly expands even more so I should just get used to it.  Hopefully I make it through the next 12 weeks without going off on someone and getting myself kicked out of the gym!

On a funnier note, last night I set the tv remote on my belly to see if I could get a reaction out of the little guy. Sure enough he started trying to kick it off my belly. He definitely doesn't like anything intruding on his little home in there.  I was laughing as I watched it and fell even more in love with him than I was before.

I love the movement and all...

but could you kindly remove whatever body part is currently lodged up into my ribs?

I'm sitting at my desk and just keep feeling like something is being shoved upward under my right boob. Thankfully my previous rib issue has healed and I am no longer in pain. But now I have my little kickboxer apparently practicing his moves in that exact same location.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE feeling him moving and letting me know that he is ok in there. I'm just not sure how I feel about his recent choice of locale.  I guess it could be worse - he could still be doing a jig on my bladder and making me run to the bathroom every 20 minutes. 

Of course I keep thinking "Wow - and I still have 12+ weeks.".  I wonder how bad it's gonna get???

What is THIS?!?

Last night after rubbing some lotion on my itchy belly I did a little closer inspection.  No stretch marks to be seen, but I found something else that I thought was equally disturbing.  These blue veins all over my stomach.  Not super dark, but definitely visible.  What the hell?!?  Where did these come from?

I came running out of the bathroom and yelled to J "Look at this!" pointing at my veiny belly. He just busted out laughing and finally said "It's probably gonna get worse.". Umm - thanks dude. Just what I wanted to hear.

I guess on the bright side the veins are just under the skin and will hopefully disappear. Seems better than stretch marks for now...

And here is my weekly check in:

How far along? 27w2d - he should be somewhere around 2 lbs and 14.5 inches.

Weight gain/loss: holding steady at +19 lbs this morning. Trying SO hard not to eat any of the remaining junk food in the house. J said he wants it all out of the house by this weekend - I hope he plans on gorging himself, then. I know I don't need to eat it!

Maternity Clothes: Some maternity clothes and some regular clothes.  Whatever is comfy and covers my belly.

Symptoms:  Not sure if this is a symptom, but I have this weird painful spot on the outside of my right knee. It feels like there should be a bruise, but there's nothing there.  And as usual, my uncooperative colon and achy back.

Gender:  It's a boy!!!

Sleep? Sleeping well for the most part. It's starting to get harder to get comfortable - especially when he decides to do calisthenics at 4:00 AM.

Best moment this week? J finally feeling the little guy kick.  The smile on his face as he was feeling the movement was priceless.

Movement: Lots. And apparently he does not like when something is resting on my belly. If I have a book or something on my stomach he will kick/push out against it. It's kind of funny.

Food cravings/aversions: No real cravings, just always hungry.

Belly button in or out? Still in thankfully.

What I miss? Being able to balance on one foot to put on my shoes, painting my toenails, hard runs, and being able to walk around without the constant pressure on my bladder.

What I am looking forward to? Working on the nursery - if only I knew when that would happen...

Milestones: Less than 90 days to go!

What I'm nervous about: How I am going to feel when I get even bigger. I already feel like a house and can't imagine what it'll be like in another month or two.

And the obligatory bump pic:

Work bathroom pic

And just for fun, here is a picture from last night. I wanted to see if maybe the bump looked bigger in the evening, since it sure feels bigger!



3 more months!

Looked at the calendar this morning and I see that our little guy is due to make his appearance 3 months from today. Yikes! 

And I realize that I am now officially in the 3rd trimester. Double yikes!  Not sure when that exactly happened, but here I am.  I can't believe how fast time is flying now. It's both exciting and terrifying.

We made very slight progress in the nursery this weekend (moved two pieces of furniture out) and J finally felt the baby move yesterday morning.  We were laying in bed and he had his arm across my stomach. Apparently the little guy didn't like the pressure on his home and was pushing out against it.  J asked "Was that him?" and I laughed and said yes.  He got a bunch more kicks in and J was laying there smiling. It melted my heart  :)

And now I am sitting at work in a half empty office because there is some sleet and rain and people in SC can't drive for shit in any sort of precipitation so half of them are working from home.  Having grown up in PA where I got my drivers license at 16 in the dead of winter I just can't relate.  But at least it'll make for a quiet day...

Our sharp dressed little man

Or at least he will be. Between gifts, hand-me-downs, and my recent shopping excursions we are accumulating a nice little collection of clothing for this little guy.  I know it's not a lot compared to what we will need, but at least I feel like I am making progress in one aspect of preparing for his arrival.  Here are some of the outfits we've gotten so far:

Onesie, pants and bib for $5.99 in 3-6 month size

Cute little paw print on the butt  :)

Another set for $5.99 but in 6-9 month size

Pants and shirt - part of 3 piece set. The shirt says "Rookie of the Year"

Full 3 piece set for $3.99 in 6-9 month size

Grand Canyon t-shirt and adorable onesie from Aunt Nic

Close-up of the design on the onesie. This is from AZ.

Hand-me-down Halloween outfit from Aunt Jackie (9 month size)

Close-up of the cute pumpkin

And of course some sports bibs. Still need an NC State one, though.

So on top of all the other clothes I've already posted, plus some onesies that are still in packages, I think we have a decent start on his wardrobe. I know there is still a TON of stuff we need, but at least I feel like I'm making progress.

And J mentioned last night that he asked our friend Chris to help move furniture, so (fingers crossed) we might make some progress on the nursery this weekend. Yay!

After Christmas sales rock!

Yesterday I had a hair appt at 6:00 (see pics below) so I had some time to kill before I needed to go.  I decided to hit Target since I needed some essentials (saline, hairspray, and of course some Miralax).

While there I obviously wandered over to the baby section to see if they had any sales on baby clothes. Score!  Their Christmas stuff was 90% off.  I had trouble actually believing that, but figured I'd take my chances and see what they rung up as at the register.  So I got these outfits for the little man for next Christmas:

Only $0.79

It says 'My 1st Christmas'

Little santa suit with hat for only $1.50. Perfect for Christmas pics next year.

I also picked up some running capris with the foldover waist (helps support the growing belly) and one maternity shirt.  Still no luck with finding jeans, though.

Then it was time to head to my hair appt.  I had her take a little more off this time than I normally do.  No, I'm not doing the stereotypical 'become a mom and hack off all your hair' thing, but I did get a little more length taken off. My hair is so freaking thick that I can stand to lose some.  It definitely feels a bit lighter and I'm happy as long as I can still pull it up in a ponytail when I need to.

Here are some before and after pics:

The 'before' was taken in the car in the parking lot and the 'after' is this morning at my desk - hence the costume change.  It might be hard to tell, but I do have a lot less hair. And if you saw the floor in the salon after she was done you would've thought that a small animal had exploded. Hair everywhere.

My next appt is in 11 weeks when I'll be about 38 weeks along. Gotta get in there and get pretty before this little guy gets here and all hell breaks loose!

Yay Snoopy :)

Yesterday when I got home after work and the gym there was a box sitting on the porch in front of the door.  The plush blanket and mobile I had ordered from Baby Metro (way back on Dec 9th) had finally arrived.  I ordered them because Target doesn't carry them so I couldn't put them on the registry.

The blanket is so nice and soft. I can't wait to wrap our little man up in it.

The baby Snoopy and baby Woodstocks on the mobile are adorable. I didn't take it out of the packaging yet, but it is so sweet.

Now, we aren't going to overdo it in the nursery with all Snoopy stuff. I just really like the bedding so that is what we are going with.  The only other Snoopy items I registered for are the coordinating lamp:



And the diaper stacker:

I may take the diaper stacker off since I'm not sure I want it any more. That might be too much Snoopy.  We aren't going to go crazy and do the wallpaper border, window valances, and wall hangings because as cute as he is, that is just too much Snoopy.

Now if we could only get started on actually working on the nursery...

I hate January

Every year I come to dread the beginning of January for once simple reason - all the new years resolution gym goers that clog my gym and make everything crowded. My friend and I refer to them as 'The JANs'.  Not that I begrudge anyone the opportunity to get in shape and convert to a more healthy lifestyle or anything.  It's just annoying to watch someone on a treadmill walking at a leisurely pace while reading a magazine. Especially when I want to get on said treadmill and do an actual cardio workout.

Normally the gym crowd thins out by mid-February when all those people break their new years resolutions to get in shape.  So I guess I just need to be patient and let them drop like flies.

It didn't help my mood last night that when I did get a treadmill I ran 1 mile and felt like absolute crap. I had to walk the remaining 21 minutes (at a 4.3 mph pace - not a leisurely stroll) and even that didn't feel great. I think the little guy is sucking all the moisture out of my body - my calves just felt like they were going to seize up at any moment.

Hopefully today's workout will go better. And maybe I'll get lucky and all the newbies will be so sore from hitting the gym yesterday that they will skip today. Once can dream, right?

And here is this week's check in:

How far along? 26w2d - I believe he has now graduated to eggplant status. He should be 13.6-14.8 inches, 1.5-2.2 lb during this time (25-28 weeks)

Weight gain/loss: +19 as of this morning. Too much traveling and eating too much crap. Back on the healthy diet kick for me.

Maternity Clothes: Wearing regular pants today that used to be big on me. Now I can wear them without a belt.  I wear a maternity shirt occasionally and some work pants.  Had to use the hairband trick on my jeans this past weekend since I haven't found any maternity jeans that I don't hate.

Symptoms:  The usual cement bowel and achy upper back at nighttime. I am also getting more gassy. Excellent.

Gender:  It's a boy!!!

Sleep? Sleeping relatively well, but I've been waking up with charlie horses lately. Not a good way to be woken up in the middle of the night.

Best moment this week? Being one of 68,000+ fans to attend the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh - an unbelievable experience.

Movement: Yep, he kicks up a storm. And seems to be moving around since I am now feeling weird pressure and pushing up in my ribs.

Food cravings/aversions: Not really a craving, but I've been eating too many sweets. We need to get that crap out of the house.

Belly button in or out? Still in thankfully.

What I miss? Being able to put on my shoes without grunting. And sleeping comfortably.

What I am looking forward to? Some down time at home. We've been out of town the past 3 weekends and I am wiped out.

Milestones: Umm.... hitting 26 weeks I guess.

What I'm nervous about: When we will ever get all the stuff that needs to be done completed. And that no one is going to do a baby shower for us.

And here is a bump pic from last night after my stellar gym workout: