This week we entered our 3rd trimester. Throughout my pregnancy I have been hearing "You just wait". Anytime something new and exciting would happen, as soon as I shared it with anyone I heard a chorus of the "You just wait's". For example, Me: I think I felt the baby kick this past weekend! Them: "You just wait until that baby is kicking you so hard you wonder if a bone is broken" or "You just wait until that baby kicks you so hard in the ribs it takes you breath away". This got really frustrating for me as I just wanted to bask in the little milestones that make being pregnant so special.
I have loved being pregnant. I feel like I've been chosen to do something way more significant with my life than my previous world could imagine. It's like God smiled down on us and thought we would be the perfect people to raise this little baby. I know I'm not Mary and didn't get visited by an angel in my sleep, but I can imagine what she felt like being chosen to carry God's son. It's an honor and priviledge to carry a little baby within my body.
So onto the reason for this post. I've been told the "honeymoon" phase of pregnancy is about to end and things will get really uncomfortable. Baby girl is growing quite fast at this point and I can see where that may be true in the last couple of months. So before I get to that stage, if I get to that stage, I wanted to record all the many things I have enjoyed throughout the past 27 weeks:
1. I love feeling you kick and move everyday
2. I love seeing your little heartbeat on the ultrasounds
3. I love hearing your heartbeat at every appointment
4. I love watching my belly grow and watching my belly button disappear
5. I love daydreaming about who you are and who you will be
6. I love talking (and sometimes singing) to you when no one else is around
7. I love guessing what position your in
8. I love seeing the excitement in our friends and family for your arrival
9. I love that you've mellowed me out
10. I love the two tiny strechmarks on my scar from the last time
11. I love that you have been so easy to carry
12. I love how protective I've become of the people I love
13. I love figuring out what you like and don't like to eat
14. I love making things for you
15. I love the new realms of humor that being pregnant produces
16. I love critiquing the bathrooms at every establishment I visit
17. I love being overwhelmed because everything is new and unpredictable
18. I love that my hair is so thick and healthy right now
19. I love that I don't have to wear makeup because of the "glow"
20. I love not being cold all the time. For once I can warm Mike up...
21. I love not having to lift heavy things
22. I love not being concerned about the number on the scale
23. I love playing clothing roulette every morning when getting dressed
24. I love learning about how your growing every week
25. I love having a reason to browse the baby section guilt free
26. I love walking to one side every morning because you grew over night
27. I love the strength of Mike and I relationship now
28. I love that your stubborn when it comes to other people feeling you move
29. I love the smoothness of my skin
30. I love that I get to carry you with me always
31. I love the night vision that comes with going to the bathroom 5 times a night
32. I love all the snacks
33. I love going to the doctor
34. I love the chivalry of total strangers
35. I love that you stretch everytime I stand up into whatever space is created.
36. I love rubbing my belly
37. I love that for once my belly is the first thing to touch in a hug
38. I love that my body knew what to do to nurture you
39. I love the happiness that just the thought of you invokes
40. I love being pregnant. I simply love being pregnant!
Thanks for checking in on us, nothing too exciting is going on right now. We're mainly just growing at this point. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Finally... A Nursery Vision
I have been struggling with coming up with a clear vision of what I wanted the baby's nursery to look like. I knew I didn't want to do anything that is too mainstream right now, which is tending to be on the outdoorsy / woodland creature / owl side. Not that those aren't adorable, because they are, I just have seen several friends have the same category of nursery. And while I may get some criticism for the direction I'm taking, I'm happy with how it will look (if it comes out anything like the vision in my head...)
So on my quest come up with something cute and a little outside of the box, my parents offered me some artwork they purchased when we were little and didn't use. There are three limited edition prints by Ron Rodecker, a southern California artist who does dragon drawings/watercolors. He is also responsible for the drawings on the PBS show Dragon Tales. These particular prints are from a different line and all feature a whimsical dragon and balloons. Here is my favorite of the three:
I love this set! It's not too princessy (yes I made that word up ;) ), it has the castle that ties into the dragons, it's still pink and girly. All of the flowers are ribbon appliqued on. Perfect! Now I just had to get Mike on board. Not very hard, he tends to agree with whatever I decide I like, as long as the baby will have bedding he's cool. Mikey likes it! So I set off to find and register it. First site, out of stock. Second site, out of stock. Third site, out of stock. Fourth site, out of stock. I'm beginning to sense a pattern here... please tell me they're still making it... Please tell me they're still making it. Ah, manufactures website, go. Discontinued!?! Can I start pouting now? You know I haven't had the emotional break down yet, maybe this will be my calm and cool ruin... I could however, find sheets, the other blanket, diaper holder, and mobile. What good will that do me if I can't get the crib set? I even checked eBay to see if I could find it there, nothing! Finally, I found it on Sears website through a third party seller. They had a new set in stock! Yes! Ordered. Done. Happy bubble restored :D.
Now I'm just waiting for it to arrive. I hope it's as pretty in person as it is in all the pictures. I'm still working on a lot of the details, but I'm thinking I will paint the walls a light pink and have the prints matted and framed in one of the other colors on the set once it gets here. At least I finally have a direction and vision of what the nursery will look like. So if you are reading this and want to get us something for the nursery, think more castles and dragon's than princess... I know "princess" is a popular theme right now, but I don't want it to go too far in that direction... Pink and flowers or whimsy is more the vibe I want to establish. It'll be awhile before I can post pictures of the actual nursery, but this is my starting point... Whew... One stress down.
One stress down and two up... The third trimester starts in a week! What!?! I thought I still had loads of time left. Who is stealing all the time? Give it back! Don't make me have words with you father time, I know your holiday is coming up... EEK!
hop hop. help.
So on my quest come up with something cute and a little outside of the box, my parents offered me some artwork they purchased when we were little and didn't use. There are three limited edition prints by Ron Rodecker, a southern California artist who does dragon drawings/watercolors. He is also responsible for the drawings on the PBS show Dragon Tales. These particular prints are from a different line and all feature a whimsical dragon and balloons. Here is my favorite of the three:
As you can see there are lots of colors in the print to choose from, but I still struggled with how to pick out bedding and wall color etc.
Then last week my mom and I went to start our baby registry and none of the options at the store were jumping out at me until we went down the clearance isle and ran across a set that had a castle on it, well actually, it was princess motif. We sat there for a few moments discussing the possibilities that this set could hold, but at that point we were both pretty tired and I was past the point of being able to make another decision. Registry shopping is overwhelming and exhausting! So we left and I went online the next day to look at the set and see if it could work. Wouldn't you know, I couldn't find it in their online catalog. So then I tried googling it and still couldn't find what I thought I remembered from the store. Why didn't I write down the brand name or set name? Stupid pregnancy brain! In curiosity I then googled for anything princess and nursery. Now, I really didn't want princesses, I was more interested in the castle because dragons and castles go together. Then something caught my eye.
I love this set! It's not too princessy (yes I made that word up ;) ), it has the castle that ties into the dragons, it's still pink and girly. All of the flowers are ribbon appliqued on. Perfect! Now I just had to get Mike on board. Not very hard, he tends to agree with whatever I decide I like, as long as the baby will have bedding he's cool. Mikey likes it! So I set off to find and register it. First site, out of stock. Second site, out of stock. Third site, out of stock. Fourth site, out of stock. I'm beginning to sense a pattern here... please tell me they're still making it... Please tell me they're still making it. Ah, manufactures website, go. Discontinued!?! Can I start pouting now? You know I haven't had the emotional break down yet, maybe this will be my calm and cool ruin... I could however, find sheets, the other blanket, diaper holder, and mobile. What good will that do me if I can't get the crib set? I even checked eBay to see if I could find it there, nothing! Finally, I found it on Sears website through a third party seller. They had a new set in stock! Yes! Ordered. Done. Happy bubble restored :D.
Now I'm just waiting for it to arrive. I hope it's as pretty in person as it is in all the pictures. I'm still working on a lot of the details, but I'm thinking I will paint the walls a light pink and have the prints matted and framed in one of the other colors on the set once it gets here. At least I finally have a direction and vision of what the nursery will look like. So if you are reading this and want to get us something for the nursery, think more castles and dragon's than princess... I know "princess" is a popular theme right now, but I don't want it to go too far in that direction... Pink and flowers or whimsy is more the vibe I want to establish. It'll be awhile before I can post pictures of the actual nursery, but this is my starting point... Whew... One stress down.
One stress down and two up... The third trimester starts in a week! What!?! I thought I still had loads of time left. Who is stealing all the time? Give it back! Don't make me have words with you father time, I know your holiday is coming up... EEK!
hop hop. help.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Hop Hop... Help
I am used to being a fairly independant person. I don't rely on others to do for me what I can do myself. Throughout this pregnancy, I have been known to say that I'm pregnant, not an invalid. However, this pregnancy thing has really slowed me down to the point that I now have to ask for help on things that I never thought I would (or at least never thought I would at age 29). So maybe I am becoming an invalid...
For example, this past weekend I actually had some free time to work on getting my house ready to make space for all the baby stuff we will be needing and using. While the organizing and cleaning part went smoothly without any hiccups, I decided now would be a great time to rearrange the funiture in my room to make it more spacious. This included moving my bed. I almost immediately realized that I would not be able to move this piece with the same ease as I did before pregnancy, but did that have to stop me? Nope. I worked it out. I proceeded to sit on the floor and move the bed corner by corner using a pushing technique with my feet. I was so proud of myself for thinking of an innovative way to move furniture that didn't strain my back and I didn't have to pick anything up or bend over. Score! Or... actually... not score. I got my bed into place, took a break to eat dinner and quickly realized my back did not agree with my previous assessment. Man this pregancy thing takes a toll on your body. Everything health wise has been so smooth that it catches me off guard that I can't do everything that I want to. Between belly and boobs my poor back has about all the weight it can reasonably handle. And I'm supposed to get bigger? Yikes!
Another example, Monday I get to work and our Crystal Water cooler was empty. It's one of those that holds a five gallon jug. Normally I would just grab a new one, but after the weekends debacle with the bed and my back, I had to decide what would be the smart thing to do. Bend over, pick up the jug, heft it up to the proper hieght and change it? Or swallow my pride, realize my limitations and go get someone to do this for me. I think you all will be happy to know that I went and got a man to help... It was embarrasinig, but I have gotten to that point. Look at me growing ~ haha!
Then yesterday, my car was car was acting up on my way to work. I could not get it to accelerate properly and quickly realized there would be no way I would make it to Gallatin. I pulled over and called Mike to come rescue me, which he gladly did. Once he got there and we worked out our game plan on getting the car to the mechanic and me to work we set off. Here is our conversation in the car:
Jen: My knight in shiny black (he was wearing a black fleece), thanks for rescueing me! I know you don't like getting up in the morning...
Mike: No problem, I was still up from taking Haley to school
Jen: Well I really appreciate you coming back to Hendersonville for me
Mike: Well I can't have my kangroo out here stranded...
hop hop. help
hop hop. help
(Now, I'm sure you all know Mike and can hear him saying this to me, and his "help" was really small and pathetic sounding)
Jen: Hahahahahaha! I'm not that pathetic yet, am I?
Mike: Nope, but I gotta make sure I take care of my momma kangaroo
Jen: Well, we love you knight in shiny black
Mike: Love you too, now can I interest you in some drive through breakfast?
I guess I should have prefaced this conversation by letting you all know that Mike has been calling me his kangaroo ever since my baby bump started showing. (Because I have a pouch with a baby in it). While this analogy bothered me at first, I've come to really love it! Just in case you didn't get the same mental picture of being a kangroo I mocked up the following cartoon:
I guess I should be happy that have people around me all the time who are willing to help. I'm trying to get used to my new limitations, but it's hard to adjust. Hopefully at some point, I'll start to enjoy being able to sit back and direct! I hear it's a perk of being pregnant :D!
For example, this past weekend I actually had some free time to work on getting my house ready to make space for all the baby stuff we will be needing and using. While the organizing and cleaning part went smoothly without any hiccups, I decided now would be a great time to rearrange the funiture in my room to make it more spacious. This included moving my bed. I almost immediately realized that I would not be able to move this piece with the same ease as I did before pregnancy, but did that have to stop me? Nope. I worked it out. I proceeded to sit on the floor and move the bed corner by corner using a pushing technique with my feet. I was so proud of myself for thinking of an innovative way to move furniture that didn't strain my back and I didn't have to pick anything up or bend over. Score! Or... actually... not score. I got my bed into place, took a break to eat dinner and quickly realized my back did not agree with my previous assessment. Man this pregancy thing takes a toll on your body. Everything health wise has been so smooth that it catches me off guard that I can't do everything that I want to. Between belly and boobs my poor back has about all the weight it can reasonably handle. And I'm supposed to get bigger? Yikes!
Another example, Monday I get to work and our Crystal Water cooler was empty. It's one of those that holds a five gallon jug. Normally I would just grab a new one, but after the weekends debacle with the bed and my back, I had to decide what would be the smart thing to do. Bend over, pick up the jug, heft it up to the proper hieght and change it? Or swallow my pride, realize my limitations and go get someone to do this for me. I think you all will be happy to know that I went and got a man to help... It was embarrasinig, but I have gotten to that point. Look at me growing ~ haha!
Then yesterday, my car was car was acting up on my way to work. I could not get it to accelerate properly and quickly realized there would be no way I would make it to Gallatin. I pulled over and called Mike to come rescue me, which he gladly did. Once he got there and we worked out our game plan on getting the car to the mechanic and me to work we set off. Here is our conversation in the car:
Jen: My knight in shiny black (he was wearing a black fleece), thanks for rescueing me! I know you don't like getting up in the morning...
Mike: No problem, I was still up from taking Haley to school
Jen: Well I really appreciate you coming back to Hendersonville for me
Mike: Well I can't have my kangroo out here stranded...
hop hop. help
hop hop. help
(Now, I'm sure you all know Mike and can hear him saying this to me, and his "help" was really small and pathetic sounding)
Jen: Hahahahahaha! I'm not that pathetic yet, am I?
Mike: Nope, but I gotta make sure I take care of my momma kangaroo
Jen: Well, we love you knight in shiny black
Mike: Love you too, now can I interest you in some drive through breakfast?
I guess I should have prefaced this conversation by letting you all know that Mike has been calling me his kangaroo ever since my baby bump started showing. (Because I have a pouch with a baby in it). While this analogy bothered me at first, I've come to really love it! Just in case you didn't get the same mental picture of being a kangroo I mocked up the following cartoon:
I guess I should be happy that have people around me all the time who are willing to help. I'm trying to get used to my new limitations, but it's hard to adjust. Hopefully at some point, I'll start to enjoy being able to sit back and direct! I hear it's a perk of being pregnant :D!
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