Crib!

Darren put the crib together this morning (with almost no help from me, I admit).  I stood and held a piece for a few minutes and that was it.  Hehe.  Look!

So now we need to get the rest of the furniture so we can arrange the room and then see what we need for decorations.  You've seen the dresser choices, so hopefully we make that decision soon.  I also found a bookshelf I want, though now I am debating a 3-shelf or a 5-shelf.  I am leaning toward 5-shelf since either way we will anchor the shelf to the wall, and with a 5-shelf we get more storage up top for things without taking up more floor space.  We might be getting a glider/ottoman from some amazing friends, so that just leaves the crib mattress and bedding, changing pad (and storage), a couple lamps, and the diaper pail.  Right?  What am I forgetting for the nursery?  I know we'll need a car seat and a bouncy seat, but I don't count those at "nursery" items.  What else?  Don't be afraid to tell me because I might miss the most obvious thing...remember, I am a "mama in training" here!

Also, really fun story.  Last night when I was lying in bed reading, baby girl was kicking up a storm!  I started thinking about what my teammate had said about being able to actually see her sons move in her belly when she was pregnant, so I decided to take a look.  I could SEE her moving!  It was crazy.  I called to Darren to tell him to come and see/feel but he was playing his Xbox and had his headphones on so he didn't hear me.  It was awesome though.  So now not only can I feel her, I can see her!  Being pregnant is so full of surprises!   

Week 21

Advice Request:
Here is this week's advice request:
-Is it worth spending twice as much to get a solid wood dresser instead of a composite wood dresser in hopes that baby girl will use it for a long while?
-Where and when should we register?


How I am feeling:
 I have officially told the kids at school, which was nice.  They were all so sweet about it.  Some of them even clapped when I said it!  I love 6th graders.  I have also received a lot of emails from parents congratulating me.  It's amazing how there is just an outpouring of love when you're pregnant.  I also think it's awesome to have my bump a little bigger (did I just say that???).  I have always been pretty overly critical about my weight, but I am LOVING having this belly.  All of our friends, family and colleagues have just been so amazing to us and made us feel so loved.  Can I be pregnant all the time???  (Let's see if I am still saying that in a few months!)  Here is what I look like at 21 weeks:

Baby movement:

She is moving up a storm!  I feel very attuned to her movements now because I can even tell where she is in my belly and I am learning her habits (i.e. when she moves and when she doesn't).  Luckily she is very quiet while I am teaching, so that hasn't been too distracting.  Darren felt her move for the first time last week and it was absolutely amazing.  He was so excited!  I think it started to become even more real to him because the next day he mentioned going to Home Depot to look at paint colors.  His nesting instinct is kicking in too!  Part of our nightly routine is now Darren putting his hand on my belly to feel her move and the smile he gets on his face is so pure and genuine it makes my heart melt.  I think I am not only falling madly in love with my baby, but falling even MORE madly in love with my husband.

Shout Out

I need to give a shout out to my girl, Jess L., for surprising me by sending us a diaper bag for baby!  It was such a nice surprise and we love the bag.  It's even black, white and red - the HGMS colors!  

Also, shout outs to Rachel and Jess R. for your great advice so far on my blog!  Come on other moms, send your advice my way!  

Nursery:

The big dilemma right now is the dresser.  I hesitate to get a wood composite dresser because I would ideally like this to last, but the solid wood dressers are twice as much.  This is not good for a family on a budget.  I also worry because so many of the reviews I have read online say they are difficult to put together. We have found several that we like (again, they all kind of look the same):

We are still debating the color of the nursery as well.  I am usually very good at decisions, but for some reason this is so hard for me.  I think I want everything to be perfect for our little girl!  I am putting pressure on myself to impress a newborn!  How silly.    

Favorite Names:

No major update there.  Our favorites are still the same!  

Labor and Birth:

I am searching for a birthing class right now.  It's so difficult because Darren and I have crazy evening schedules with drama classes, tutoring, murder mystery rehearsals...etc.  I found a few that meet on Saturdays, so I think we'll go that route.  I wanted to take a Bradley birthing class but these classes run for 12 weeks straight on an evening, and most of them are 20-30 minutes away.  That is just hard for us to commit to.  Obviously this is important though, so we are going to make it work.  

  

What I am reading:

I just started Husband-Coached Childbirth: The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth by Robert A. Bradley.  This book should give us some tips on how to cope with the pain of a natural childbirth as well as what to expect.

I am also planning to rent the documentary "The Business of Being Born".  This was recommended to me by not only my friend, Jess, but also our doula.  This documentary goes along with the amazing book I read by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, Your Best Birth.  

Crib

We finally made the decision and ordered our crib last night!
It was tough because there were a few in our price range that we liked a lot (as you saw on my last post), but this was one of my favorites as soon as I saw it, it had excellent reviews, the copy is very reputable, it came with a toddler bed rail for that phase of the conversion, plus it was on amazon.com which offered free shipping (and return shipping just in case) and we had a $75 credit there from Christmas gifts!  The crib we ordered is:

I was so excited when we finally placed the order.  This was another one of those moments when this crazy journey felt so real and so exciting.  Every few minutes my face would just light up and I would giggle, "We bought a crib!"  Darren thought this was very amusing and said we needed to buy things more often if it was going to make me this happy (I won't complain about that!)

The next things on the agenda for the nursery are getting a dresser that we can use for a changing table as well and a bookshelf, and picking a pain color.  We went to Home Depot yesterday to get some color choices.  We're between a light green color and a periwinkle purple.  I am so nervous about this decision!  We want to make sure the room looks bright enough, especially since we chose darker wood furniture, but I always fear paint colors and what they will actually look like once the entire room is painted.  Crazy.  

So I have decided to add something to my blog that (ironically) I specifically requested people refrain from when I posted about names and nursery decor: advice!  I want to gather as much advice from past moms and dads as possible!  You probably had a moment during your baby's first year or so when you thought, "I wish someone had told me ______________."  So pay it forward and tell ME!  :o)  I will post a few specific questions or subjects, and then I want your input!  Here are this week's subjects:

1) How wide and long should a dresser be if you're going to use it as a changing table as well?  Many I have seen are only 16" wide.

2) What is one thing you wish you had NOT spent money on?

3) What is one thing you wish you DID have?

I'll post again on Wednesday with a picture and any additional updates!  Join up if you want to stay notified of new posts!  Thanks for reading and for your help! 

Week 20

So I decided to create a blog to both commemorate my first pregnancy, and also to allow my friends and family to experience some of this with me, and give me advice and/or support along the way!

I am a little behind of course because tomorrow marks the midway point in my pregnancy (20 weeks!), but I figure, better late than never.

My goal is to post each week, so check back frequently if you are interested!

How I am feeling:
I feel extremely lucky because I have felt great from the very beginning (knock on wood).  I was pretty tired during the first trimester, but that has subsided and I have much more energy now.  I can still wear my normal clothes for the most part, but I have to use a hair elastic on the button of my pants to give myself a little extra room for my baby bump.  Here is what I look like at 20 weeks:

Baby movement:
I recently felt her move for the first time!!!  It was very strange, but incredible.  She moves frequently now, especially at night when I lay down or if I sit in the recliner after I eat.  Darren has not been able to feel her move yet, but I think any day now that will change.  She is definitely stretching her limbs and making her self at home and I love every minute of it!

Nursery update:
We successfully consolidated 3 rooms into 2 rooms so we have an empty room waiting to be turned into a beautiful nursery!  We have been researching cribs the past few days.  Here are our favorites so far:

Believe me, I know they all look alike!  Can you see now why it's hard to decide!  We also want to find a long and lower dresser to match the crib that we can use as a changing table, as well as a small book case.  We are lucky that some amazing friends passed on a huge assortment of baby books already, now we just need a shelf to put them on!  We also want a glider and ottoman for all those late nights.  

We are very interested in wall decals right now since they can be removed easily without having to repaint or redecorate.  We are thinking her room will be either a light green or a periwinkle color with a brown tree decal with pink and white flower accents.  Here are some pictures that inspired our ideas:

 While we welcome advice on furniture, we prefer to make our own decisions about the decor.  If you like it, feel free to comment!  If you don't like it, feel free to keep your comments to yourself!  haha.

How baby is growing:

We have been fortunate to have frequent ultrasounds throughout our early pregnancy because of my balanced translocation.  Here is how she has grown!

6 weeks

7 weeks

8 weeks

12 weeks

16 weeks

20 weeks

Favorite Names:

Before I post this, let me mention that I am posting this for Darren, baby and I so we can look back one day and see all the names we were considering.  What we decide to name our little girl is completely up to Darren and I and while we love you and value your opinion, we prefer that you keep it to yourself at this point.  :o)  Here are the names in the running as of January 17:

Ava

Ella

Eva

Isabella/Bella

Lily

Madeline

Tess 

(Rae and Grace – middle names)

Labor and Birth:

I recently switched doctors and left my previous practice that did not have any other option other than being delivered by an OB.  I switched to a practice that has 5 certified midwives and 2 OBs and offers to option of either.  I have chosen to work with the midwives for the birth, but the OBs will be available should they be needed for any extenuating circumstances.  I will be delivering in the birthing center at Wake Med in Cary which offers the type of birthing environment that I would like, and allows me to make the choice to have a natural childbirth.
  

My plan to is use natural coping strategies to manage the pain such as acupressure, massage, deep breathing, warm baths...etc and various laboring positions such as using a birthing ball or a squat bar in order to have a natural childbirth through which I can be completely aware and lucid.

In order to help Darren and I take this very difficult journey we have decided to work with a doula.  For those who are unfamiliar with a doula, she will act as a support system for Darren and I throughout labor and delivery and can help us stay focused during a very stressful and scary time.  We have met with and have decided to work with a wonderful doula named Helene (check out her website: http://mothersangeldoula.com/index.html).  As soon as we met Helene, we both felt extremely comfortable with her and knew she was the person we needed to be there with us for the birth of our baby.  I feel so lucky that we found her and that we will have her there with us.

Additionally, we will be taking a Bradley method birthing class that will offer strategies for coping with the emotional and physical demands of labor together, and will also help us prepare for breast feeding and newborn care.  You all know I am someone who likes to plan and prepare as much as possible.  While I am completely aware that I have no idea what my birth and parenting experience will be like, I feel good about gaining as much knowledge as I can to try to prepare for as much as possible.

  

What I am reading:

I finished an amazing book called Your Best Birth by Ricki Lake (yes, THAT Ricki Lake) and Abby Epstein, which is what inspired me to have a natural childbirth and work with a midwife.  This book helped me see both sides of the birth experience and understand what would work best for me.

I am intermittently reading What to Expect When You're Expecting.  This book is great at answering questions about symptoms throughout pregnancy, and is very reassuring.

I also read Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy.  I do NOT recommend this book to anyone who is pregnant, but someone who has already been pregnant.  McCarthy pokes fun at all the symptoms of pregnancy (weight gain, mood swings...etc), which would probably be very funny if you are not currently experiencing them!  Haha.