Almost halfway there!

I figured I'd post a few updated pics of me and Baby H. These were taken today at 18.5 weeks...another 10 days and I'll officially be "halfway there" !!

He or she is growing--and I certainly am too! I've definitely noticed it more these last couple weeks.

I'll start off this post with a complaint.

I. Can't. Find. Any. Pants. That. Fit.

Seriously.

I had a hard enough time finding pants that fit BEFORE I was pregnant--and now that I'm pregnant, it's become mission impossible! I need "long" sizes (because my legs are so freaking long) and I'm finding that those aren't easy to come by in maternity pants. Sure, Gap has long sizes--IF I want to blow $80 on one pair! And that's just one pair--I need 4-5 pairs to get me through a week at work. And to add insult to injury, no Gap Maternity that I've been to (I've checked 4) has had my size in stock. They've had every other size known to mankind, but not 4 Long. Seriously--just my luck! I can always order online but I'm so weird about buying clothes online--I'm PICKY and need to try them on first to make sure I like them.

Same with Old Navy. I tried some on yesterday and they were OK everywhere except the length. Did they have my size in stock, in long? Of course not!

So...I've been living in shorts during the weekends, and my old navy stretchy skirts during the week at work. I can't wear jeans to work (and I have ONE pair of maternity jeans) so I am in desperate need of maternity WORK pants, in long. Shirts are fine, I'm not really finding a problem with those.

There, enough complaining. Onto the fun stuff!

My brother and I went on a mini road trip to Massachusetts yesterday to the Ikea in Stoughton. I scored the PERFECT rug for Baby H's nursery.....4.5 feet by 6.5 feet, for $19.99! It was definitely my best purchase of the day.

It's perfect, and totally goes with my color scheme "vision" that I have going on. 

I also made my very first Baby H purchase (besides the rug). 2 of these little guys....I couldn't resist!

Otherwise, I haven't bought ANYTHING for Baby H....I know, I'm a mean mom--right? I guess I'm just waiting a little longer. Why? I'm not quite sure.

I think part of my problem is that our house is for sale and I don't know where we'll be living when he or she makes his or her appearance. I don't want to go buying stuff and setting up the nursery, only to have our house sell and be moving everything out. On the other hand, I don't want to plan the nursery around the room in the house we want to buy, because what if we're not living there when December rolls around? In other words, someone, buy my house--please! Help a sister out here!

On the crafting front, I've made some adorable interchangeable pacifier clips and plan on making a ton for my Etsy shop and also for a craft show I'm participating in this Fall. Baby H is going to be one stylin' baby! I can't wait to make more, in every fabric possible :)

As far as movement goes--I've still been feeling odd flutters/twinges (usually when I'm hungry, or while I'm eating) so I'm really hesitant to call it "movement". I'm leaning more toward hunger twinges or digestion? I have no idea...I'm just waiting for the moment when I KNOW that it's movement. That will be an exciting day :)

I guess that's it for now. Another 2 weeks until our 20 week ultrasound where we will NOT be finding out the gender. Surprisingly, it's not eating me alive...I love the surprise aspect of it all and I won't be caving in, so don't even bother trying to convince me to :)

Home, sweet home....and some random questions

Well, sadly--our mini-vacation to Boston has come to an end! We got home this afternoon and while it's always nice to get away, it's even nicer to come home! Our cat missed us very much and it's just nice to be settled into our normal routine again. That's not saying we're looking forward to work tomorrow, though....

The weather in Boston was miserable--the Northeast heatwave hit Boston hard and the 4 days we were there were hot, humid, and I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life. It made things a little less enjoyable, but we still managed to have a good time! We went to Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall a few times, the Museum of Science (eh, we weren't too impressed with that), the Aquarium (so incredibly busy since no one wanted to be outside!) the top of the Prudential Center, a tour of Fenway Park, and of course a Red Sox game! Oh, and we also enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner that we treated ourselves to after walking all day in 100 degree temperatures. Mmmm.....

We walked SO MUCH those 4 days and I noticed that if I am on my feet all day and am particularly active, after sitting or laying down at night my sciatic nerve is incredibly painful! It doesn't run down my legs or anything, its just my very lower back/upper butt/tailbone and it feels like someone is jabbing a knife in there and twisting it around. There were a couple nights that were awful and I could barely roll off the bed after laying down. Casey can sympathize because he had sciatic nerve issues when he ruptured a disc in his back a couple years ago--so he definitely felt my pain and knew I wasn't being a big baby!

I'm posting ONE picture of us in Boston and one picture only....this is the only picture that came out halfway decent and we don't completely look like we're about to die of heat stroke. The rest of the pictures of the 2 of us include halfway closed eyes, red faces, and hair matted to my head from sweat.....yeah, not cute....

 

On the way home today we made a pit-stop at the Babies R Us in Manchester, NH. For some reason I remember that place being way bigger, but I must be thinking of a different one.

Anyway, we tested out some strollers and car seats and made our decision (I think!) We love this one...Chicco Cortina, in "Limonata". It matches the color scheme we're going for, and folds quickly and easily, and we were able to figure it out without swearing so we figured it must be the one for us!

The carseat and stroller are sold separately but fit together as a set. We'd need a 2nd base for our other vehicle, but from what we tested today, it seems really easy to transfer from the base to the stroller and then back again! And it's adorable too!

Here's the part where the planner in me kicks into overdrive and you can tell the things that have been running through my head lately. No, I'm not stressing about the actual birth part (yet), I'm stressing about everything we need to organize before then. I'll be entering week 18 on Tuesday so I'm technically "almost halfway there"...that makes it sound like it's just around the corner! So.....all you moms out there....I need your advice on the following things.

1. When did you start registering for baby items and where did you register? Choices are kind of limited here in VT, and I have a hard time making a decision without seeing and feeling things myself. Oh who am I kidding--I have a hard time making a decision, PERIOD!

2. WHAT do you recommend registering for, and what would you recommend that we buy ourselves? I'm so stumped on this one. I've read that some cribs/sets can take up to 10 weeks to arrive, so I obviously don't want to leave this until the end. The sets I've seen are quite pricey and I don't want people to spend money on us--and would rather make that big purchase ourselves. Is that "normal" practice? 

3. What about the carseat/stroller/base? Is this something we should register 

for? They were having a sale on the particular one we liked today and I literally had to pry myself away from the store without buying it. I would have bought it today, but Casey is always my voice of reason and told me to hold off. 

4. What things did you register for/buy for yourself that you NEVER used? Basically, what were those "must haves" that turned into "never used" items?

5. What things do you look back and wish you had registered for or bought in advance? 

6. I'm having major 2nd thoughts about the whole "white" crib/dresser/changing table vision. I still want the gray, yellow, white color scheme...but as far as white furniture....do you think that's way too girly? Every crib set review I read (for white wood) the person says "we bought this for our daughter..." or "this looks so great in our daughters room!" Should I stick to something like dark wood or black? I know this is probably a personal preference, but I always love opinions!

I was so overwhelmed walking through Babies R Us and it wasn't even a huge store! There are just so many little things you never think about but when it's all in front of you it becomes such a daunting task. 

In other news, Casey has become the Water Nazi. "How much water did you drink today" has become a daily question in our household. It's usually asked when I get home from work, and if my answer isn't acceptable to him, he will make me sit at the kitchen counter and he'll get me a glass of water and make me drink the whole thing before I go do anything else. It's actually quite funny, and cute, that he is so concerned with my water intake :) It was awful in Boston with the heat, and I don't think I've ever drank so much water! He kept saying "I want you to drink more" and buying me bottle after bottle. In fact, as I'm typing this right now--I have a glass of water to my left--that he just got for me. Makes me smile :)

Am I being too ambitious?

So. I'm not kidding when I say I've googled "nursery ideas" for 2 days straight. I have in my head--the perfect nursery--but can't seem to find any crib bedding sets that match my vision.

Am I being too ambitious if I said I was going to attempt to MAKE THE CRIB BEDDING MYSELF?

I've found some tutorials for the crib bumpers, flat sheet (if needed) and fitted sheet...and the comforter wouldn't be too hard....but do I really dare? Am I being waaay too ambitious?

I found a couple crib sets that were ok to me (yes, just "ok") but I have such an issue with paying $100 - $300 for something I could potentially make myself--and spend way less--AND have it be exactly what I want.

My problem is that I'm not into the pastel-y "baby" stuff. I'm into the more modern, non-babyish look. I don't wait a room theme of jungle animals, farm animals, frogs, bumblebees, and all the other typical baby themes. I think they're adorable--just not what I'm looking for.

My vision is a "gender neutral" room with a white crib and a white changing table. Gray or aqua/teal walls (with a white decal of a tree of some sort), with yellow/gray/white bedding. Pictures and accents on the walls with teal, yellow, gray and white. It's way cuter than it sounds--I swear...

Here are a few pictures of my inspiration thus far...

(via Project Nursery)

(via designdazzle.blogspot.com)

 (via decorpad.com)

 (via spearmintbaby.com)

(via ohdeedoh.com)

(via designdazzle.blogspot.com)

Ahhh......beautiful! Now if I can make every piece in my head actually come together the way I'm picturing it! 

Growth spurt...?

Looks like mama and Baby H had a bit of a growth spurt in the last 2 weeks! The last picture I posted was from 14.5 weeks, and this is today at 16.5 weeks.

I've stopped sucking in....apparently you can't suck in your uterus.

Looking back at my 14.5 week picture, I don't even look pregnant...in today's picture I may actually be able to pass as a pregnant woman (?) Or maybe it just looks like I ate a big breakfast?

Maybe it's the shirt...stripes aren't flattering....yeah....that's it... :)

Our 16 week appointment and "White Coat Syndrome"

Our 16 week appointment was extremely uneventful, compared to our 12 week appointment—but I’m not complaining!

At every appointment so far, they’ve told me my blood pressure is “a little high”. I’ve always blamed this on the fact that going to the doctor makes me incredibly nervous (because of some bad appointments in the past) and when I see them reach for the blood pressure cuff, I immediately feel my pulse skyrocket. My dad has always been the same way—so we’ve chalked it up to “white coat syndrome”…which is REAL! If you don’t believe me—google it…..

Anyway—at our last appointment, they asked that I monitor my blood pressure at home, to get an idea of whether it really is high, or if I just get anxious at the doctors office. I’ve monitored it daily since then—and it’s generally really low—around 95/55!

As she reached for the cuff at the beginning of our appointment—as usual—I felt my heart start beating faster and faster and I knew I was doomed. She laughed at me as she announced my blood pressure was 140/90! I’ve definitely proven the “white coat syndrome” theory as a real diagnosis…..!

Besides the blood pressure annoyance, everything else is right on track. I’ve gained 6 pounds (I feel like its way more than that) and the doctor said that was great and I can expect to gain a pound a week from now until the end of the pregnancy. I’m sure that won’t be a problem since I haven’t struggled with morning sickness and I’m CONSTANTLY hungry….and the things I crave are carb-loaded foods like bagels, sandwiches, etc…

The doctor jellied up my stomach and unlike at our 12 week appointment, was able to pinpoint the heartbeat within 5 seconds. The “whoosh-whoosh-whoosh” sound gave us a sigh of relief, and as she was saying it was in the healthy 150+ range, a sharp static noise echoed through the Doppler. That happened quite a few times while we were listening, and she told us those were kicks! Even though I can’t feel it yet, Baby H is active and kicking away. I can’t wait for the day that I actually “feel” something. There have been days where I’ve thought I felt something—but I just figured my stomach was growling from hunger! Who knows, maybe they’ve been flutters of movement….?

There were no issues or concerns—thankfully—and we set up our 20 week appointment for August 12^th. That will be our big ultrasound appointment where we could find out the gender if we wanted to….but….we don’t want to! This is going to be a surprise until the very end—and no one can talk us out of that! I don’t want to hear anyone telling me “its too hard to plan if you don’t know the gender” because anyone who knows me, knows I am the biggest planner, and I’m pretty sure I’m capable of planning for a baby whether it’s a boy or a girl! Big deal—what’s so hard about it? We get a lot of green and yellow and brown clothing at our baby shower? If that’s our biggest problem, I think we’re doing pretty well….

On another front, our house has had TWO showings in 2 weeks and we are very excited about it! Keep 'em coming!

Until next time…..

You're Invited! To my Pity Party.

I don’t have an excuse for posting an entire week after my last entry—other than the fact that my life really isn’t that exciting. I wish I had exciting things to write about every day, but the truth is that my day generally consists of getting up in the morning, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, and going to bed. If I wrote about that every day—no one would ever be interested in reading my posts again!

Actually, I’d be lying if I said the last week or so has been dull around my household. We recently put our house up for sale (!!!) and it took a lot of cleaning, packing, organizing, and hauling out things that were just taking up space. After many hours of sweat, tears (yes, tears—thank you pregnancy hormones) and frustration, our house was finally ready for the for sale sign in the front yard! No leads yet—but we’re patiently waiting. Never fear—we aren’t planning on moving far….just down the road.

Some other exciting news is that I’m planning a mini-trip to Boston for me and Casey! It will be a nice Wednesday-Sunday getaway and we’re planning on going to a Red Sox game and just doing some relaxing and sightseeing. We haven’t been away on a trip together in a long time, and decided now is the time—since we’ll have our hands full in about 5 months! (Yes Baby H, I’m talking about you).

Speaking of Baby H…I’m almost 16 weeks (4 months) along now. It seems crazy to think that next month will be the halfway mark. Our next appointment is this coming Tuesday—and should only be a Doppler appointment to hear the heartbeat. Yes, our 12 week appointment was supposed to JUST be a Doppler appointment too, but we all know how that turned out. If you don’t know how that turned out, refer to an earlier posting I made….I’m hoping we don’t have a repeat of that this time.

I have to admit that I’m feeling guilty.

Before I was pregnant, whenever I would hear pregnant women complain about how they felt “fat”, I would think to myself “I would kill to be pregnant, stop complaining!”

Now that I’m pregnant—I know how they felt.

When someone notices or remarks on my “belly”, which is apparently becoming more noticeable, I don’t know whether to feel proud, or offended.

I wish could be the type of person to embrace the changes in my body and love the fact that I’m starting to get a “belly”, but in all honesty—I’m not. It’s awful to say that, since I’ve wanted this for so long, and it’s such a gift…but in reality—I’ve always been a self-conscious person and very aware of any little change in my body. THIS, is a big change. And let’s face it---NO ONE likes gaining weight or seeing major changes in their figure…particularly their mid-section!

I don’t FEEL pregnant yet. I feel like the Pillsbury Dough-Girl. Squishy, uncomfortable….I’m in that really weird in-between stage where people probably look at me and think “wow, she’s let herself go!” rather than, “awww, she’s pregnant!”

Maybe this will change once I start feeling Baby H kick and move around in there. But for now, as guilty as I feel saying it, I feel gross. I know, I know... “it’s only going to get worse”….you don’t have to tell me, I already know. I’m just having a momentary pity-party, so just bear with me.

I went to Old Navy yesterday to check out their maternity section and was pretty disappointed. Compared to most Old Navy’s, there was not much of a selection AT ALL. I tried on a pair of maternity pants and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I don’t own any maternity clothes and at 16 weeks, I don’t know whether I should be transitioning into them yet or not. My pre-pregnancy jeans aren’t the most comfortable thing in the world anymore (and my muffin-top that spills over the waistband isn’t the most attractive either) but the maternity pants just didn’t look or fit right at this point either because my “belly” isn’t quite a pronounced “belly” yet!

I gave up on the pants and went to check out the maternity shirts. I held up a small and for a minute I thought I was in a camping store….it could have passed as a 3-person tent. Needless to say, I left the store with no maternity clothes.

I’m sick of hiding behind baggy shirts and pants that are slowly cutting off my circulation…but I’m not quite ready to flaunt my new “figure”…if that’s what you want to call it!

Enough complaining, I want to slap MYSELF at this point.

I promise next time I post I won’t be in this funk. On a brighter note—it’s FRIDAY!