A few days ago when I could not sleep I began to assess my inner feelings. I had not felt this kind of anxiety, this kind of stress, this kind of anticipation since.... well, since preparing for the bar exam. Yes, being pregnant is kind of like preparing for the bar exam. Here is why:
1. You gain weight.
2. You wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it.
3. It consumes your life for many months.
4. You occasionally feel like crying because you are overwhelmed with the upcoming event.
5. Everybody asks you how you are doing and everybody knows you are lying when you say good.
6. The actual event goes on for hours!
7. You wonder if you have wasted your life preparing for it because you could fail.
8. To build self confidence you look around and find somebody you know and think if THEY can do it, surely I can too!
9.You read many books in preparation of it.
10, You wonder what an answer to a question is and you find the same question in three different books with three different answers.
A few days ago I was feeling really stressed. That anxiety has mostly subsided and I am mostly just excited. I do wish I could just take her out for a little bit and see her, hold her, love her, and then put her back in my belly for awhile. She is so so easy to care for right now- I am going to miss it!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
BGT Update
You know its time to have your baby when you look like this:
I mostly just find this photo funny. I swear this is not the same person I see in the mirror in the morning. I clearly will not be selling my house anytime soon because my bathroom mirror makes me look much prettier than this camera!
My sister determined she would be hanging up her crystal ball as she felt so confident that baby would be here before the end of January. I am still going with my original plan to have her early in the morning on February 2nd. However, if she is not born then, I feel it will be February 10. Holy Cow! Pregnant for another ten days?!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
BGT Update
I AM SUPER WOMAN NESTING!
I was beginning to think that was one of the great things of pregnancy I was about to miss out on. Literally, my house had not been in such disarray in my entire life. Little tasks everywhere to be done and not an ounce of energy to do it. Well, that changed yesterday. Praise God! (Note: I also hadn't gotten to experience the joys of stretch marks on your belly in pregnancy- that has changed now too.)
Yesterday I stayed up until midnight vacuuming the house, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning the laundry room, organizing closets, organizing the baby's room, getting items in their place. In fact, my US Weekly magazine came in the mail on Saturday. One of my highlights of the week is taking a bath while ready the magazine. I filled the tub while I finished cleaning the bathroom. As I sat in the tub all I could think about was how I wanted to get through the stupid magazine and finish the rest of my household tasks!
Today I went into the office and finished cleaning it up (I recently moved offices at work to an office in back of the building in hopes to provide more privacy for me while nursing and when BGT is at work with me). We got the car seat in stalled (a perfect way to make you feel totally incompetent to raise a child- thanks to Katie for helping us install it!), finished our last baby item order on target.com, am finishing the last of 5 loads of laundry (and all the other loads are folded and put away- seriously, that never happens!). I am even considering baking some peanut butter cookies!
My plan is to go to work for most of the day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I think my contractions are going to start on Wednesday and by Wednesday evening I am going to go to the hospital (Note: Tommy can't stop staring nervously at me right now waiting for me to shout at him to rush me to the hospital!). Then, I think I am going to deliver her early on Thursday, February 2nd. This will give me a good two days at the office to finish up some tasks. Also, my doctor is on call Wednesday night so he will be there to deliver her. My boss even agreed this was a fantastic plan! Now- we will see if baby agrees. My mom and sister firmly believe that baby will be here before then! We shall see. The only downside of my plan is that Tommy's parents do not arrive until late on the 2nd. Tommy will be bummed if I have her before they arrive. I'm not sure why- he knows my three part birthing plan!
Stay tuned...
I was beginning to think that was one of the great things of pregnancy I was about to miss out on. Literally, my house had not been in such disarray in my entire life. Little tasks everywhere to be done and not an ounce of energy to do it. Well, that changed yesterday. Praise God! (Note: I also hadn't gotten to experience the joys of stretch marks on your belly in pregnancy- that has changed now too.)
Yesterday I stayed up until midnight vacuuming the house, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning the laundry room, organizing closets, organizing the baby's room, getting items in their place. In fact, my US Weekly magazine came in the mail on Saturday. One of my highlights of the week is taking a bath while ready the magazine. I filled the tub while I finished cleaning the bathroom. As I sat in the tub all I could think about was how I wanted to get through the stupid magazine and finish the rest of my household tasks!
Today I went into the office and finished cleaning it up (I recently moved offices at work to an office in back of the building in hopes to provide more privacy for me while nursing and when BGT is at work with me). We got the car seat in stalled (a perfect way to make you feel totally incompetent to raise a child- thanks to Katie for helping us install it!), finished our last baby item order on target.com, am finishing the last of 5 loads of laundry (and all the other loads are folded and put away- seriously, that never happens!). I am even considering baking some peanut butter cookies!
My plan is to go to work for most of the day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I think my contractions are going to start on Wednesday and by Wednesday evening I am going to go to the hospital (Note: Tommy can't stop staring nervously at me right now waiting for me to shout at him to rush me to the hospital!). Then, I think I am going to deliver her early on Thursday, February 2nd. This will give me a good two days at the office to finish up some tasks. Also, my doctor is on call Wednesday night so he will be there to deliver her. My boss even agreed this was a fantastic plan! Now- we will see if baby agrees. My mom and sister firmly believe that baby will be here before then! We shall see. The only downside of my plan is that Tommy's parents do not arrive until late on the 2nd. Tommy will be bummed if I have her before they arrive. I'm not sure why- he knows my three part birthing plan!
Stay tuned...
Baby Shower Take 3
On Saturday, my girlfriend, Kari, hosted a Baby Shower for BGT and I for a bunch of attorney girlfriends of ours. Weeks leading up to the shower there was gossip all about it at the Courthouse. It was being referred to as the Shower of the Century! (Note: While I would love to take all the glory for BGT and myself for this shower being so famous, I think the expectations were high if Kari was throwing a party and nobody wanted to miss it.
Let me tell you that it did not disappoint! At Kari's house, the floors seemed to shine a little more, the fruit seemed to be sweeter, the asparagus crunchier, the walls the perfect tone and the pictures hung beautifuly. I was able to confirm that these visions of mine are accurate as Kari has a wonderful housekeeper, a chef for a husband, and her father is an interior decorator. (Note: I really like Tommy and my dad so I am not looking to trade them in, but I am considering getting a housekeeper to come over like once or twice a month?! Paying somebody to do something I am perfectly capable of doing is not up my alley, but clearly these ladies that clean Kari's house are far more capable of cleaning than I am. Also, a housekeeper may be cheaper than ADHD medication).
So many of my girlfriends were able to make the party, it was so much fun! My mom and sister also joined us for the fun. I LOVE being around my attorney girlfriends for many reasons. One, they always have funny stories. Two, they embrace their crazy lives so well and it makes me feel not as crazy when I see them functioning the same way I do. Three, they are just all around wonderful people. These girls are the type of people who have your back at the Courthouse, throw you business or referrals when they know you are trying to expand your practice, know what to say when the stress of a trial or hearing didn't go your way, and give you helpful insight when you have a tough case or client. In fact, practicing law would be so much different without these girls in my life that I am not even sure I could do it.
Here are some pics from the party:
Let me tell you that it did not disappoint! At Kari's house, the floors seemed to shine a little more, the fruit seemed to be sweeter, the asparagus crunchier, the walls the perfect tone and the pictures hung beautifuly. I was able to confirm that these visions of mine are accurate as Kari has a wonderful housekeeper, a chef for a husband, and her father is an interior decorator. (Note: I really like Tommy and my dad so I am not looking to trade them in, but I am considering getting a housekeeper to come over like once or twice a month?! Paying somebody to do something I am perfectly capable of doing is not up my alley, but clearly these ladies that clean Kari's house are far more capable of cleaning than I am. Also, a housekeeper may be cheaper than ADHD medication).
So many of my girlfriends were able to make the party, it was so much fun! My mom and sister also joined us for the fun. I LOVE being around my attorney girlfriends for many reasons. One, they always have funny stories. Two, they embrace their crazy lives so well and it makes me feel not as crazy when I see them functioning the same way I do. Three, they are just all around wonderful people. These girls are the type of people who have your back at the Courthouse, throw you business or referrals when they know you are trying to expand your practice, know what to say when the stress of a trial or hearing didn't go your way, and give you helpful insight when you have a tough case or client. In fact, practicing law would be so much different without these girls in my life that I am not even sure I could do it.
Here are some pics from the party:
I wish I would have gotten my camera our sooner before some of the girls had to go, but there was a fantastic group of us! We played the string game. You know, the same game I played at work a week ago. Kudos to my madre for literally coming within two centimeters of my stomach size!
On aside, did I ever tell you the story behind the baby blanket I asked my mom to make for me? To make a long story not quite as long: when I found out I was pregnant I asked my mom to make a pink baby blanket for me. I was already convinced it was a girl and really wanted this keepsake for her. My mom found the perfect pattern and being crocheting the blanket. My mom is extremely talented when it comes to crafty projects (like many of my friends I am learning) but gets somewhat frustrated towards the end of the blanket with the way it turned out. One weekend while we are at the lake house she tells me that she is just going to finish the border and call it good. And that is just what she did. Now apparently I had a look of horror on my face when my mom got done with the blanket. Secretly I think she was dissatisfied with the way it turned out but wanted to make me feel really bad about it. I didn't see or hear anything about the blanket for months. Finally around Christmas time I asked my mom where the blanket was. Her response: "I gave it away!" What?! I was shocked! She so perfectly made me feel so bad for being so ungrateful for the blanket and then actually had the nerve to donate my daughter's blanket! I was between tears and laughter for the next 24 hours reminding all my family members to hang onto their stuff or my mom would donate it!
Well, look what I opened up at my shower:
Isn't it gorge? (Insert Tommy's response of "No, its pink!") I LOVE IT! I cannot wait to wrap little BGT up in it (actually, I kind of can. I'm getting a little freaked out about this parenting thing).
Lastly, a really fun part of the shower was the cards that people filled out for parenting advice to me. You do not often get free advice from an attorney, so let me share with you some of my favorites:
- Elizabeth - "Be careful- babies are slippery when wet!"
- Katie - "Let me watch your kid. Seriously though, don't freak out when your baby falls off the bed- it happens to everyone!"
- Kari - "Take time to enjoy each day. You deserve all the happiness each day brings." Note: she didn't mention about all the stress and hell of the days that come ahead. Do I deserve that too, Kari?
- Chira- "Accept help whenever offered." I am especially mindful of this with my mother in law heading up for three weeks. I want to be super mama and do everything for my baby, but I am going to try my best to accept help, and to be grateful for it!
- Erin - "Write things down. Time goes faster every day and your memory might not keep up."
- Mom - "Please finish your online child birth classes. Ignorance is bliss, but to have a clue is helpful."
Friday, January 27, 2012
Life Before BGT
Here is what a typical day has looked like for the past eight weeks in the Takekawa household:
6:15 - I arrive home from work;
6:25 - After quickly changing into my sweat pants (unless of course I already had them on at work) I open the fridge, quickly close it realizing that whatever is in there is and has been expired, and call Tommy to pick something up on the way home from work;
7:15 - Tommy arrives home from work. He finds me upstairs laying in bed usually looking up something on the computer. I have already stopped in the baby's room a few times - not to see anything in particular. Just to look around.
7:45 - We finish dinner and discuss what we are going to do for the rest of the evening which usually includes a long list of things I want to get done.
7:46 - Tommy heads upstairs to change into sweatpants. He makes a quick detour into the baby's room to check everything out (though nothing has changed). I lay back down in bed. Tommy changes and lays down next to me.
8:40 - For nearly the last hour we have visit about our day but also sit in silence thinking quietly to ourselves about how our lives are about to change. We can see each other thinking the same thoughts but do not care to articulate how nervous we are about all the changes. Tommy asks me to sign on to facebook so he can see updated pictures/videos of his niece. He watches the same video at least three times.
8:41 - We realize that its now too late to go run errands, to do any laundry, or get anything checked off of our to do list. We lay there for another 30ish minutes. I tell Tommy BGT is moving around like crazy. Tommy puts his hand on my stomach and she stops moving. Tommy removes his hand and she begins to move wildly.
9:10 - We now realize that our 9pm shows have already started and we missed the start of our favorite shows. We discuss moving the DVR from the living room to the bedroom. We decide it would be a good idea, but we do not do it. I decide to take a bath. Tommy decides to turn on the tv and shop online for baby.
10:00 - Tommy tells me about all the things he found online. I tell him about all the scary things I read in the baby book while taking a bath. We both decide its time for bed. We argue about who should go downstairs and ensure the doors are locked and turn off the lights. Tommy goes and turns the lights off and locks the door.
10:05 - Tommy is fast asleep snoring already. I lay awake.
Midnight - I'm still awake. Irritated, I either wake Tommy up to tell him that his snoring his keeping me awake, or I wake him up to tell him I cant sleep (either of which he already knows).
1 am - we both fall asleep. We discuss why I cant sleep.
5 am - I wake up. I think about going into work early.
6:15 - I fall back asleep.
645 - The alarm goes off. I kick Tommy. He says- "5 more minutes."
715 - I kick Tommy again. Tommy gets ready for work now disappointed that he is going to be "late."
7:45 - I get out of bed now annoyed that not only am I going to be "late" to work, but also irritated that I slept like crap and could have gotten up hours earlier to go to work.
8:00 - Tommy leaves for work
8: 20 - I leave for work.
(during the day we discuss how we should go to the grocery store and eat at home that evening.
And our day starts all over again....
6:15 - I arrive home from work;
6:25 - After quickly changing into my sweat pants (unless of course I already had them on at work) I open the fridge, quickly close it realizing that whatever is in there is and has been expired, and call Tommy to pick something up on the way home from work;
7:15 - Tommy arrives home from work. He finds me upstairs laying in bed usually looking up something on the computer. I have already stopped in the baby's room a few times - not to see anything in particular. Just to look around.
7:45 - We finish dinner and discuss what we are going to do for the rest of the evening which usually includes a long list of things I want to get done.
7:46 - Tommy heads upstairs to change into sweatpants. He makes a quick detour into the baby's room to check everything out (though nothing has changed). I lay back down in bed. Tommy changes and lays down next to me.
8:40 - For nearly the last hour we have visit about our day but also sit in silence thinking quietly to ourselves about how our lives are about to change. We can see each other thinking the same thoughts but do not care to articulate how nervous we are about all the changes. Tommy asks me to sign on to facebook so he can see updated pictures/videos of his niece. He watches the same video at least three times.
8:41 - We realize that its now too late to go run errands, to do any laundry, or get anything checked off of our to do list. We lay there for another 30ish minutes. I tell Tommy BGT is moving around like crazy. Tommy puts his hand on my stomach and she stops moving. Tommy removes his hand and she begins to move wildly.
9:10 - We now realize that our 9pm shows have already started and we missed the start of our favorite shows. We discuss moving the DVR from the living room to the bedroom. We decide it would be a good idea, but we do not do it. I decide to take a bath. Tommy decides to turn on the tv and shop online for baby.
10:00 - Tommy tells me about all the things he found online. I tell him about all the scary things I read in the baby book while taking a bath. We both decide its time for bed. We argue about who should go downstairs and ensure the doors are locked and turn off the lights. Tommy goes and turns the lights off and locks the door.
10:05 - Tommy is fast asleep snoring already. I lay awake.
Midnight - I'm still awake. Irritated, I either wake Tommy up to tell him that his snoring his keeping me awake, or I wake him up to tell him I cant sleep (either of which he already knows).
1 am - we both fall asleep. We discuss why I cant sleep.
5 am - I wake up. I think about going into work early.
6:15 - I fall back asleep.
645 - The alarm goes off. I kick Tommy. He says- "5 more minutes."
715 - I kick Tommy again. Tommy gets ready for work now disappointed that he is going to be "late."
7:45 - I get out of bed now annoyed that not only am I going to be "late" to work, but also irritated that I slept like crap and could have gotten up hours earlier to go to work.
8:00 - Tommy leaves for work
8: 20 - I leave for work.
(during the day we discuss how we should go to the grocery store and eat at home that evening.
And our day starts all over again....
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Thankful Thursday
This is what I am thankful for this week:
My swollen ankles;
My sleepless nights;
My backaches;
My stomach that feels like it is splitting apart;
I am anxiously awaiting the burst of energy I am supposed to be getting to finish up my last minute tasks!
Happy Thursday!!!
I am anxiously awaiting the burst of energy I am supposed to be getting to finish up my last minute tasks!
Happy Thursday!!!
Monday, January 23, 2012
BGT Update
I would say that I am sorry for making all my posts about BGT Emme Kay Takekawa, but I am not.
First, for all you inquiring minds wondering where this post is going to go, let me go ahead and tell you that I am still pregnant.
Here is a picture of me from today at 38.5 weeks:
You know my obsession with Pinterest. Well, my friend, Caprice, made this little tutu forBGT Emme. I cannot wait to put her in it!
On another note, I had the conversation with Tommy tonight. The conversation where I told him that I just cannot imagine BGT being named anything but Emme. He took it well. I would still say that it is not decided for sure what we will name her, but I am glad that he knows now how strongly I feel that this is her name. I suppose once she is born if she looks like a Giuliana or a Sofia then we will name her that, but it is hard for me to imagine she could be anything else.
First, for all you inquiring minds wondering where this post is going to go, let me go ahead and tell you that I am still pregnant.
Here is a picture of me from today at 38.5 weeks:
You know my obsession with Pinterest. Well, my friend, Caprice, made this little tutu for
On another note, I had the conversation with Tommy tonight. The conversation where I told him that I just cannot imagine BGT being named anything but Emme. He took it well. I would still say that it is not decided for sure what we will name her, but I am glad that he knows now how strongly I feel that this is her name. I suppose once she is born if she looks like a Giuliana or a Sofia then we will name her that, but it is hard for me to imagine she could be anything else.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Ten Things...
Here are ten random thoughts about Pregnancy/BGT:
1. I think my mom is right when she says that God makes the last weeks of pregnancy so miserable so that you are ready to push the baby out when the day comes.
2. BGT will never know what its like to push a tape into a vhs player.
3. 14 weeks ago I couldn't wait to wear those comfy maternity clothes. Now I cant wait to get back to my normal clothes!
4. If BGT were not born on February 10, my second guess would have been that she is born on January 22. My third guess is January 23. The reason is that today is the last day of the Chinese Year- which would have made her a rabbit. In T-55 minutes BGT will officially be a Dragon baby. I really do not care that much about what year she is born in. I just do not want to listen to all the crap you would give me if she were born the last day of the rabbit year!
5. People have a very strong opinion about whether you should have your child at Mercy or Methodist hospital. I am having my baby at Methodist, but I really do not have a strong opinion about it.
6. My favorite place to shop for baby is Baby Depot. (It is in the back of Burlington Coat Factory on Merle Hay Road). The prices are as cheap as amazon.com and you can always find a 15% off coupon. Just make sure you go with a friend and pack mace.
7. If BGT looks like a BBT then I can always buy the onsie at Hobby Lobby that says "I'm a girl!"
8. Having recently found out a friends of mine had natural deliveries, I began to doubt whether I should be planning on getting an epidural. I googled the main reasons for not having an epidural and not one of them was even close to convincing me that I should do natural. Back to the three step birth plan!
9. It kind of just recently occurred to me that people look pregnant some time after giving birth. I am not looking forward to those looks of "is she or isn't she?"
10. I feel very very convinced now that BGT should be named Emme Kay. Tommy - not so convinced. I have a few strategies including yelling "Emme!" when the nurse hands us the baby and asks us the baby's name. Also, I may make labor seem worse than normal so he feels that he should give in to her name. I hope to not have to use any of these strategies, but I am certainly not above it.
1. I think my mom is right when she says that God makes the last weeks of pregnancy so miserable so that you are ready to push the baby out when the day comes.
2. BGT will never know what its like to push a tape into a vhs player.
3. 14 weeks ago I couldn't wait to wear those comfy maternity clothes. Now I cant wait to get back to my normal clothes!
4. If BGT were not born on February 10, my second guess would have been that she is born on January 22. My third guess is January 23. The reason is that today is the last day of the Chinese Year- which would have made her a rabbit. In T-55 minutes BGT will officially be a Dragon baby. I really do not care that much about what year she is born in. I just do not want to listen to all the crap you would give me if she were born the last day of the rabbit year!
5. People have a very strong opinion about whether you should have your child at Mercy or Methodist hospital. I am having my baby at Methodist, but I really do not have a strong opinion about it.
6. My favorite place to shop for baby is Baby Depot. (It is in the back of Burlington Coat Factory on Merle Hay Road). The prices are as cheap as amazon.com and you can always find a 15% off coupon. Just make sure you go with a friend and pack mace.
7. If BGT looks like a BBT then I can always buy the onsie at Hobby Lobby that says "I'm a girl!"
8. Having recently found out a friends of mine had natural deliveries, I began to doubt whether I should be planning on getting an epidural. I googled the main reasons for not having an epidural and not one of them was even close to convincing me that I should do natural. Back to the three step birth plan!
9. It kind of just recently occurred to me that people look pregnant some time after giving birth. I am not looking forward to those looks of "is she or isn't she?"
10. I feel very very convinced now that BGT should be named Emme Kay. Tommy - not so convinced. I have a few strategies including yelling "Emme!" when the nurse hands us the baby and asks us the baby's name. Also, I may make labor seem worse than normal so he feels that he should give in to her name. I hope to not have to use any of these strategies, but I am certainly not above it.
BABY SHOWER FUN!
I mentioned on Thursday how I was looking forward the the baby showers on Friday and Saturday. Let me tell you that it did not disappoint.
On Friday the bosses treated us to lunch from Chips (I got to choose and I heard him yell from his office "You had to pick the most expensive place." For the record, I was debating between Chips and Palmers, and I am pretty certain Palmers would have cost more!). I was so surprised when all my co-workers came with little pink bags for BGT and I. I mean, I am not going to say I was surprised that BGT and I received gifts, but I was surprised by the thoughtfulness and generosity of my co-workers. My secretary baked a cake, Connie planned some games, and people picked out some wonderful things for BGT and I. Jim even bit his tongue as the shower went long through the lunch hour!
Here are some pics from the shower:
I think what made my work shower so special is that I spend so much time with these people every week. We have very stressful moments, andmost all of us are doing our jobs primarily to support our lives and not because we love it so much we would even do it without pay. My coworkers did not choose me, and I did not choose them. It is nice to see that even though we spend so much time together that is not always the most pleasant, and even though we did not choose each other, they still care about me and BGT enough to celebrate. They are wonderful!!
We did play thisfun interesting game in which everybody got a string and had to cut it to the size in which they though my belly was. Jim wisely opted out. The winner of the game still overshot my belly size by about 9 inches. :-) My secretary, Erin, won. She is quite wise.
On Saturday, my Aunt Nita and cousin, Christi, hosted a shower for me. Unfortunately Christi got sick and was not able to make it. I'm sure that is really disappointing for her as she did a wonderful job planning it and was not able to see how it all turned out.
Let me just say this: I love my friends and family. I'm so lucky to actually get to enjoy the time I spend with my family. And my friends, of course, I picked them out. So obviously they are wonderful! My Aunt and Cousin are quite the party planners, and continued the owl theme. I got lots of goodies to add to BGT's scrapbook and keepsake box.
My Aunt said she forgot "a dip." I'm still not sure if she was talking about the chips or a family member she forgot to invite. ;-)
My Aunt had no idea that I have been eating chocolate cupcakes like it is nobody's business. It was the perfect treat. Also, we had "cake balls" from that bakery in Ankeny. They were as fantastic as you have heard.
Loved the owl theme!
Kudos to my sister for making this diaper wreath! She didn't even tell me she made it. My mom told me later. So impressed!
This is probably my favorite picture since I last photographed my nursery. In this picture is me: Due February 4; Erin, my sis, due March 27; Laura, my girlfriend, due April 30; and Kimber, my girlfriend, due May 14.
First let me just go ahead and say I LOOK HUGE! I knew I put on 4 pounds in the last two weeks, but holy cow! I literally had no idea that I looked like that. In fact, I saw my sister for the first time in a few weeks on Friday night.
When she left I said to Tommy "Don't Erin and I look the same size?"
Tommy said "Ah, no."
I said "Really? I think we do."
Tommy said "Well, I guess I didn't really look."
Well, clearly Tommy did look but wisely choose not to have that discussion with me. I am also thinking that a lot of that baby weight must come on starting at week 32, right? Erin, Laura and Kimber look great!
No wonder my coworkers all guessed me 12 inches bigger than I am. If I saw that I probably would have demanded another string!
I'm so excited for BGT to have so may friends her age already! Erin, Laura and Kimber are all having boys. (Erin and Laura's gender have been confirmed by modern science. I am relying on the Chinese birth chart for Kimber's gender!) Normally this is where I would go on and on about how bummed I am that al of their kids are boys. Then Tommy kindly reminds me of Mindy's triplets and not to be too greedy! He is right. Once we factor in the Guerra Triplets, the girls still out number the boys!
On Friday the boss
Here are some pics from the shower:
Our conference room has never seen so much pink!
I think what made my work shower so special is that I spend so much time with these people every week. We have very stressful moments, and
We did play this
On Saturday, my Aunt Nita and cousin, Christi, hosted a shower for me. Unfortunately Christi got sick and was not able to make it. I'm sure that is really disappointing for her as she did a wonderful job planning it and was not able to see how it all turned out.
Let me just say this: I love my friends and family. I'm so lucky to actually get to enjoy the time I spend with my family. And my friends, of course, I picked them out. So obviously they are wonderful! My Aunt and Cousin are quite the party planners, and continued the owl theme. I got lots of goodies to add to BGT's scrapbook and keepsake box.
My Aunt said she forgot "a dip." I'm still not sure if she was talking about the chips or a family member she forgot to invite. ;-)
My Aunt had no idea that I have been eating chocolate cupcakes like it is nobody's business. It was the perfect treat. Also, we had "cake balls" from that bakery in Ankeny. They were as fantastic as you have heard.
First let me just go ahead and say I LOOK HUGE! I knew I put on 4 pounds in the last two weeks, but holy cow! I literally had no idea that I looked like that. In fact, I saw my sister for the first time in a few weeks on Friday night.
When she left I said to Tommy "Don't Erin and I look the same size?"
Tommy said "Ah, no."
I said "Really? I think we do."
Tommy said "Well, I guess I didn't really look."
Well, clearly Tommy did look but wisely choose not to have that discussion with me. I am also thinking that a lot of that baby weight must come on starting at week 32, right? Erin, Laura and Kimber look great!
No wonder my coworkers all guessed me 12 inches bigger than I am. If I saw that I probably would have demanded another string!
I'm so excited for BGT to have so may friends her age already! Erin, Laura and Kimber are all having boys. (Erin and Laura's gender have been confirmed by modern science. I am relying on the Chinese birth chart for Kimber's gender!) Normally this is where I would go on and on about how bummed I am that al of their kids are boys. Then Tommy kindly reminds me of Mindy's triplets and not to be too greedy! He is right. Once we factor in the Guerra Triplets, the girls still out number the boys!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Thankful Thursday
Do you ever let one thing just really annoy you? Do you ever let it annoy you so much that even though you know in your head that there is no reason to be annoyed you just let it consume you? I HATE when that happens. I am letting something like that bother me today. I've had my computer open in front of me for 30 minutes. I could go on and on and on about all the things I am thankful for! But instead, all I could think about was this one annoying totally irrelevant thing. Do you want to know why I have not disclosed this one annoying really irrelevant thing? Because I'm too embarrassed to admit to you that I'd let something so little and unimportant in life bother me. :-)
Moving on....
I'm thankful that I have been able to wear my nice black sweat pants to work without anybody noticing (or people being too nice to say anything about it!),
I'm thankful for my thoughtful coworkers who are throwing BGT and I a baby shower tomorrow. I'm also thankful for my loving and generous family who are throwing BGT and I a shower on Saturday. Seriously, the thoughtfulness and love people have for my unborn baby just overwhelms me. It nearly brings me to tears every time I think about it. Oh, and I'm thankful for friends with good taste who have picked out beyond adorable things for BGT.
I'm thankful that I get to see my favorite doctor tomorrow for my weekly check up. I'm also thankful that after a wonderful lunch today with a wonderful friend, I found out that her doctor is in the same practice group as my doctor. She speaks so highly of him, and it makes me feel better knowing that if he happens to be on call when I have BGT that we'll be in good hands!
I'm thankful that even when I come home in a crabby mood and let things come out of my mouth to my husband that I should not, that he is able to forgive me when I immediately ask for forgiveness and then agree to paint my toenails, put lotion on my legs and rub my head to help me fall asleep.
I'm thankful that I got my haircut today!
Lastly, I'm thankful that I wrote this post. Ten minutes ago I did not even want to write it because I could only think about things I hated and was not thankful for! I even considered calling it unthankful Thursday!
Moving on....
I'm thankful that I have been able to wear my nice black sweat pants to work without anybody noticing (or people being too nice to say anything about it!),
I'm thankful for my thoughtful coworkers who are throwing BGT and I a baby shower tomorrow. I'm also thankful for my loving and generous family who are throwing BGT and I a shower on Saturday. Seriously, the thoughtfulness and love people have for my unborn baby just overwhelms me. It nearly brings me to tears every time I think about it. Oh, and I'm thankful for friends with good taste who have picked out beyond adorable things for BGT.
I'm thankful that I get to see my favorite doctor tomorrow for my weekly check up. I'm also thankful that after a wonderful lunch today with a wonderful friend, I found out that her doctor is in the same practice group as my doctor. She speaks so highly of him, and it makes me feel better knowing that if he happens to be on call when I have BGT that we'll be in good hands!
I'm thankful that even when I come home in a crabby mood and let things come out of my mouth to my husband that I should not, that he is able to forgive me when I immediately ask for forgiveness and then agree to paint my toenails, put lotion on my legs and rub my head to help me fall asleep.
I'm thankful that I got my haircut today!
Lastly, I'm thankful that I wrote this post. Ten minutes ago I did not even want to write it because I could only think about things I hated and was not thankful for! I even considered calling it unthankful Thursday!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Our First Snow
Confused by the title? Let me explain. Today was the first snow at our house in which the driveway needed to be cleared and in which we were using our new Pullen Plus 24 inch snowblower. (Note: Last year one of our neighbors cleared our driveway as a "Welcome to the Neighbrohood" gesture.)
This morning Tommy and I were quite surprised when we opened our garage to go to work and saw the snow on our driveway. Hmmm... should we have gotten out of bed earlier to clear the driveway? Of course not! It was still snowing and we own a four wheel drive and an all wheel drive vehicle. Clearing the driveway this morning would have been like eating a meal halfway baked or drying your vehicle between the soap and rinse. Clearly this was a job for when we got home. Fast forward 11 hours later. I got home around 730 after stopping to visit my favorite triplets! By the looks of it, Tommy had not gotten home much sooner than me. I was a bit surprised that he had not cleared the driveway yet given that it was the first time we were going to use our snowblower. Every other driveway on the block had been cleared. I even contemplated not suggesting he clear the driveway because I was more interested in catching up on Sunday's episode of Kardashians. I then quickly remembered that one of the neighbor's guests had parked in front of a majority of our driveway because it was so covered with snow they could not tell where the driveway started and stopped.
I said to Tommy: "Should we snowblow the driveway?" Whoops! Wrong choice of words. Apparently a 9 month pregnant woman should not even indicate that she plans on taking part in such event as it is very insulting to husband.
Tommy replies: "Now you've pissed me off. And what's going on with our neighbors? Don't any of them have jobs? How can they all have their driveways cleared?"
In fairness to Tommy, the exact same thing had gone through my head.
We headed outside and soon I realized why my husband was not eager to clear the driveway. He had no idea how to use our Pullen Plus 24 inch snowblower.
I asked "Didn't my dad teach you how to use it?"
Tommy: "Yah but that was weeks ago."
Me: "Let me call my dad."
Tommy stomping towards the shelves to find the instructions clearly unhappy that I am suggesting we phone a friend. I pause and give him a few minutes to try to figure it out in order to save his manhood. That goes nowhere. I begin reading the instructions out loud to Tommy. Let me say that the creator of the instructions should have started the instructions like this: "Note: There are two ways to start your Pullen Plus Snowblower: manually or with the electric start." We were trying to do both.
After the snowblower made some odd noises for buttons that Tommy was pushing I begged him to stop pushing the buttons and declared that I would be calling my dad. Tommy yelled back at me. I'm not sure what he said, but I was ready to cry. I called my dad thinking I was hiding my panic well. This was not what was supposed to happen. We bought a snowblower to make our life easier. At this point, I could have had the driveway shoveled clear. My dad gave us some instructions, and we got the snowblower started.
What a sigh of relief. In fact, I was so relieved I had not noticed that our snowblower was making inappropriate noises. It was not until the neighbor came running out of his house to help us did I realize we had a problem. (Note: I returned the footballs to the neighbor yesterday. Had I known that he was going to come rushing out of his house to help us I would not have simply thrown them back into his yard but would have set them nicely them on his front porch. Also note this is not the same neighbor who cleared our driveway last year). Apparently, unlike my dad specifically stated over the phone, we do not have an autochoke that turns down after it starts. The awful noise that the blower was making was enough to get the neighbor out to help us. The blower sounded much better once we resolved the choke issue. The neighbor then saw Tommy trying to work the levers and gave him a quick lesson. Alas, Tommy was well on his way to clearing the driveway.
Well, remember when I said I called my dad hiding my panic well, apparently I did not hide it well at all. Not two passes up thedriveway grass, and my dad pulls up. Being the country boy that he is, my dad takes control of the snowblower and turns to us with a big smile on his face exclaiming "This is fun!" Tommy and my dad finished up the driveway and made their way inside. My dad assured Tommy that he had it figured out and really my dad only stopped by because he had to go get gas. (Note: My parents live in Ankeny and Tommy and I live in Johnston. There are not less than 30 gas stations closer to my parents' house then one in Johnston.
We made it through our first snow. It was memorable in every way I did not expect including the tutorial from the neighbor. Maybe we are turning over a new leaf.
Now, an hour later, both Tommy and I can laugh as we snuggle up watching the Kardashians!
This morning Tommy and I were quite surprised when we opened our garage to go to work and saw the snow on our driveway. Hmmm... should we have gotten out of bed earlier to clear the driveway? Of course not! It was still snowing and we own a four wheel drive and an all wheel drive vehicle. Clearing the driveway this morning would have been like eating a meal halfway baked or drying your vehicle between the soap and rinse. Clearly this was a job for when we got home. Fast forward 11 hours later. I got home around 730 after stopping to visit my favorite triplets! By the looks of it, Tommy had not gotten home much sooner than me. I was a bit surprised that he had not cleared the driveway yet given that it was the first time we were going to use our snowblower. Every other driveway on the block had been cleared. I even contemplated not suggesting he clear the driveway because I was more interested in catching up on Sunday's episode of Kardashians. I then quickly remembered that one of the neighbor's guests had parked in front of a majority of our driveway because it was so covered with snow they could not tell where the driveway started and stopped.
I said to Tommy: "Should we snowblow the driveway?" Whoops! Wrong choice of words. Apparently a 9 month pregnant woman should not even indicate that she plans on taking part in such event as it is very insulting to husband.
Tommy replies: "Now you've pissed me off. And what's going on with our neighbors? Don't any of them have jobs? How can they all have their driveways cleared?"
In fairness to Tommy, the exact same thing had gone through my head.
We headed outside and soon I realized why my husband was not eager to clear the driveway. He had no idea how to use our Pullen Plus 24 inch snowblower.
I asked "Didn't my dad teach you how to use it?"
Tommy: "Yah but that was weeks ago."
Me: "Let me call my dad."
Tommy stomping towards the shelves to find the instructions clearly unhappy that I am suggesting we phone a friend. I pause and give him a few minutes to try to figure it out in order to save his manhood. That goes nowhere. I begin reading the instructions out loud to Tommy. Let me say that the creator of the instructions should have started the instructions like this: "Note: There are two ways to start your Pullen Plus Snowblower: manually or with the electric start." We were trying to do both.
After the snowblower made some odd noises for buttons that Tommy was pushing I begged him to stop pushing the buttons and declared that I would be calling my dad. Tommy yelled back at me. I'm not sure what he said, but I was ready to cry. I called my dad thinking I was hiding my panic well. This was not what was supposed to happen. We bought a snowblower to make our life easier. At this point, I could have had the driveway shoveled clear. My dad gave us some instructions, and we got the snowblower started.
What a sigh of relief. In fact, I was so relieved I had not noticed that our snowblower was making inappropriate noises. It was not until the neighbor came running out of his house to help us did I realize we had a problem. (Note: I returned the footballs to the neighbor yesterday. Had I known that he was going to come rushing out of his house to help us I would not have simply thrown them back into his yard but would have set them nicely them on his front porch. Also note this is not the same neighbor who cleared our driveway last year). Apparently, unlike my dad specifically stated over the phone, we do not have an autochoke that turns down after it starts. The awful noise that the blower was making was enough to get the neighbor out to help us. The blower sounded much better once we resolved the choke issue. The neighbor then saw Tommy trying to work the levers and gave him a quick lesson. Alas, Tommy was well on his way to clearing the driveway.
Well, remember when I said I called my dad hiding my panic well, apparently I did not hide it well at all. Not two passes up the
We made it through our first snow. It was memorable in every way I did not expect including the tutorial from the neighbor. Maybe we are turning over a new leaf.
Now, an hour later, both Tommy and I can laugh as we snuggle up watching the Kardashians!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Ten Things...
Here are 10 Things that made me happy today!
1. My hubby had the day off. I wish I did too, but he works so hard I am happy that he had the day off. I resisted bombarding him with a "Honey Do" list which was an accomplishment on my part!
2. I had a huge craving for puppy chow and had all the ingredients on hand! Seriously, that never happens!
3. I had 7 new blog posts to read!
4. The office was uncharacteristically quiet, and I was able to accomplish a lot!
5. KU Victory! Rock Chalk!
6. One of my friends updated her blog as it relates to a silhouette machine. I do not quite grasp how it works but her project results are amazing! Check it out here
7. BRAVO Network has some of my favorite shows starting up again in February. Think Housewives series and Bethenny Ever After!
8. I had a special lunch date with my nephew. Oh, and my mom too! He cracks me up! I asked him if he wanted a job at the firm. He said yes. My mom asked him if I would make a good mommy. He said I dont know!
9. Tommy got our new computer hooked up (yah, the one we bought in November).
10. I was reminded again what wonderful friends and family I have! Nothing special in particular. Just love getting phone calls or texts from friends and family. I love seeing how much love they have for Tommy, me and BGT. I'm solucky blessed!
1. My hubby had the day off. I wish I did too, but he works so hard I am happy that he had the day off. I resisted bombarding him with a "Honey Do" list which was an accomplishment on my part!
2. I had a huge craving for puppy chow and had all the ingredients on hand! Seriously, that never happens!
3. I had 7 new blog posts to read!
4. The office was uncharacteristically quiet, and I was able to accomplish a lot!
5. KU Victory! Rock Chalk!
6. One of my friends updated her blog as it relates to a silhouette machine. I do not quite grasp how it works but her project results are amazing! Check it out here
7. BRAVO Network has some of my favorite shows starting up again in February. Think Housewives series and Bethenny Ever After!
8. I had a special lunch date with my nephew. Oh, and my mom too! He cracks me up! I asked him if he wanted a job at the firm. He said yes. My mom asked him if I would make a good mommy. He said I dont know!
9. Tommy got our new computer hooked up (yah, the one we bought in November).
10. I was reminded again what wonderful friends and family I have! Nothing special in particular. Just love getting phone calls or texts from friends and family. I love seeing how much love they have for Tommy, me and BGT. I'm so
Sunday, January 15, 2012
It's A Wonderful Life
Proud of all my accomplishments on Saturday (working 6 hours, doing three loads of laundry, preparing paperwork for an upcoming financial planning meeting, running errands, registering for daycare, updating blog, getting my eyebrows waxed) I vowed to make it a relaxing Sunday. And it was for the most part.
I had a good nights' sleep which can be a rarity these days. Tommy and I finally got around to going out to breakfast (a Sunday tradition) and decided to go to a movie. Tommy loves going to the movies. I feel average about going to the movies. I mostly just hate paying so much money to see a movie that I can rent a few months later for a dollar. After I suggested the idea I immediately regretted it and bit my tongue until the movie started as I wanted to suggest different things to do instead. We saw Contraband. It was a really good movie, and I really enjoyed spending time doing something Tommy wanted to do.
We made our first trip to the maternity ward... for a tour. It is a sense of relief knowing which parking lot to park in, what door to enter and which floor to go to. Unfortunately I came down with a case of the giggles during the tour. When another lady asked the nurse if she was still supposed to park in that parking lot when they come for the actual delivery the nurse kindly reminded her that she in fact should park her car in a parking spot and not leave it running at the front door. I immediately felt better about myself knowing that I would at least know I needed to park my car in the lot. I was surprised about how simple the delivery rooms are. I expected more.... I don't know what... I just expected more. The most shocking part of the tour was the security cords they put on the babies to prevent theft! Scary!
My sense of relief and preparedness was short lived when I got home and read my friend, Laura's blog. She is due at the end of April and was stressing about some things in preparation for her child. One of those things was to find an outfit and props for her baby's hospital photos. Hospital photos?! What?! I mean, I had a few cute things packed in her bag, but I did not know there was a formal photo session. It instantly reminded me of my kindergarten pictures in which I arrived at school on picture day only to find my classmates dressed in their Sunday best while I had on a hand-me-down teddy bear sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. It took my mom five years to forget to dress me for a photo session, and I was about to fail my child in the first 48 hours of her life! I immediately packed some extra cute clothes into the hospital bag, and started throwing stuff together for my own bag. I can now breath easy until her next post.
The anticipation of BGT's arrival is what is probably the most stressful thing right now. It is getting a little harder to move everyday, but I still would say I have had a very blessed pregnancy.
I can see Tommy's anticipation growing as well. While he still tries to act low key when I ask him questions about the birthing process in which neither of us have a clue about, by the next morning he has researched the heck out of the subject and fills me in on his findings in the morning. He is also growing a bit more protective of BGT as well. Today at the movies there were two teenagers purchasing tickets in front of us. They were young and in love. They could not keep their hands off each other. I would describe it as borderline inappropriate for public, but I would also say I have seen worse. As we walked away from the ticket counter Tommy turns to me and says "I just want to kill that kid." I said "Huh, what?" Tommy: "Didn't you see that kid and the way he had his hands all over that girl? If that were my daughter, I would kill him!" It made me laugh...
Many people are wondering if we have picked out a name. The plan still is to choose between the three names (Giuliana, Emme and Sofia) once we see her. We do have middle name options Kay, Mae, Marie or Joy. I will say that Tommy referred to BGT as "Emme" three times today, and I am hopeful that means it is creeping its way into first place on his list!
I had a good nights' sleep which can be a rarity these days. Tommy and I finally got around to going out to breakfast (a Sunday tradition) and decided to go to a movie. Tommy loves going to the movies. I feel average about going to the movies. I mostly just hate paying so much money to see a movie that I can rent a few months later for a dollar. After I suggested the idea I immediately regretted it and bit my tongue until the movie started as I wanted to suggest different things to do instead. We saw Contraband. It was a really good movie, and I really enjoyed spending time doing something Tommy wanted to do.
We made our first trip to the maternity ward... for a tour. It is a sense of relief knowing which parking lot to park in, what door to enter and which floor to go to. Unfortunately I came down with a case of the giggles during the tour. When another lady asked the nurse if she was still supposed to park in that parking lot when they come for the actual delivery the nurse kindly reminded her that she in fact should park her car in a parking spot and not leave it running at the front door. I immediately felt better about myself knowing that I would at least know I needed to park my car in the lot. I was surprised about how simple the delivery rooms are. I expected more.... I don't know what... I just expected more. The most shocking part of the tour was the security cords they put on the babies to prevent theft! Scary!
My sense of relief and preparedness was short lived when I got home and read my friend, Laura's blog. She is due at the end of April and was stressing about some things in preparation for her child. One of those things was to find an outfit and props for her baby's hospital photos. Hospital photos?! What?! I mean, I had a few cute things packed in her bag, but I did not know there was a formal photo session. It instantly reminded me of my kindergarten pictures in which I arrived at school on picture day only to find my classmates dressed in their Sunday best while I had on a hand-me-down teddy bear sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. It took my mom five years to forget to dress me for a photo session, and I was about to fail my child in the first 48 hours of her life! I immediately packed some extra cute clothes into the hospital bag, and started throwing stuff together for my own bag. I can now breath easy until her next post.
The anticipation of BGT's arrival is what is probably the most stressful thing right now. It is getting a little harder to move everyday, but I still would say I have had a very blessed pregnancy.
I can see Tommy's anticipation growing as well. While he still tries to act low key when I ask him questions about the birthing process in which neither of us have a clue about, by the next morning he has researched the heck out of the subject and fills me in on his findings in the morning. He is also growing a bit more protective of BGT as well. Today at the movies there were two teenagers purchasing tickets in front of us. They were young and in love. They could not keep their hands off each other. I would describe it as borderline inappropriate for public, but I would also say I have seen worse. As we walked away from the ticket counter Tommy turns to me and says "I just want to kill that kid." I said "Huh, what?" Tommy: "Didn't you see that kid and the way he had his hands all over that girl? If that were my daughter, I would kill him!" It made me laugh...
Many people are wondering if we have picked out a name. The plan still is to choose between the three names (Giuliana, Emme and Sofia) once we see her. We do have middle name options Kay, Mae, Marie or Joy. I will say that Tommy referred to BGT as "Emme" three times today, and I am hopeful that means it is creeping its way into first place on his list!
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Life Lesson
Life Lesson: Don't Judge a Book by the Cover
I specifically remember being taught this lesson in elementary school. I also specifically remember going into the library at Northwest Elementary and trying to ignore the book covers to choose a book to read (though I usually fell back on Boxcar Children or Ten Kids No Pets). Regardless, it was several years later when I really started to learn what exactly this lesson meant. As an attorney, I encounter a lot of people's personal information whether it be about their marriages, their finances, their mental health. I can tell you that things are never quite what they seem. Some people who appear to have it all really have nothing at all. And those who appear to have nothing are the richest people I know... whether it be rich with money, love or happiness.
Let me introduce you to somebody:
I specifically remember being taught this lesson in elementary school. I also specifically remember going into the library at Northwest Elementary and trying to ignore the book covers to choose a book to read (though I usually fell back on Boxcar Children or Ten Kids No Pets). Regardless, it was several years later when I really started to learn what exactly this lesson meant. As an attorney, I encounter a lot of people's personal information whether it be about their marriages, their finances, their mental health. I can tell you that things are never quite what they seem. Some people who appear to have it all really have nothing at all. And those who appear to have nothing are the richest people I know... whether it be rich with money, love or happiness.
Let me introduce you to somebody:
Do you know this guy? I sure don't. The only thing I know about this guy is that he judges a book by the cover. See, Tommy and I went out to dinner tonight as savoring our last moments as a family of two. I, of course, put on the nicest sweatpants I had, but I opted out of the makeup and jewelry. Tommy and I had the displeasure of sitting at a table next to him. This guy had a problem with Tommy and I the moment we sat down next to him. See, this guy couldn't get enough looks in at Tommy and I.
While I'd like to think that he was looking over at us and thinking "what a lovely couple these two lovebirds make" or "God bless this young lady expecting a baby" or "I bet these two college graduates have good jobs and are contributing members of society" I believe by the looks he had on his face and comments made between him and his wife, none of those thoughts were going through his head. From what I can tell and hear, the guy was upset about my interracial relationship. He appeared even more unimpressed by my pregnancy and no wedding ring. And, my God, he nearly went into cardiac arrest when the bill came and I pulled out my credit card to pay the entire bill!
On some days I might let this guy get under my skin. The only thing I let these guy's looks do is maybe inappropriately take a photo of him to post on my blog. Mostly, I just feel bad for him. Little does he know what a wonderful person my husband is, what excitement and happiness we have for the arrival of our child and that we share a bank account in which the credit card gets paid.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thankful Thursday
I'm thankful that tomorrow I will be "full term!" I cant believe how fast time has gone. I feel so fortunate to have had such an easy and uncomplicated pregnancy. In fact, at my last doctor's appointment the doctor told me that I was "the perfect patient." Of course he was only looking at weight gain, blood pressure, baby's growth and urine samples. Had his paperwork disclosed the number of times I have forgotten my prenatal vitamin, the number of cans have sodas I've consumed during the pregnancy, and the number of cupcakes I had eaten in the past week, I probably would not have gotten such high marks!
I'm thankful for all the work that has gotten done at my house over the past week. I'm so glad to have my hubby and parent's help in getting stuff organized and ready. I think the motivation was somewhat sparked when last Friday I was already dilated to 1! It was a sudden realization that this baby is coming soon!
I'm thankful for all the people out there who are nice to pregnant people. I love how when I am running into them with my grocery cart they still apologize to me. I love how when I feel like a giant pick up truck they tell me I look tiny. I love how they open the doors for me and look at me like I'm the sweetest thing because I've got this baby bump. I hope this continues once I have a small child!
I'm thankful for all the work that has gotten done at my house over the past week. I'm so glad to have my hubby and parent's help in getting stuff organized and ready. I think the motivation was somewhat sparked when last Friday I was already dilated to 1! It was a sudden realization that this baby is coming soon!
I'm thankful for all the people out there who are nice to pregnant people. I love how when I am running into them with my grocery cart they still apologize to me. I love how when I feel like a giant pick up truck they tell me I look tiny. I love how they open the doors for me and look at me like I'm the sweetest thing because I've got this baby bump. I hope this continues once I have a small child!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
BGT Update
I'm so happy! You know why? Because of this:
A few days ago I still had a list of five or six things that needed to be done. Well, guess what! The side table was found, lamp was purchased, butterfly mirrors hung, amazon order placed, shipped and delivered, and owl decals put up. I did find a rug, but it turns out the rug looks better in a different part of our house than the nursery.
I'm so happy with the way everything turned out. Ironically, my husband actually deserves a lot of credit. My husband has really good sense of style and is able to pick things out much better than me. I'd say together we make a good team. I cannot wait for the day BGT wakes up and says to me "Mommy! I love my bedroom!"
Here is a run down of where I made my purchases:
Nebraska Furniture Mart: Carpet, Crib, Dresser, Hutch and rocking chair.
Target: Curtains and side table.
PB Kids: bedding, lamp, many of the decorations/basket on the hutch.
Hobby Lobby: Blanket, ribbons on curtains, butterfly mirrors, owl print by hutch.
Amazon: Owl decal above crib and below window.
A few days ago I still had a list of five or six things that needed to be done. Well, guess what! The side table was found, lamp was purchased, butterfly mirrors hung, amazon order placed, shipped and delivered, and owl decals put up. I did find a rug, but it turns out the rug looks better in a different part of our house than the nursery.
I'm so happy with the way everything turned out. Ironically, my husband actually deserves a lot of credit. My husband has really good sense of style and is able to pick things out much better than me. I'd say together we make a good team. I cannot wait for the day BGT wakes up and says to me "Mommy! I love my bedroom!"
Here is a run down of where I made my purchases:
Nebraska Furniture Mart: Carpet, Crib, Dresser, Hutch and rocking chair.
Target: Curtains and side table.
PB Kids: bedding, lamp, many of the decorations/basket on the hutch.
Hobby Lobby: Blanket, ribbons on curtains, butterfly mirrors, owl print by hutch.
Amazon: Owl decal above crib and below window.
Love Thy Neighbor...
Have I told you lately that my neighbor hates me? (Cue my mom rolling her eyes thinking "who [explicitive] cares?!" I usually do not care if somebody does not like me because that person generally has a reason not to. In this case, I'm not really sure what happened. (Note: he hated us long before I posted what a crappy job he did on his Christmas decorations).
I first noticed that my neighbor hated me when I had just gotten done mowing the lawn. I had the leaf blower out and was making my way down the driveway to get the grass clippings off the driveway. (This was a huge accomplishment considering I was about 21 weeks pregnant at the time). I had not gotten to the shared sidewalk yet between our houses. The sidewalk was going to be cleaned of the approximately five grass blades that had gotten on his side. But before I could even get to those five grass blades off his portion of the sidewalk (and legally a sidewalk is a public easement which brings about a whole other issue of why he should not be so crazy about those grass blades) he had his blower out and moved them off his portion of the sidewalk. It was weird. It was uncomfortable. And I can assure you, he was not trying to "help" the pregnant lady out with the task.
I really think I am a friendly neighbor. I mean, when he parks his rusted out 1990s truck right in front of my house (and mailbox) every single day (and does not move it for weeks at a time) I do not grab his kid's sidewalk chalk and mark the tires so I can call the city to tow it in a few days. And when he plays catch with his kids and they trample through my daylillies, I do not remind him that he could switch position in the yard with his kids and have his kids trample over his own flowers instead.
Well, again, I was reminded just how much these neighbors hate me (by the way, if you are thinking about my neighbors who asked me to power wash the backside of my fence I should note that these are different neighbors). My mom was in the fenced part of my backyard (you know- the portion where my yard meets up with his) and found THREE footballs in my backyard. Clearly all three of these balls belong to him because its right where he always plays catch with his kid (see above). And NOT ONCE has he or his kids come and asked me for these balls!!!! He apparently keeps buying more balls instead of knocking on my door and asking me to retrieve the ball. Does he hate me so much he would rather spend $10 on a new ball instead of asking me to retrieve his out of my yard? Apparently, yes.
And just to show you how big of person I am... when I go to return those balls to him thisweek year, I am not going to leave a note that says "Just ask me to retrieve the ball next time so you can spend your money on some landscaping instead of more footballs!"
I first noticed that my neighbor hated me when I had just gotten done mowing the lawn. I had the leaf blower out and was making my way down the driveway to get the grass clippings off the driveway. (This was a huge accomplishment considering I was about 21 weeks pregnant at the time). I had not gotten to the shared sidewalk yet between our houses. The sidewalk was going to be cleaned of the approximately five grass blades that had gotten on his side. But before I could even get to those five grass blades off his portion of the sidewalk (and legally a sidewalk is a public easement which brings about a whole other issue of why he should not be so crazy about those grass blades) he had his blower out and moved them off his portion of the sidewalk. It was weird. It was uncomfortable. And I can assure you, he was not trying to "help" the pregnant lady out with the task.
I really think I am a friendly neighbor. I mean, when he parks his rusted out 1990s truck right in front of my house (and mailbox) every single day (and does not move it for weeks at a time) I do not grab his kid's sidewalk chalk and mark the tires so I can call the city to tow it in a few days. And when he plays catch with his kids and they trample through my daylillies, I do not remind him that he could switch position in the yard with his kids and have his kids trample over his own flowers instead.
Well, again, I was reminded just how much these neighbors hate me (by the way, if you are thinking about my neighbors who asked me to power wash the backside of my fence I should note that these are different neighbors). My mom was in the fenced part of my backyard (you know- the portion where my yard meets up with his) and found THREE footballs in my backyard. Clearly all three of these balls belong to him because its right where he always plays catch with his kid (see above). And NOT ONCE has he or his kids come and asked me for these balls!!!! He apparently keeps buying more balls instead of knocking on my door and asking me to retrieve the ball. Does he hate me so much he would rather spend $10 on a new ball instead of asking me to retrieve his out of my yard? Apparently, yes.
And just to show you how big of person I am... when I go to return those balls to him this
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Life Lessons....
Lesson: It's the little things...
This past week at work I received a the results of a custody evaluation for one of my clients. A custody evaluation is just what you think it is: separating parents go see a professional who does a study and makes a recommendation to the Court as to who should have care of the child/ren.
In the report, the six year child continually brings up how his favorite thing to do is go to Taco Johns with his dad to get a Taco. Here are some examples:
- Child spells on board with mom "I made a lon shot." Mom tells him he spelled "long" incorrectly. Child erases board and writes "I LOVE TO GO TO TACO JOHNS WITH DAD AND EAT TACOS."
- Custody Evaluator asks child what toys he has at dad's house. Child replies: "I have a soccer ball but it is a few years old. I don't have toys at my dad's house, but we go to Taco Johns and get tacos. I like that."
- Custody Evaluator asks child if he likes the current schedule. Child replies: "No, I wish I could spend more time with dad.... so we could go get more tacos and Taco Johns!"
It made me think back to my childhood memories and what I remember as being the most pleasant. Here are some of the favorite things I remember:
- As a child we did "2 a days" at church. 8am service and a 5pm service (Note: Ministers used to prepare two sermons a day?! I wonder if they still get paid the same?) On our way home from the evening service we would often stop at Arbys on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines where my sister and I would split a beef n' Cheddar sandwich and a Jamocha Shake. Those memories are the only reason I go to Arby's twice a year now. I think of the memory and try to relive it by going to the Arby's and ordering the food. The food is absolutely disgusting!
- I remember a Christmas morning in particular when we were staying at my Grandma and Grandpa Vos' house. That year a received a Teddy Ruxpin type of toy. It was not Teddy that made the day special. It was finding Teddy on the fireplace on Christmas morning and knowing Santa had been there earlier.
- I remember one year we were celebrating Christmas with my Uncle Don and Aunt Bonnie. My crafty cousins had created a sled by hooking up a bed mattress of a car hood (both of which they found in the ditch) onto the back of the 4 wheeler. We went sledding all through the country side! What fun!
- I also have a project I made in Kindergarten where I had to finish the sentence. My cousins Nikki and Christi had just moved to town (they are approximately 5-7 years older than me). We must have been spending a lot of time with them because every sentence I finished in the project had to do with them.
"My favorite thing to do is.... see my cousins Nikki and Christi."
"I hope to.... get to see my cousins again soon."
"When I grow up I want to... be just like my cousins Nikki and Christi."
Seriously there were like ten sentences and nearly all of them had to do with my cousins.
I really hope to keep this lesson in mind as I become a parent. I hope to have little traditions that we do together as a family and spend time with other family members that she remembers as her favorite memories. But just in case that isn't enough... I have prepared her the most perfect nursery. :-)
This past week at work I received a the results of a custody evaluation for one of my clients. A custody evaluation is just what you think it is: separating parents go see a professional who does a study and makes a recommendation to the Court as to who should have care of the child/ren.
In the report, the six year child continually brings up how his favorite thing to do is go to Taco Johns with his dad to get a Taco. Here are some examples:
- Child spells on board with mom "I made a lon shot." Mom tells him he spelled "long" incorrectly. Child erases board and writes "I LOVE TO GO TO TACO JOHNS WITH DAD AND EAT TACOS."
- Custody Evaluator asks child what toys he has at dad's house. Child replies: "I have a soccer ball but it is a few years old. I don't have toys at my dad's house, but we go to Taco Johns and get tacos. I like that."
- Custody Evaluator asks child if he likes the current schedule. Child replies: "No, I wish I could spend more time with dad.... so we could go get more tacos and Taco Johns!"
It made me think back to my childhood memories and what I remember as being the most pleasant. Here are some of the favorite things I remember:
- As a child we did "2 a days" at church. 8am service and a 5pm service (Note: Ministers used to prepare two sermons a day?! I wonder if they still get paid the same?) On our way home from the evening service we would often stop at Arbys on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines where my sister and I would split a beef n' Cheddar sandwich and a Jamocha Shake. Those memories are the only reason I go to Arby's twice a year now. I think of the memory and try to relive it by going to the Arby's and ordering the food. The food is absolutely disgusting!
- I remember a Christmas morning in particular when we were staying at my Grandma and Grandpa Vos' house. That year a received a Teddy Ruxpin type of toy. It was not Teddy that made the day special. It was finding Teddy on the fireplace on Christmas morning and knowing Santa had been there earlier.
- I remember one year we were celebrating Christmas with my Uncle Don and Aunt Bonnie. My crafty cousins had created a sled by hooking up a bed mattress of a car hood (both of which they found in the ditch) onto the back of the 4 wheeler. We went sledding all through the country side! What fun!
- I also have a project I made in Kindergarten where I had to finish the sentence. My cousins Nikki and Christi had just moved to town (they are approximately 5-7 years older than me). We must have been spending a lot of time with them because every sentence I finished in the project had to do with them.
"My favorite thing to do is.... see my cousins Nikki and Christi."
"I hope to.... get to see my cousins again soon."
"When I grow up I want to... be just like my cousins Nikki and Christi."
Seriously there were like ten sentences and nearly all of them had to do with my cousins.
I really hope to keep this lesson in mind as I become a parent. I hope to have little traditions that we do together as a family and spend time with other family members that she remembers as her favorite memories. But just in case that isn't enough... I have prepared her the most perfect nursery. :-)
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Thankful Thursday
To My Dear Friend Thursday:
Welcome to 2012! I thought you came a day early this week. I double checked with my calendar, and it looks like you came right on time!
Thursday, I wanted to send you this little thank you note to let you know how grateful I am for you. I love how you arrive each week and give us all hope for the remainder of the week. I love how you never try to carry the glory that Friday tries to carry, yet you provide an equal amount of satisfaction as Friday each week.
Today, Thursday, you were just as wonderful as the other 51ish Thursdays in the year. When I went into work early to meet with my first client whom I quoted as $1,500 retainer and offered me $100 in return, Thursday, I didn't get mad. I thought it was funny. See Thursday, if it were Monday, I would have been irritated; and if it were Friday, I would have been so tired that I would have just agreed to accept $100 because I'd feel bad for said client which I would have then regretted the following Monday. You provide me with so much sense, Thursday.
Today, Thursday, when I faced obstacles, you reminded me why you are so great. Again, Thursday, if it were Friday, I would have avoided the obstacles until the following week. And if it were Monday through Wednesday, I would have said I still had time later in the week to tackle the tasks. But with the hope you provided, I mastered the tasks which will now lead to a more relaxing Friday.
I can't wait to see you next week, Thursday. I hope you provided my friends and family as much happiness and success this Thursday as you did for me! Thanks, again, for being so wonderful!
With Love, Dawn
Welcome to 2012! I thought you came a day early this week. I double checked with my calendar, and it looks like you came right on time!
Thursday, I wanted to send you this little thank you note to let you know how grateful I am for you. I love how you arrive each week and give us all hope for the remainder of the week. I love how you never try to carry the glory that Friday tries to carry, yet you provide an equal amount of satisfaction as Friday each week.
Today, Thursday, you were just as wonderful as the other 51ish Thursdays in the year. When I went into work early to meet with my first client whom I quoted as $1,500 retainer and offered me $100 in return, Thursday, I didn't get mad. I thought it was funny. See Thursday, if it were Monday, I would have been irritated; and if it were Friday, I would have been so tired that I would have just agreed to accept $100 because I'd feel bad for said client which I would have then regretted the following Monday. You provide me with so much sense, Thursday.
Today, Thursday, when I faced obstacles, you reminded me why you are so great. Again, Thursday, if it were Friday, I would have avoided the obstacles until the following week. And if it were Monday through Wednesday, I would have said I still had time later in the week to tackle the tasks. But with the hope you provided, I mastered the tasks which will now lead to a more relaxing Friday.
I can't wait to see you next week, Thursday. I hope you provided my friends and family as much happiness and success this Thursday as you did for me! Thanks, again, for being so wonderful!
With Love, Dawn
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Funny Conversations
Tommy: "Google says we need [list of items] to pack for the baby's bag for the hospital."
Me: "I don't think we are going to need bottles though."
Tommy: "But how are we going to feed the baby?"
(Me giving Tommy a confused blank look)
Tommy: "Oh yah. Nevermind."
Me while opening a box to a new piece of furniture: "Wow! It's gorge!"
Tommy: "Honey, it is not gorge, it is white."
Me: "No, I mean it is gorgeous!"
(30 second pause)
Me: "Wait! What color is 'gorge'?
Anthony after going to the bathroom: "Hey, Auntie Dawn!!"
Me: "Yes?!"
Anthony: "I left skid marks."
Tommy: "I really like the name Natalia. I think we should put Natalia on the name list."
Me: "I dont' like it."
Tommy: "Why not?"
Me: "It sounds like the name of a Russian slut."
Tommy: "Yah. Lets not put it on the list."
Erin (my secretary): "Do you know [insert name of random person]?"
Me: "No, why?"
Erin: "I didn't think so. He called here collect from the jail. I looked him up online and it appears he has two aggravated misdemeanors and a felony, one of which is for violating that pesky 2000 foot law. I figured you wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole."
Me: "I don't think we are going to need bottles though."
Tommy: "But how are we going to feed the baby?"
(Me giving Tommy a confused blank look)
Tommy: "Oh yah. Nevermind."
Me while opening a box to a new piece of furniture: "Wow! It's gorge!"
Tommy: "Honey, it is not gorge, it is white."
Me: "No, I mean it is gorgeous!"
(30 second pause)
Me: "Wait! What color is 'gorge'?
Anthony after going to the bathroom: "Hey, Auntie Dawn!!"
Me: "Yes?!"
Anthony: "I left skid marks."
Tommy: "I really like the name Natalia. I think we should put Natalia on the name list."
Me: "I dont' like it."
Tommy: "Why not?"
Me: "It sounds like the name of a Russian slut."
Tommy: "Yah. Lets not put it on the list."
Erin (my secretary): "Do you know [insert name of random person]?"
Me: "No, why?"
Erin: "I didn't think so. He called here collect from the jail. I looked him up online and it appears he has two aggravated misdemeanors and a felony, one of which is for violating that pesky 2000 foot law. I figured you wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole."
A Very Pinterest Christmas!
I'm slightly obsessed with Pinterest right now. I could not help but use some ideas I got from the website for Christmas.
I made Tommy (and myself) a maternity photo album from the pictures my friend took the other day. By the way, as awkward as it felt taking them, and for as many "Are you serious?" looks that I received from people prior to taking the pictures, I am so glad that I did. I love the pictures, and it appears many of you do too! Many of the photo ideas I got off of Pinterest.
Tony and I made this handprint calendar for my mom and sister. I think it turned out super cute, and I hope that they enjoy it! I think my nephew will be really excited once I have my own child and do not force these pinterest ideas on to him.
(Note: I realize this is upside down, but I was lucky to figure out how to get it from my text message to my computer- sorry for the inconvenience).
My sister got BGT these owl stickers. I have seen these on pinterest before (but I think she found them by browsing etsy.com, another fantastic website). Its a sticker that you put on a onsie each month and take a photo of your growing child!
BGT also got Sophie the Giraffe.
Lastly, I made my nephew this snack for Christmas. Its blueberry jello with swedish fish in it. If it is not obvious, it is supposed to be an aquarium. I think he really enjoyed it!
I made Tommy (and myself) a maternity photo album from the pictures my friend took the other day. By the way, as awkward as it felt taking them, and for as many "Are you serious?" looks that I received from people prior to taking the pictures, I am so glad that I did. I love the pictures, and it appears many of you do too! Many of the photo ideas I got off of Pinterest.
Tony and I made this handprint calendar for my mom and sister. I think it turned out super cute, and I hope that they enjoy it! I think my nephew will be really excited once I have my own child and do not force these pinterest ideas on to him.
My sister got BGT these owl stickers. I have seen these on pinterest before (but I think she found them by browsing etsy.com, another fantastic website). Its a sticker that you put on a onsie each month and take a photo of your growing child!
BGT also got Sophie the Giraffe.
Lastly, I made my nephew this snack for Christmas. Its blueberry jello with swedish fish in it. If it is not obvious, it is supposed to be an aquarium. I think he really enjoyed it!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
BGT Nursery
I teased you all yesterday but bragging about the arrival of my new baby furniture after weeks months of waiting but then never posted any pictures. I really wanted to wait until I had the room 100% done before I posted any pictures of the nursery. I estimate it about 70% done. Here is still what I want to do to the nursery:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the furniture that we picked out. This converts into a toddler bed and then full size bed, so I hope to get 18 years of use out of it.
The bedding I found at Pottery Barn (on sale of course!). I am aware of the recommendations against user bumpers in a crib. I am also an attorney and have seen people have DHS investigations on them for when there kids have broken arms and legs when their babys' limbs get stuck between the rails. I decided to keep the bumper.
I still need to purchase the changing pad which will go next to the green basket on the main shelf. I may find a few more things to place on the shelves later on.
I was surprised about how big the room still looks even with all the furniture in it. I was worried it would be too cramped in the room which is why I did not purchase a rug earlier. Now I think I would like to find a rug to place between the hutch and crib. I'm not sure that will get done before BGT's arrival.
Note a few things about the photo above: my sisterand I made the blanket that is on the back of the chair. My sister is quite handy with her sewing machine. I always pretend that I am handy but do not have the patience for these projects. Luckily my sister bailed me out of this project. I am so excited about the blanket! The other thing I want you to note is the effort that I made not to have everything be pink and purple. I did manage to purchase two things that are not pink or purple. The boppy pillow on the chair. There is also a basket liner that is green.
Also, we have not found the right curtains yet. Those are two different curtains on those windows. I dont think we are going to go with either of those. They just seem too blah for the room.
1. Find curtains;
2. Find lamp;
3. Find side table by rocking chair;
4. Hang owl decal on wall;
5. Hand butterfly mirror on other wall;
6. Purchase rug.
Tommy got home from work around 645pm. I got home around 7pm and this is what I found:
Its nearly 10pm and he is still sleeping. Neither one of us slept well last night, but I am too stressed about all the things I want to get done yet to go to bed at 7pm. However, when I saw Tommy I knew that our amazon.com order was not going to be placed. I knew no curtains were going to be purchased today and that items 1-6 are at least another week away from being done. And sometimes in this house one week away can easily mean one month away. So I decided to post pictures anyway.
Here is a picture of the room when the house was purchased in August 2010:
Tommy and I referred to this room as the clown room when we first moved in. Not only did it have this awful wallpaper, the entire top part of the wall was filled with holes. Not tiny nail holes. Huge holes that it appear to have support some sort of jungle gym in the house.
In the Winter 2010, my mom and I painted this room yellow. I knew I always wanted the room to be the nursery because its right next to our bedroom. I also thought that I would either not find out the gender of the baby and need a yellow room or that I would decorate around the yellow walls.
In December of this year, my mom and I painted the nursery Lavender Champagne. I also purchased brand new carpet so she would have clean carpet to barf on. I know some people were surprised about the new carpet purchase when having a newborn, but there is something about somebody else's stains on your carpet that are so disgusting. Somehow if its my daughter's vomit stain it seems like it will be so much more tolerable.
Here is what the nursery looks like today:
Note a few things about the photo above: my sister
Also, we have not found the right curtains yet. Those are two different curtains on those windows. I dont think we are going to go with either of those. They just seem too blah for the room.
We thought we were going to use that lamp in the room but it looks really dirty in that room so we need to find a different lamp. Also, you will note that next to the hutch is the baby's hospital bag, packed and ready to go to the hospital!
Every time I walk past the room I am still shocked to see it as a nursery. Neither Tommy nor myself can walk past the room without stopping in the room, turning on the light and looking around for a few moments before we continue on our path. I think we are both a little shocked that we will be a family of three so soon.
BGT Update
I did not post much about my December 23 ultrasound. This is because there was nothing exciting to post about. BGT is still looking to arrive around February 4. On the 23rd she was measuring about 4.5 pounds. I'd say she weighs about 26 pounds now, but the ultrasound tech would probably disagree. Again, BGT had her hands in front of her face so we did not get a good view of her. I was secretly hoping we would get a good view of her so I could feel confident about the name choice prior to birth. It appears that we will be making, what my friend Kimber refers to as, a game time decision for her name. Sofia, Emme and Giuliana are still top names. I have started suggesting middle names. Officially, Tommy does not have a middle name, nor does his mother, father or brothers. This results in him having no interest in middle names. My grandpa did not have a middle name so he used the letter "A" and I have always been slightly uncomfortable with that.
Here I am today at 36ish weeks:
When I look at this picture all I can really think about is how badly I need a haircut. I am going to schedule one first thing in the morning, if I remember.
For the most part, I have still been feeling pretty good. My only valid complaint would be some lower back pain. The entire pregnancy I really have not slept well either, but I manage to function for the most part. I am getting a little sick of wearing the same maternity clothes over and over. I'll be excited to be back into my sweat pants instead of Tommy's. :-) Sometimes BGT's movements are so strong it reminds me of turbulence on an airplane. I will really miss her moving around in my tummy once she is born.
I have commenced my weekly appointments with the doctor's office. I go every Friday until she is born. I am going to discuss with my doctor this Friday what his plan is if she is not here on February 3. I think I would like to schedule her delivery for February 10 if she does not arrive prior to that time; however, I would also like a particular doctor, Dr. Hoegh, to deliver her if possible, so I will have to see what my options are.
A few weeks ago my friend informed me that I would be prepared for my child once I had a carseat and a place for her to sleep. I managed to purchase and have delivered said items in the past week. As I was bragging to her today that I was "ready" she then started asking if I was mentally prepared and ready for the baby. Yikes! Is there an online course I can take in 20 minutes to get prepared? I did decide to schedule a hospital tour since I was recently informed you never go to the emergency room because apparently having a baby is not an emergency.
Phew... lets hope this baby thing gets a little easier... ;-)
Here I am today at 36ish weeks:
When I look at this picture all I can really think about is how badly I need a haircut. I am going to schedule one first thing in the morning, if I remember.
For the most part, I have still been feeling pretty good. My only valid complaint would be some lower back pain. The entire pregnancy I really have not slept well either, but I manage to function for the most part. I am getting a little sick of wearing the same maternity clothes over and over. I'll be excited to be back into my sweat pants instead of Tommy's. :-) Sometimes BGT's movements are so strong it reminds me of turbulence on an airplane. I will really miss her moving around in my tummy once she is born.
I have commenced my weekly appointments with the doctor's office. I go every Friday until she is born. I am going to discuss with my doctor this Friday what his plan is if she is not here on February 3. I think I would like to schedule her delivery for February 10 if she does not arrive prior to that time; however, I would also like a particular doctor, Dr. Hoegh, to deliver her if possible, so I will have to see what my options are.
A few weeks ago my friend informed me that I would be prepared for my child once I had a carseat and a place for her to sleep. I managed to purchase and have delivered said items in the past week. As I was bragging to her today that I was "ready" she then started asking if I was mentally prepared and ready for the baby. Yikes! Is there an online course I can take in 20 minutes to get prepared? I did decide to schedule a hospital tour since I was recently informed you never go to the emergency room because apparently having a baby is not an emergency.
Phew... lets hope this baby thing gets a little easier... ;-)
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy New Year!
There were so many things about today that could have made this day average (bought three sets of curtains and none of them look good in nursery; found a large scratch in my recently delivered furniture purchase; lady at hobby lobby would not accept my rain check from the mason city hobby lobby; Christmas tree did not take itself down; alarm unnecessarily went off at 630am; spent a lot of money running errands today). But somehow- it was an absolutely amazing day.
I would LOVE to post some pictures of the nursery which is about 70% complete; however, I want to wait until the curtains are found, accessories are placed, and wall art is hung on the wall. I hope to have this all done by the end of the week. (Note: I felt like it was entirely too early to get the nursery ready or other tasks that I wanted done before baby arrived until now. Now I regret not doing it earlier. I feel so exhausted and my back has been killing me making sitting on the floor or moving up and down very uncomfortable. I wish I would have had this done months ago. Kudos to my fantastic husband for spending his free time running errands with me, hanging curtains, pictures, reorganizing bedrooms and cupboards. It is even more fantastic because he does not complain about it that much.)
On New Years Day my mom posed an interesting question to the family. "What are your predictions for 2012?" It is not that the question in itself is that interesting considering it was New Years Day; but anybody who knows me knows I love predicting things and usually my family does not play along. So this question was like a gift from God. I was the first to respond: "Well, I think my daughter will be born on February 10. I think her name will be Emme Marie. And I think that in life I will have two daughters and then a son." (Note: Tommy has not agreed- not even close- to the name Emme. In fact, at this point, the only reason I think he would name his child Emme is because of my confession of saying that I have always felt that Emme would be her name. So basically this was genius for me to say!)
My sister responded next: "Well, I think I will have a son (already confirmed by ultrasound). He will be born on March 27 (she has already scheduled her c-section) and I will only have two boys in life (She is confident in her birth control choice).
My mom predicted that business would be "tough" this year. Tough in the sense that people in general seem to be broke and it is difficult to get them to pay.
I asked my dad "What are your predictions, dad?"
He responded "Predictions? Huh"
Me: "Yah, mom just asked us what our predictions were for 2012." Note: he had been sitting in the same room with us the entire time.
Dad: "Oh. Well, what were everybody else's predictions."
I then go through the list of predictions made by the rest of the room.
Dad: "Oh, I don't really have any predictions."
Happy New Year!
I would LOVE to post some pictures of the nursery which is about 70% complete; however, I want to wait until the curtains are found, accessories are placed, and wall art is hung on the wall. I hope to have this all done by the end of the week. (Note: I felt like it was entirely too early to get the nursery ready or other tasks that I wanted done before baby arrived until now. Now I regret not doing it earlier. I feel so exhausted and my back has been killing me making sitting on the floor or moving up and down very uncomfortable. I wish I would have had this done months ago. Kudos to my fantastic husband for spending his free time running errands with me, hanging curtains, pictures, reorganizing bedrooms and cupboards. It is even more fantastic because he does not complain about it that much.)
On New Years Day my mom posed an interesting question to the family. "What are your predictions for 2012?" It is not that the question in itself is that interesting considering it was New Years Day; but anybody who knows me knows I love predicting things and usually my family does not play along. So this question was like a gift from God. I was the first to respond: "Well, I think my daughter will be born on February 10. I think her name will be Emme Marie. And I think that in life I will have two daughters and then a son." (Note: Tommy has not agreed- not even close- to the name Emme. In fact, at this point, the only reason I think he would name his child Emme is because of my confession of saying that I have always felt that Emme would be her name. So basically this was genius for me to say!)
My sister responded next: "Well, I think I will have a son (already confirmed by ultrasound). He will be born on March 27 (she has already scheduled her c-section) and I will only have two boys in life (She is confident in her birth control choice).
My mom predicted that business would be "tough" this year. Tough in the sense that people in general seem to be broke and it is difficult to get them to pay.
I asked my dad "What are your predictions, dad?"
He responded "Predictions? Huh"
Me: "Yah, mom just asked us what our predictions were for 2012." Note: he had been sitting in the same room with us the entire time.
Dad: "Oh. Well, what were everybody else's predictions."
I then go through the list of predictions made by the rest of the room.
Dad: "Oh, I don't really have any predictions."
Happy New Year!
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