Baby Daddy

I have a pretty handsome baby Daddy if I do say so myself :)

{all scruff mcgruff before he shaved his beard}

I thought I'd do a sweet/fun post on baby daddies.

First. My baby daddy is seriously one of the best men on the face of this planet (outside of my Dad, of course). I mean really. They put up with our hormonal rages, crying jags, soothe our fears, AND pick up stuff off the floor that we can't reach anymore. Not to mention participating as our coaching partner through labor and delivery. Oh yes and let's not forget ALL the help they're going to provide when baby gets here! All joking aside, I did luck out in the husband department.

He's always willing to help me around the house, especially now that I find I can't do as much at once. He always does the dishes and is the prime person to empty/load the dishwasher. He always does the best for me and wants the best for me. I sometimes can't help but think that maybe I don't do enough for him! Well I did yesterday...

A week before our first anniversary he lost his wedding band at a water park in Galveston. He was so upset. We got him a substitute band from James Avery and that's what he has had for the last 2 years. We've talked about getting the band replaced over the years, but with the price of gold being so high we've pushed it to the side. Well with all he's done for me lately I decided I really needed to see about getting his band replaced. I did some investigative work (i.e. finding the old receipt, style number, etc.) and ordered his band last week. I got it in yesterday and was so excited! When I got home I hid it on the front porch and had him find it. Funny enough he picks up the box and hands it to me. I had to tell him it was HIS! He opens the box and gasps "It's my ring." Then he eyes me and asks how much it cost lol.

It was really important to me to replace his ring so he could have it. He hardly asks for anything outside of a new gun every once in awhile, so spending a little extra to replace something so special to both of us seemed very much worth it. It was so sweet because all night he kept looking down at his ring and telling me thank you.

Let's remember all they do for us ladies!

Anywho...on to the fun part of my post. I was browsing Etsy and landed on the site I bought my Due in May shirt. (You can get it here, by the way). I found some adorable "Baby Daddy" shirts that are just too cute. I wonder if I could get my hubby to wear one?

{find it here}

{find it here}

{find it here}

{find it here}

{find it here}

Let's not forget to pamper and recognize all the wonderful baby daddies out there and all that they do for us crazy, hormonal, pregnant women :0) Because at times, they do deserve an award!

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A little sewing...

I have a couple sewing projects left on my list of to-do's before I put my sewing machine up in preparation for the baby. I've been working hard to get it all done. I agreed to two custom orders around Christmas and am just getting them done. I feel bad they've taken so long, but there's only so much I can do with the limited time I have. I figure it just has to be OK and I mean they ARE getting their stuff right?

Anywho...my good Canadian friend asked for an apron at the end of December and I finally finished it on Saturday.

I found the pattern/tutorial online and figured it would be easy enough. WRONG. OMG the pattern was terrible and some of the instructions were not good at all. I got the skirt part done pretty easily with one minor problem that the directions didn't clarify so that was annoying. The waistband was really easy, but the top? Disaster.

The way she was saying to do it would not turn out no matter how hard I tried. After a hormonal breakdown, hubby suggested to make my own pattern for it instead of trying to make hers work. Genius. He's so sweet even after I totally yelled at him because it wasn't working. {Love that man!} So I did just that. I took her pattern and altered it so it would do somewhat what it was supposed to, but work more for me. Once I did it my own way, it worked right away. It's not perfect, but what handmade item is? It's cute. It's functional and it's DONE!

I can tell you that I'll never make this again unless it's for myself lol. It was the second hardest thing I've ever sewn!

I also worked some on Lexie's quilt. After a 40 minute phone call with my sewing-guru Step-mom I got the courage to move forward on it. I did such a good job on the front I was really scared to move forward in fear I would screw it up. I got the layers pieced together and will work on sewing them together this week. Then this weekend I'm going to put on the binding. I'll be sure to post pictures.

Outside of her quilt, I've got one more pillow for the nursery to make and then I have to just sew together a tote bag I've already cut for a friend. Then I'm officially finished with all my projects. I have a onesie I've been wanting to embellish so I'm hoping I can do that before I put my machine up. Last weekend in April it's all going in the closet!!

Now if I can have one small rant...I post my sewing pictures to a Facebook album because I like to share things I've made. However, I've had several people either comment or e-mail me asking for custom items. Then they're like just let me know when they are done and when I can pay. They don't even ask if I have time or can do them. It's a bit frustrating. It could be the hormones, but I just kinda feel like c'mon I'm 31 weeks pregnant...don't you think I have my own things to do as I prepare to bring home a baby? Or sheesh, not even to mention whether I have the energy. It's been hard just finishing up my own projects or things I promised back in December or heck...even keeping my house clean! I've had to just politely e-mail back or comment back that I can't. I'm not good with saying no, but this seemed easier to say no as I really just don't have the time or energy to take on anything for someone else. I've got a minimum of 7 weeks to finish my own projects and spend time with my husband and selfishly that's what I'm doing. I'm on overdrive now to finish so I can just enjoy some time with hubby. I'm feeling awfully clingy with him and want him all to myself right now. I've also already decided that if I finish my projects ahead of the end of April (which it looks like I might) then I'm putting it all up early.

Oh well. rant over. I was just taken back a bit by people, but really what else is new?

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31 Weeks

How far along? 31 weeks 2 days

Baby's size? Last week she weighed in at 4.5 pounds! BabyCenter says she should be about 3.3 right now and about to hit a growth spurt. Maybe she's hit it earlier than expected! She's measuring about 3 weeks ahead of her gestational age, so she's a healthy girl!

Weight Gain? +11 pounds total

Maternity clothes? Yup! It's getting really warm down here and I don't have a lot of "cool" maternity clothes but kinda refuse to buy more at this point. And none of my pre-baby stuff fits! I live in hubby's size large t-shirts :)

Stretch marks? None yet, so I just keep rubbing on lotion.

Belly button in or out? Out :)

Sleep? The end of last week I slept horribly due to allergies. I've slept much better this weekend though. I've found I sleep best on my left hip but rolled backwards a bit onto hubby. I make him scoot really close so I can take pressure off my hip, which will hurt if I lay on it too long. The boppy pregnancy pillow is the best invention ever!

Foods I am loving? Really loving pears and peaches. I can't get enough milk either. I had 3 big glasses yesterday.

Foods I am hating? No heavy seasoning, sandwich meat, or mayo.

Best moment this week? Hearing that little miss might be here a little earlier than expected. I'm just so excited :)

Movement? Oh yes. I can tell she's getting bigger as her jabs and kicks are much more powerful. Sometimes they even hurt. She's been rolling around a lot which is such a strange feeling. I imagine her quarters are getting cramped. I feel legs and feet right around my belly button. Her ultrasound last week showed she's head down so that's good!

Symptoms? I get tired a lot more easier and out of breath. If I'm up on my feet too much they will ache, but I haven't had any swelling so that's a relief. I'm starting to feel "big" now, which is kind of a strange feeling.

Gender? Girl :) Alexis "Lexie"

What I miss? I miss sleeping on my back!

What I'm looking forward to? April holds lots of exciting things! Baby shower, finishing the nursery and is our last full month before she's here. 

Weekly Wisdom: Just when you think your bladder was small, it gets even smaller!

Milestone: 9 weeks until our due date and 6 weeks until full term. We're looking at 7-9 weeks until she's here! We're so, so close!

Emotions: Seeing little babies makes me so excited. I can't wait for her to be here! I'm on either end of the emotional spectrum...either I'm irritated or I'm all mushy. Oh hormones...

What BabyCenter says:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

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I'm gonna miss this...

Have you ever heard the song by Trace Adkins, "You're gonna miss this"? I think it hits home right now...

"You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days
Hadn't gone by so fast


These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

I really feel like this pregnancy has flown by. Husband and I were talking last night that it seems like we were just telling our families we were expecting. I remember the first ultrasound - seeing the little lines clap together.  Or the second ultrasound - our little alien baby was scooting all around. The first ultrasound that hubby went to she looked like a real, little baby where you could make out obvious parts of her body. Or the day we found out we were having a girl - those first 3-D images. And now...we're 6 weeks away from her being full-term and around 8 weeks until we meet our sweet girl for the first time...

Where has time gone?

Even being sick for 3.5 months where I couldn't eat anything outside of saltines and ginger ale, I have loved every minute of this pregnancy. It's such a miracle. A joy. Really and truly it's a gift that I cherish because we were blessed with this little girl. I honestly can't wait to meet her. I dream of holding her, kissing her sweet head, counting fingers and toes, gazing down at this miracle my husband and I created...but at the same time I want time to stop. I want it to slow down. As much as I want to meet her, I want to keep her all to myself too.

Sounds selfish huh?

For the last 31 weeks it's been me and her. We've been one together. Her swift punches and gentle rolls are something that her and I share. I love them. I covet them. I look forward to them. Sometimes I'll press on a hard spot on my belly just to feel her move beneath my fingers. It's an amazing experience to feel life within you and know what little miracle is growing right there in your very own belly. She's with me every day, every second...I know she's safe because she's right there with me. I rub my tummy when she has the hiccups or I rub the little knots that stick out of my stomach...and soon...I won't have that anymore. My little girl, who I so long to meet, is already growing up. Soon I'll have to share her with the rest of the world and while that's exciting, it also makes me just a bit sad.

I wonder if every mom feels this way as she approaches her due date. While I'm so focused on preparing for her and dreaming of her arrival, I also want to stop and enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy. It's all gone by so fast and I know I've taken note of all the wonderful milestones and things I've experienced, but I can't help but feel a little saddened that our time as one is quickly shortening. This may sound silly, but it's like this little bird on my shoulder telling me "not much longer" and to cherish every moment I can of being pregnant.

Because honestly and truly she is a gift. A gift I am so unbelievably thankful for. Pregnancy has taught me so many things about myself, my husband, our relationship, and my little girl. When I married my husband almost three years ago, I didn't think I could love him more than on that day we said "I do." But I've been mistaken. I can. {insert tears} To see his face light up when he feels her moving, to listen to him talk to her about who he thinks she might be and how much he loves her (even when he shouts to my belly "Lexie...I am your father." - all darth vadar like lol), to see how quick he is to make sure I'm comfortable or helping me around the house. I love him more than the day I married him and I didn't know that was possible. To watch him become a father...is the most treasured thing. And I know she's not even here. I haven't even seen him hold her - Just the thought brings tears to my eyes. But to just watch how he acts now melts my heart. He's a wonderful man and I'm so very lucky to have him.

I'm overwhelmed by the blessings I've been given in life.

As I'm sure you can tell, much by the length of this and the mushiness, hormones have the best of me today. I had a dream that little miss came on May 21 last night too, by the way. I cannot wait to meet this little girl and start a family with my wonderful husband. I have dreamed of this. I know having her here will outweigh all of this. But for right now...I'm going to enjoy what I have right now, presently. Because I can't get this back. And I know...with every fiber in me...

I'm gonna miss this...

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BIG girl!

I went for my follow up appointment today to see the specialist to ensure that I wouldn't go into pre-term labor. Cervix is good, long, and closed which is what we want to see as I have 6 more weeks until full term. Yay! No pre-term for us!

More good news?

Baby girl is weighing in at a whopping 4.5 pounds!!!!

I was shocked. I was estimating about 3.5, but nope. She's 4.5! When they measured her abdomen and the gestational age said 33.5 weeks I was like "Holy crow she's big!" Doc said that yes, she's big, but she's perfectly healthy! That's what I like to hear.

He did say, however, that we need to watch how big she gets or we'll be looking at a c-section. He also said to NOT plan on my due date, as I probably wouldn't get that far. He said if she didn't come early on her own, we'll be looking at an induction so she doesn't get too big for me to have her.

I go see the specialist again on May 18 (10 days before my due date) to see where she's at and possibly schedule the induction. I'm excited that I may get to meet her a few days early too! I'm just so happy that she's a healthy girl and that she won't be here pre-term :)

Wanna see my sweet girl?

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it :)

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Bow Pillow

I've been on a kick this week of getting a project done a night so I don't leave everything to the weekends. That's what I've been doing and it only serves to stress me out and leave me working from dawn to dusk on my precious weekends where I could be spending time with hubs or *gasp* relaxing. Sooo in my effort to be productive, I've been dedicating at least an hour a night to marking things off my to-do list. I know I'm already feeling a lot better! And funny enough I still get at least an hour of beloved cuddle-couch-time, so it works perfectly!

{Last night I was a little crazy...}

I made homemade lasagna and cleaned the kitchen counters - 2 points for me! Then while the lasagna was cooking I whipped up a pillow for the nursery. I have on my list to make 2 pillows for the nursery for decoration in the glider. One down, one to go...

I'm so in love with it and think it will go perfect in my plans for the nursery. I even put a zipper closure on the bottom so I can take the cover off to wash it. AND it matches her quilt I'm working on - just waiting on my bias tape maker to finish it up.

Love love LOVE!

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Prepping for baby...

In our childbirth class our instructor told us to figure out whatever date full term (37 weeks) is and consider that d-day. She said to basically throw our "due date" out the window because one: hardly anyone delivers on that date and two: anything can happen once you hit 37 weeks.

37 weeks is in 7 weeks! Yeaowsers! May 7 is 37 weeks for us and is also the weekend of our babymoon! Lots to look forward to. On another note, 7 weeks is not that far away and we're pretty busy between now and then.

The childbirth class really helped us to start prepping for all we need to do prior to baby and of course what to expect on the day of her arrival and post arrival. {There's a lot, by the way}

I'm a list person, as I'm sure we all know, so what else would I do other than make a list! I figure I can mark them out as I go and hopefully be less stressed and more prepared :)

Things to do before Lexie gets here:

1. Select a pediatrician
2. Put up Crib

3. Hang up wall decorations
4. Wash all her clothes
5. Organize nursery closet
6. Decorate shelf in her room
7. Hang pictures in her room
8. Get glider/put together
9. Organize storage bins
10. Have shower :)
11. Hospital checklist
12. Get nursing bras/tanks
13. Get items for hospital stay
14. Going home outfit
15. Childbirth class
16. Put finishing touches on room
17. Clean out cabinet for baby things in kitchen
18. Give house one good clean
19. Organize housely clutter
20. Set up changing table
21. Install car seat
22. Put together pack-n-play
23. Put together swing
24. Put together stroller
25. Arrange for doggy daycare :P (i.e. in-laws)

{and I'm sure I'll be adding more as I think of things}

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three-zero

How far along? 30 weeks 2 days

Baby's size? Almost 3 pounds. About 15.7 inches - about the size of a head of cabbage

Weight Gain? +11 pounds total

Maternity clothes? Definitely!

Stretch marks? None yet! {keeping my fingers crossed}

Belly button in or out? Out :)

Sleep? I've been so busy lately that I either pass out until the morning or toss and turn.

Foods I am loving? Smoothies! I bought strawberries, bananas & pineapple to make some homemade smoothies this week.

Foods I am hating? No heavy seasoning, sandwich meat, or mayo.

Best moment this week? Finishing up childbirth class with hubs!

Movement? I'm pretty sure she's plotting her escape as her jabs and rolls are getting more and more powerful.

Symptoms? Just tired. Sometimes at the end of the day pure exhaustion sets in and I can't function. Round ligament pain is setting back in, so I guess she's growing :) but that's alright with me!

Gender? Girl :) Alexis "Lexie"

What I miss? The margaritas at the Rodeo looked pretty amazing. I'll be having one of those in a few months for sure!

What I'm looking forward to? Working on organizing her room and my shower in a few weeks!

Weekly Wisdom: You can blame just about anything on hormones and no one disagrees with you!!

Milestone: Approaching 9.5 weeks to go and 7 weeks until full term :) We graduated from childbirth class too, so now we're just waiting!

Emotions: Thinking about my future family makes me pretty teary-eyed. I just can't wait to share this little girl with my amazing husband.

What BabyCenter says:

A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Some more pics for you...

{due in May!}

{bare belly}

{Front shot}

{back shot}

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29 weeks

How far along? 29 weeks 4 days

Baby's size? 2.5 pounds. About 15 inches - about the size of a butternut squash

Weight Gain? +11 pounds total

Maternity clothes? Oh yes and hubby's size large t-shirts :)

Stretch marks? None yet! {keeping my fingers crossed}

Belly button in or out? Out. It pokes through shirts now lol.

Sleep? Sleeping good other than to get up to pee or change positions.

Foods I am loving? Thin mints and lots and lots of milk.

Foods I am hating? Don't like fishy smells or mayo.

Best moment this week? Getting to feel her move more and more.

Movement? She's quite the mover and shaker.

Symptoms? I'm starting to get tired again, but it could be from all that I have going on. Hubby's been super sweet and rubbing my feet at night :)

Gender? Girl :) Alexis "Lexie"

What I miss? OK maybe a glass of wine at this point...

What I'm looking forward to? Putting together her crib tonight {fingers crossed!}

Weekly Wisdom: When people make shitty comments, just make one right back.

Milestone: 10 more weeks to go!! And we completed our first childbirth class.

Emotions: I get cranky easy or irritated by stupid people lol. I really wanted a smoothie after my doctor's appointment today, but when I got there they didn't have everything to make it. I almost cried! LAME!

What BabyCenter says:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

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Currently...

{I stole this from here because it was too cute. Maybe I'll keep it a weekly thing.}


Craving: Milk. OMG I could go for a HUGE glass of milk right now.

Listening to: The Rod Ryan Show - the best morning show eva!

Wanting to buy: Baby stuff - it's so addicting! Holding off though, as my shower is in a few weeks :)

Working on: finishing my projects and "wanting" to work on the nursery.

Dreaming of: sleep...so tired from the rodeo last night! We didn't get home until midnight and we're going again tonight to see Kiss.

My Sweetie and I

Kid Rock!

Suffering from: exhaustion. I've just been so busy that it's getting hard to keep up! After this week, though, things will slow down :)

Enjoying: Life really. I'm at the best point right now and soaking up every minute.

Avoiding: doing some actual work, although I need to get started!

Measuring: 6 pounds heavier right now - will find out if I gained anymore tomorrow.

Reading: Ugh. I need to catch up on my reading. Lately it's just been magazines like American Baby, Baby Talk, and Parenting.

Watching: my computer screen lol. But really we have our weekly shows we love: Gossip Girl, American Idol, Modern Family, One Born Every Minute, and Jersey Shore.

Writing: Right here! Gotta love blogging - you can write down all your thoughts and have them at your fingertips :)

Looking forward to: My last specialist appointment next week. I know I'll get another glimpse at Lexie and I can't wait to see how much she's grown in the last 6 weeks! Plus, I'll get a final confirmation that I'm not at risk for pre-term labor.

Nervous about: My meeting with my two bosses next week regarding my maternity leave! I don't like negotiating :( I think it will go over well though. Funny moment...boss walks into my cube this morning...

Boss: "How are you feeling?"

Me: "Good. Just starting to get tired again."

Boss smiles

Boss: "So when is your due date again?"

Me: " May 28."

Boss' eyes bug out, mouth falls open

Boss: "May 28?!! That's right around the corner."

Me: "Yes, it sure is! 10.5 weeks."

Boss smiles and we continue conversation

It sure is coming fast and I'm so pumped!

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Childbirth Class - Part 1

Yesterday hubby and I had our first childbirth class with real life preggo friend Mrs. Lopez. It was great and we learned so much! We weren't really sure what to expect as I've heard these classes can be either funny or ultra boring.

I love our instructor! She's so spunky and really tells it how it is. I love that. She also didn't show any horrible videos that would traumatize all of us mommy-to-be's. {Thank goodness!} She is very visual though, which makes her all the more awesome. A few times she would get on the table and spread her legs showing us how to and not to do things. FUN-NY!! She also really likes the va-jay-jay word. It's not commonly used in normal day-to-day conversation, so hearing it over and over again in a 5 hour period kind of hits you off guard. Totally kind of reminded me of that scene in Varsity Blues...{LOL}

She also talked about pre-term labor, which scares the patooey outta me. Two of the precursors can be stress and a lack of fluids. We all know how my last week was, so I've vowed to be better. It was good to learn these things though and distinguish between what is not good and what is normal. You'll read things online - if you feel this, it's bad! OK well let's define "this" a little better. For instance, pelvic pressure. OK well I have a 3 pound baby in my stomach that plays soccer with my bladder, kicks my cervix, and rearranges her "room" at will. There's definitely some pressure near my pelvic area. Before I could even ask the question, though, she pats her crotch and tells us "THAT'S" where pelvic pressure is. Ah. OK. Gotcha. Don't have it there lol. Reason number 2 that instructor is so awesome.

Reason 3? When describing "crowning" and "the ring of fire" she laughed at my Johnny Cash singing. {Awesomeness}

We got a few "freshen up" breaks throughout the 5 hour class which was nice because one I had to pee seriously like every hour and two, hubby and I had eaten just about all the snacks I stuffed in my purse! During one break hubby and I went to the convenient store in the hospital and bought a loot of goodies which we devoured during one of the birthing videos. Nothing like eating puffy cheetos and licking the cheesy goodness off your fingers while watching some woman deliver her baby. That's just the way we roll though.

Oh and I totally had to laugh on our "dinner" break. We're all in the cafeteria chilling out, some of us eating. We had planned to go out to dinner after class so we weren't eating, but I still wanted something. I mean come on...everyone else was eating! I set my sights on a dreamscicle from the vending machine. It was divine. However, looking around the room I saw that us preggos were divided. Some were having salads, some munching on nuts, others were having milk, yogurt and trail mix, some were devouring hamburgers and then there was me chowing down on ice cream. Ha! Then I found another girl in our class eating an ice cream sandwich and well that totally made my day. I wasn't the only fatty stuffing myself with something probably not so great for my kid. But I guess we won't count the two packs of gushers, 100 calorie pack of nuts, big grab cheetos, or nutter butter cookies I had prior to that ice cream...hey I split it all with hubby! It didn't eat ALL off it. Sheesh :)

We also got to tour the hospital and see the L&D rooms. They are incredibly nice and private, so that's very comforting. We learned how it will all run, where the baby goes after it's born, where we go, yada yada yada. The hospital is like a really nice hotel! I'm so glad I'm delivering there! They also put a "lo-jack" on all the babies and you have to have a certain badge to even be near the baby, so security is definitely their top priority.

We learned a lot of relaxation techniques and ways to cope with labor. I found it really helpful as I want to see if I can do it without an epidural. We shall see, though. My motto is to just go with the flow. I learned that you get it about 4-5 cm, but some people find they are OK at that point. If I need/want it then I'll get it, but I do want to see if I can go without it. She gave us some good tips on how to change positions and manage the pain associated with contractions. Hubby learned how to massage my back, hips, and lower back to help me through contractions and he did superb! {I think this was one of my favorite parts about class!! Free backrubs!}

All in all it was a great class and we definitely learned a lot. We got a great book full of information too, which is super helpful. Can't wait to see what next week holds!

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Running out of time...

Hubby and I were talking about how our weekend zoomed by this past weekend. He's on Spring Break this week {jealous}, so he has nothing to complain about, but really the weekend just disappeared. We were looking ahead to upcoming weekends and realized that we have THREE completely free weekends (meaning no plans whatsoever) until the baby gets here.

Three.

In eleven weeks.

That's insane!

Allow me to break it down (mostly for my sanity and organization):

March 19-20
Craft show Saturday, last childbirth class Sunday

March 26-27
Co-hosting a bridal shower Saturday, free Sunday

April 2-3
Mani/Pedi with B for belated S&S Christmas party, Cirque du Soleil Sunday

April 9-10
Baby shower Saturday, free Sunday

April 16-17
Maternity pictures Saturday, best friend's baby's baptism Sunday

April 23-24
FREE both Saturday and Sunday

April 30-May 1
One of my best friend's wedding Saturday, free Sunday

May 7-8
BABYMOON Saturday through Sunday, Hubby's birthday Sunday and Mother's Day Sunday

May 14-15
FREE both Saturday and Sunday

May 21-22
FREE both Saturday and Sunday

May 28 (Saturday)
DUE DATE!

One it's insane that we don't have very many completely free weekends left and two...I can count down the weekends until my due date! Whoa. I mean if she comes early then we're down more, which is fine of course, but holy crow I've got to get ready :P

One thing that would help would be to actually get our new crib, but I digress.

I know we can't really do much until our shower in a few weeks, but I'm so anxious to get her room done. I feel that there's still so much we have to do to prepare her room and the house (not to mention ourselves) and wow, there's just not an abundance of time. I guess that's how it always sneaks up on you.

I had planned out several sewing projects I wanted to get done prior to her arrival, but I really had to reassess that and boot some things. I've got two more custom orders to complete (if they don't fire me first for taking so long), but hey this mama-to-be's busy! I'm almost finished with her quilt. I just have to put on the back and bias tape. I'm waiting on my new bias tape maker though to do that. I had one onesie set aside to embellish and make stupid cute, but that won't take too long. I had planned to make basket liners for all the baskets in her room, but I think that is just going to have to wait until another time...after she's here.

I've already told myself I CAN'T take any more custom orders from friends and family because I just don't have the time. I've already done too much. I also told myself that I have to finish everything I want to sew by May 1, because I'm putting up my sewing machine until after the baby is here. I love sewing, but I have to just put it away and take a break. Therefore, anything I want to do before that has to be done between now and then. Hubby is installing the shelving for my sewing storage this week so it's ready. I imagine I'll start organizing it all and putting away the things I don't need to finish these last few projects.

The newest Sookie Stackhouse book comes out on my birthday (May 3) so I'm dedicating May to R&R. I'm going to do nothing but get ready for my baby and read. I had to learn to say "no" and just concentrate on what I need. So come May I'm planning to rest, relax, and read...and of course spend as much one-on-one time with hubby as I possibly can.

I imagine these next eleven weeks will fly and little miss will be here before we know it. I guess that's why I'm trying to prepare myself now as I know how busy I am and will be in the coming weeks. I also don't want to stress about things anymore than I have to. So that's my plan...

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The post in which I whine...

This week has been shit. Literally and figuratively.

It all started with explosive dog poo on Monday. It didn't stop there, though. Hubby came home to a crate full of shit and a very sick pup. We ended up at the vet and poor Bou is on all kinds of meds. I can let you guess or maybe even begin to imagine what my house smelled like. Think rancid ass and that should about cover it. Once we got home from the vet and got the sick pup situated, we went to working on taking our house back. We worked for 3.5 hours scrubbing, disinfecting, de-odoring, cleaning, and God knows there was more. Exhausting, but we got our house back to smelling less like a porta-pot and more like a home where people live.

Let's not forget my terrible day at work Monday. We had an intense deadline of Friday that well went into Monday evening. Trying to gather all that information and get it where it needed to be on time was almost a disaster and certainly qualified as a nightmare. Then I had to come home to more shit, so it was a less than stellar day.

I get to work Tuesday hoping to get ahead when I realize *%@# I have to give a presentation at a professional organization luncheon on Wednesday. Guess who hadn't had time to do her presentation? {I'm raising my hand in case you didn't see it.} So I stick in my headphones determined to get that puppy written and over to my co-presenters so we can have a conference call at 2:30 to go over everything. I end up getting it done just in time to go to lunch. I decided to treat myself and use a gift card to Bath Junkie and grab a smoothie. It was much needed. I then spent the afternoon making final changes to my presentation and trying to practice.

I was so nervous for my presentation Wednesday that I didn't sleep really well Tuesday night. Nor could I really focus Wednesday morning on anything other than not fudging up in front of my industry peers. I somehow survived the presentation, but man did I suffer from the stress and anxiety. Sheesh. I get back to work and really realize that it's Wednesday. One of my proposals (that wasn't written yet, mind you) is due Friday in Beaumont, which means I needed to have it typed, proofed, bound, and to FedEx by Thursday evening. Seeing as how I didn't get back from my presentation until 2pm, my afternoon was a whirlwind of putting together this proposal. I got it done by 5:30 and had it in two people's hands for review. I didn't even have time to think about the second proposal also due on Friday. I left because I had no more steam with my sights set on a milkshake :) Because that would make it all better right? Yes. Yes it did. It just so also happened that our dinner plans with family were moved to Thursday so I went ahead and just picked up dinner on my way home because I sure as hell wasn't cooking. I kept asking myself how it could only be Wednesday. I passed out on the couch about 8 pm - now that's pooped.

I got up to get ready for bed where I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I'm also trying to be better about flossing as I have one tooth in particular that seems to not be as tightly situated as the others. Anyways, I'm doing my due diligence of flossing when I floss that bad tooth and a temporary filling pops out exposing a gaping hole in one of my teeth. I think my stomach hit the floor.

One, in case I haven't mentioned this before, I hate the dentist. Like hate. With a passion hate. Terrified. I would go to the gynecologist every day, get stuck with needles everyday if it meant I didn't have to go to the dentist. Yet, here I am staring at this gaping hole knowing what is imminently in my future. My very near future. Like I needed something else this week. Another stresser? Fabulous. I am seconds from tears at this point. You see I had that temporary filling put in back in September when I went for a cleaning and the dentist decided she would also work on my problem tooth. She couldn't get me quite numb enough, but thought I'd be OK. Well let me just tell you it wasn't. They gave me as much anesthetic as they could but couldn't finish. They put in a temporary filling and told me to come back in two weeks. The bad part didn't stop there as my face was swollen for 3 days and I could barely open my mouth for 3 days either because of the pain. Well in the mean time of that 2 weeks we find out I'm pregnant. I go back for my follow up appointment and they won't see me because I'm pregnant. Fine! I didn't want them to work on me anyway! So I left...and I haven't gone back. A co-worker recommended his dentist to me and I've stared at the card for the last 5 months. Stalling. Hoping that maybe I could wait until after the baby was here. Not so much.

I now have to go...today. Dum Dum Dum Dum. I just can't catch a break this week. So I'm trying not to panic as I know I have no choice but to go. I've been so stressed this week that I'm actually not feeling well at all, so I know it's taking its toll on my body. I'm on the verge of what feels like an emotional/hormonal breakdown too. I feel like the tears are just stocking up for the dam to break.

I spent the morning preparing my proposal to go out today and I HAVE to spend the afternoon preparing the other proposal to be delivered tomorrow. I'm just really wanting to make it to Friday afternoon. If I can survive these next 24 hours, maybe I can survive anything at this point. Who knows. Sorry for the long rant, but I had to get it off my chest. Maybe it would help. Possibly. I think it may have.

On a positive note, the pup is feeling better so at least someone's week is turning around :)

{end rant}

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Hello 3rd Trimester

How far along? 28 weeks 3 days

Baby's size? 2 and a quarter pounds. About 14.8 inches - about the size of a Chinese cabbage

Weight Gain? +6 pounds 

Maternity clothes? Yup. They are the best :)

Stretch marks? None yet! {keeping my fingers crossed}

Belly button in or out? Pretty much out.

Sleep? Was having trouble sleeping, but I think it was due to stress. Slept great last night.

Foods I am loving? Umm girl scout cookies...

Foods I am hating? I still don't really like mayo...

Best moment this week? Feeling baby girl get the hiccups :)

Movement? Ooooooh yes. I have a busy little bee on my hands.

Symptoms? Occasional lower back pain or feet aches. 

Gender? Girl :) Alexis "Lexie"

What I miss? Nothing at all!

What I'm looking forward to? Her new crib getting here!

Weekly Wisdom: Stress is evil. Babies don't like stress and they will be sure to let you know it. I got in big trouble recently from my co-habitant.

Milestone: We've reached the 3rd trimester! Woot Woot!

Emotions: Still emotional when it comes to seeing little babies. Getting anxious though as the weeks dwindle.

What BabyCenter says:

She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

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Shitty Monday

Literally...

and I guess me and hubby are to blame.

Shall I start from the beginning? OK. So Saturday night our big dog wouldn't leave us alone. ALL NIGHT he whined and barked to go outside. We let him out twice in the middle of the night to go out. They never have to go in the middle of the night, but he was actually biting my husband so he let him out. Sunday hubby found some "runs" in the backyard, so we attributed his annoying night to an upset tummy.

Since we slept so poorly Saturday night, Sunday after all our errands and chores were done, we opened the windows and put on a movie. We both fell asleep for about 2 hours! In the middle of our nap our little dog was barking, but we figured it was because all the windows were open and he was just barking at the outside.  When I got up though, I could only find one dog. I searched the house and ended up in our bedroom where the little dog ran to the window. I looked out and realized I could see our backyard "really well" and that our big dog was out there. It clicked and our big dog jumped through the window!! Luckily the screen wasn't ruined. He's good about waking us up if he needs to go out, so I'm not sure why he went out the window...

The rest of Sunday was fine and no one begged to go out. We let the dogs out about 10:30 to go potty before we locked them in our room for bed. The big dog started harassing us again, so hubby let him out at 1 am. Then at some point he started going nuts again. We were exhausted and couldn't even hardly wake up. About 4 am I woke up to go to the bathroom and everyone seemed fine. Then around 5 am the whining started again. Hubby and I figured we would be getting up in 30 minutes so they could wait. We'd slept shitty again that night with the dogs going nuts so 30 minutes of sleep was a must. Or so we thought. About 5:25 we heard it....

{TMI but} it sounded like someone dumped a bucket of water on the floor. Then we smelled it...

OMG!!!!

We jumped out of bed...him running to let the dogs out and me running to the bathroom because I was gagging. It was seriously the worst smell I've ever smelled in my life. I was gagging so badly I was crying. Now when I tell you he had explosive poo...he had explosive poo. Like everywhere. All over the floor, the dresser, under the dresser...everywhere. And not the easy pick up/wipe up kind. Awful.

Happy Monday.

I'm gagging uncontrollably when hubby banishes me to the bathroom saying he's not cleaning up puke too. LOL. God love that man. He got to cleaning or attempting to clean right away. I started lighting candles, while breathing as little as possible. I got our handheld carpet cleaner set  up with solution and brought that to him, along with warm water and vinegar to help with the smell.

I somehow cleaned the front of the dresser without puking. There were a few close calls. We got up as much as we could, but it's so bad that we have to go rent a carpet cleaner this evening. Unbelievable.

Hubby and I both feel bad we didn't get up. We were just so exhausted from two nights of no sleep and we didn't connect the two. Our fault. Lesson learned. One big, fat, messy, smelly lesson learned. Get up. No matter what.

We sat there once it was cleaned up, to the best of our ability, just looking at one another. Shirts up over our noses. Breathing through our mouths. We started laughing. Then at almost the same time we said "here's our pre-cursor to parenthood." Cleaning up shit at 5:30 in the morning, yet we can still laugh about it. That is why I love my husband. Even if we're up to our elbows in shit {quite literally}, we can still laugh about it all. I love that man.

I hope big dog feels better. I can't imagine how much that must suck. I also really want a good nights sleep, selfishly. I also don't want anymore early morning shit clean ups. Selfishly.

I know with little baby girl coming our nights of full sleep will be coming to an end, but for the next 12 weeks I'd like to stock up on as many as I can. Plus I don't think I'll mind cleaning up baby poop as much as 110 pound doggie dog poop. I think there's a difference...hubby doesn't quite agree with me. We shall see.

Hope your Monday isn't as shitty as mine.

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