Nursery Updates

Over the last few weeks, we have been piecing together the nursery. The first thing we got was our Graco Crib and also our mattress. Jason was able to get it put together in under an hour and surprised me with it when I got home from work. What a great hubby! It is really sturdy and I think it looks awesome with our grey walls. I cant wait for our little guy to be in there!

We also got our dresser off of Craigs List for $40. Cant beat that price! It has some scratches but nothing a little TLC wont fix. Here is what it first looked like:

I didn't like the black knobs it came with but I didn't want silver either. I really thought light blue knobs would be just perfect. Only problem, I could not find ones I liked anywhere! Plus, if I did like them they were so expensive. I decided I might as well try doing it myself. So, I took the existing knobs off and spray painted them light blue. I figured even if I messed up, I could just buy some silver ones or something but I actually really liked the way they turned out!

I'm not sure the best way to do this but I just punched them through a cardboard sheet for separation, twisted the screw a little bit from the back so they would stand up, then went outside in the grass and sprayed them. I had to use a couple coats but I think the color is now perfect.

Here is the finished product:

It may not look too different now but once I get the light blue changing pad on the table with some cute accessories and artwork in the background ... I think it will be great.

Also, the babies closet was another project we started to tackle last weekend. When we moved in, it just had one clothes rack going across the middle of the closet. Babies clothes are so tiny that I wanted to get one of those customizable closets so I can put shelves and adjust them at different heights. I really like the way it turned out but I love that I can still adjust my shelves if I am not liking the way things are looking (once I get some more baby stuff to fill the closet). I was even thinking I might get some cute blue baskets to put at the bottom of the closet to house some of his toys ... because I know both sets of grandparents are going to give him an abundance of toys! :)

One problem with the new closet - the sliding doors we originally had are not really going to work with my new pull out shelves. I didn't really like the sliding doors anyway (because I felt like you could never really see everything in the closet) but now we have a reason to find a solution. It isn't a priority though because, for now, I kind of like having it all open.

First Registering Trip

Jason and I decided to take the plunge and went to register at Babies R Us last night. We thought it would be good to just "start" our registry. We knew spending multiple hours debating over which of the hundreds pacifiers to choose from would only put us at each others throats ... so we thought it best to do a pass over of the store and just register for things that we both liked. I figure this was a good way for Jason to get acquainted with all of the baby stuff we will need for our little guy - but he also didn't need information overload so what we did was perfect. I could always go online or go back to the store on my own (or with my mom and girlfriends) for updating.

We only spent about 1 1/2 hours registering but it was still pretty overwhelming. There is just so many options. I mean, its not like when we registered for our wedding because we aren't just picking things we think are cute. You have to worry about what sizes you will need, how many one particular item you will need, if the ratings are good ... I could keep going. The lady told us to start at the bedding section and work our way up to the car seats because she said some couples find it "less overwhelming". I guess that worked in a way but I am still going to have to re-visit and do some updates. By the time we got to car seats we were ready to call it a night. I think we also might register at the new store near our house, Buy Buy Baby, but I might take that one on by myself :).

Side note: we decided to go to Lions Choice because it was almost 8pm and we were both starving and wanted something quick. We both LOVE Lions Choice so it was a no brainer but, after we ate, I still wanted a little something sweet. I knew about their small frozen custard dip cones but I did not realize that the are only 31 cents!!  It is just enough to hit the spot but not too much that the calories exceed my enjoyment. Anyway, this might be old news to some of you but it was seriously almost the highlight of my night.

20 Weeks

I'm not really sure why I did the whole survey thing last week (when I was planning only doing one every other week) but it must be the whole pregnancy brain thing. Anyway, to get back on track, here is my 20 week update:

(Jason had to leave for work early so, I know, I look pretty out of it)

How Far Along: 20 Weeks

Size of baby:  Banana (about 10" from head to heel and about 10 1/2 ounces). Note: My phone app said that for the first 20 weeks a baby's legs are curled up against its torso and are hard to measure. So, measurements are taken from crown to rump. After 20 weeks, baby is measured from head to toe.

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly skirts with elastic waists or stretchy pants. I have maternity tops but I also still wear my regular tops as well. However, Jason kind of made fun of me this morning because my blue top was kind of riding up a little :)
Gender: Boy!

Movement: I still don't know if I feel anything. They say it is supposed to feel like flutters but I guess I keep waiting for like a quick jab or something. So, I don't know. I cant tell the difference between flutters or my stomach digesting.
Sleep: Still getting up a couple times a night but sleep is way better with my new pillow. 
What I miss: Running. I have been seeing a lot of runners out (because the weather has been so awesome) and I miss just going out for a nice jog. I know that most of the time it is okay to run while pregnant but (1) my doctor docent really want me running for different reasons and (2) it kind of weirds me out to having my belly bouncing up and down while my little guy is growing in there. So, until our baby makes his appearance, I will just have to keep doing my walks instead.
Cravings: Fruit and ice cream!

Aversions: None

Symptoms: Frequent bathroom breaks, still breaking out, and round ligament pains.

Best Moment this week: The definite highlight of the week was finding out that we are having a little boy! It was so fun to go shopping for blue over the weekend. Jason keeps telling me we do not need to buy clothes because we will get plenty from showers but I cant help it!

Telling the Parents

After our ultra sound appointment, we met my parents for dinner at Tuckers Steakhouse. (Jason's parents were not able to join us that night so we met with his parents the following day for lunch at Sesame Chinese Restaurant). However, with both parents, I made cupcakes to reveal the gender and put them in a brown paper bag.

My mom is the only one who guessed a boy! My dad, Jason's dad, and Jason's mom all guessed girl. Actually most people I talked to guessed a girl. I think it was because most of my symptoms (based on old wives tales) said I was having a girl. I guess everyone had a 50/50 shot :).

I tried a couple different ways to do these cupcakes but I wound up just baking plain white cupcakes, let them cool, then cut a small hole in the top middle of the cupcake. Then, I set a small portion of the white icing aside and dyed it blue, put it in a Ziploc bag and cut off the tip of the bag. I then filled the center of the cupcake with the blue icing and put the cupcake top back on. Finally, I iced the top of the cupcake white and put a black question mark on top.

And here is what they saw when the bit into the cupcake!

Needless to say, everyone was very happy and couldn't wait to start buying blue!!

The Big Reveal

Yesterday was surreal. I was pretty busy at work and didn't get a chance to give too much thought to my 5:30pm ultra sound appointment. Once we were on our way to the doctors office, though, tons of thoughts kept coming into my head. Like, is there really a baby in there? Because, honestly, I'll believe it when I see it. And, how can there be baby in there when I don't feel anything yet? And, how in the heck can they determine the sex when I don't even feel that my stomach is that large yet. And, most importantly, is everything normal and healthy in there? Jason could probably feel my nerves and tension because he didn't push me to talk much on the way.

However, as soon as I laid on the ultra sound table, the technician showed me the screen all my worries evaporated. There was our perfect baby. Absolutely adorable with its head facing down and looking towards my back. I couldn't help but get teary eyed as I realized there really is a baby in there. I know it might sound weird but it just made everything so much more real.

Here are some of the candids:

Profile view with belly and face (and hand in the upper left)

Face photo (rotated to the side) ... though it looks very skeleton-ish right now

Feet

Whole leg photo (with a little baby fat on the thigh)

Profile view (you can see the brain, forehead, a nose, and a slightly opened mouth)

Profile view elbows and knees touching

... AND the photo most are waiting for .....

ITS A BOY!!!!!

Jason and I couldn't be happier! As soon as the ultra sound tech pulled up this shot, she asked "Are you sure you want to know the sex?". I knew as soon as I saw it. I will never forget the look on Jason's face when I turned to him. Pure joy! It was such an emotional moment. Jason talked hockey and fishing the whole way to dinner :).

The "Sprinkle"

Over the weekend Jason and I (with our friends Melissa and Andy) hosted a couples Sprinkle for our friends Kristi and Greg at our house. A "Sprinkle" is just a baby shower for someone having their second child. Since they are not registering for anything this time around, we showered them with diapers, wipes, lotions, etc. They also do not want to find out the sex of their baby so the theme was just spring colors.

Kristi, Greg & Sophia

Fireplace Decor

Table Decor (notice the pom poms hanging - I was pretty proud of my creations) :)

Melissa (19 weeks), Kristi (32 weeks) and me (18 weeks)

The Diaper Wreath I made

The Diaper Tower I made

It was such a gorgeous weekend that most of the party was spent on our large deck. I love it when that happens! We just BBQd food and the girls chatted while the boys drank beer and played washers ... while we all watched the kids running around. Cant get much better!

Here are some pics from the party:

19 Weeks

How Far Along: 19 Weeks

Size of baby:  Heirloom tomato (about 6" from head to bottom)

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly skirts with elastic waists or stretchy pants. I havent even tried to fit into my regular clothes but I doubt I can anymore.

Gender: Don't know - but we find out tonight!

Movement: I thought I felt something move ... but I really couldnt tell for sure

Sleep: I splurged on the Maternity Boppy pillow and I love it! It is so much more comfortable and I have been sleeping much better. It looks like this:

What I miss: Nothing really

Cravings: Fruit and ice cream!

Aversions: None

Symptoms: Frequent bathroom breaks, still breaking out, and round ligament pains.

Best Moment this week: Hosting a couple of great parties over the weekend. We hosted a co-ed baby shower last Saturday and we hosted Mothers Day on Sunday. It was a fun-filled weekend with friends and family!

18 Weeks

How Far Along: 18 Weeks

Size of baby:  Bell Pepper

Maternity Clothes: I wear mostly skirts with elastic waists or stretchy pants (not all are "maternity") but they are way more comfortable than my regular clothes. I can still fit into my regular clothes but why not be completely comfortable?

Gender: Don't know - but we find out a week from today!

Movement: None

Sleep: I decided to buy a body pillow this week. I didnt splurge on the maternity pillow but after a few nights with this regular body pillow, I think I might anyway. I am not really feeling the one I bought. Maybe I bought one too bulky but I feel like there are three people in our bed! I have no room to move around so I feel a little claustrophobic. 

What I miss: soft cheeses! All of the fun salads always have blue cheese, goat cheese, gorgonzola cheese. Man, I miss those!

Cravings: Fruit is still a major craving but this week I have really wanted Fritzs ice cream! I really like the plain dip cone. Its not good that the ice cream shop is a few miles from my house :)

Aversions: None

Symptoms: Frequent bathroom breaks, still breaking out a little ... but recently I have been having a lot of round ligament "growing" pains. Those arent fun. Whenever I get up too quickly or make any quick moves at all I get them but I guess its just my body starting to expand!

Best Moment this week: Finding out a Buy Buy Baby store is opening up a couple miles from my house! The book, Baby Bargains, mentioned what a great store it was. So, I went online to see where the closest one was located and it was Kansas City, MO. I was pretty bummed but as I was driving to my parents house last weekend I noticed (where there used to be a Borders) there is now a sign for Buy Buy Baby that says "Coming Soon". I cant wait!

Nursery Ideas

So, we Jason started painting our nursery over the weekend. We decided on a light gray color and I love it! I am thinking more white/gray color scheme with pops of either light blue/light pink (depending on what we find out May 16th) :).

Here is the paint color (Its called Filtered Shade by Valspar at Lowe's):

Here is the crib we were thinking (It's Graco and got great ratings on Baby Bargains ... and bonus - it is not crazy expensive):

We were also thinking about just getting a old wood dresser off of Craig's List and then painting it white to match. We would use it as a changing table/dresser. I don't think we are going to buy a whole matching nursery set because the prices seem outrageous. The crib is the only thing I am concerned about purchasing new for safety reasons. So, I would like the dresser to look something like this:

                                               

I also would like to purchase a glider and ottoman. I would like it to be white wood, but the fabric I still am not sure about. Maybe a gray or cream fabric. Or maybe I might go light blue or light pink. Who knows. Here is one example of what I like:

Well, I think that about does it for the nursery for now. I will post pics as we go along!

Party in the Waiting Room

Today I had my 17 week check up. As I get to my doctors office I find two of my besties in the waiting room! My friend Melissa is due one week before me and my friend Kristi is due the beginning of July. I knew we had the same doctor and are appointments are on the same 4 week rotation but I was not expecting a party in the waiting room :). Melissa and Kristi both have little girls about 2 years old and they were in the waiting room too. Melissa's little girl was so excited to show me a "picture" of her little sibling (they had just done their ultra sound revealing the sex but I can't announce it because Melissa hasn't even announced it yet) ... but I am just so happy for her! It is getting me excited for my big reveal in two weeks.

Everything at my appointment went great. The heartbeat is at 154 bpm. Steady and strong. My doctor says everything looks normal. There is an old wives tale that says that if the baby's heartbeat is high then its a girl, and if it is low then it is a boy. I think the normal range is between 120-160 bpm. So, I wonder if that means I am having a girl??

Here is my 17 week pic (I feel that I am starting to pop a little):