A tale of two births

I suppose it might be time to tell you about James's birth. But perhaps I should do things in order and tell you Caleb's birth story first. The two stories are so different that a comparison would be interesting. Let's start from the point labor began....

Caleb: Monday night

I was four days overdue and on bedrest. I had walked, I had my ankles massaged, and I was even going to the chiropractor to try a little "alignment." Jon and I finally decided on one of the (ahem) more common techniques to start labor...and it seemed to work! That night, my contractions started. I stayed awake with a digital watch, timing and recording my contractions. Contractions were only minutes apart, but not painful at all.

James: Saturday night

I was just over 38 weeks pregnant. Following my doctor's recommendation, I had been using a breast pump when I could in order to get my dilation and effacement going before labor began. Pumping usually caused contractions, and this evening was no exception. I didn't worry about timing, and I went to bed. Contractions were very far apart, one every couple of hours.

Caleb: Tuesday

My mom showed up (she got pulled over for speeding and actually got to use the "my daughter is in labor" excuse) and walked me silly! We went everywhere! As long as I was walking, my contractions were regular, but any time I stopped, they stopped. I was so tired!

James: Sunday

Contractions continued to come slow and steady, one every couple of hours.

Caleb: Wednesday

Contractions had slowed, though I had stayed awake through the night with them. A sonogram revealed that my amniotic fluid was not replenishing itself, and I was instructed to head to the hospital for induction. I was scared: it was the first time I'd ever been admitted to a hospital! And it was odd walking in to Labor and Delivery with absolutely no signs of being in labor. Even my belly wasn't the typical, overdue, about-to-pop belly the nurses would have expected. Despite our instructions to get to the hospital by 3pm, we weren't actually checked until until well after that, and didn't start the induction process until 8pm. We started with Cervadil, which caused Caleb's heart rate to become very erratic. So that was pulled, but I continued with natural contractions for the rest of the night. Thus began the constant worry over Caleb's heart rate, and another sleepless night.

James: Monday

Contractions continued at a steady pace, and picked up slowly. One hour apart in the morning, a half-hour apart by lunch, and ten minutes apart by mid-afternoon. I still did not track them or write them down, and took a nap instead! I remember how tired I'd been the first time, and didn't want to repeat that mistake. When Jon got home from a lunch meeting, his eyes bugged out when I told him how close the contractions were coming. He had already sneakily had my mom call that morning so I could tell her to come, but I had told her that things were going slowly and not to worry about it. This time, though, we decided it was time to let my mom know to come on. Contractions continued every 10 minutes. I headed to my ladies' Bunko group that night just like normal, and told my friend Debbie (who was to watch Caleb when we went to the hospital) that it would be a quiet night, and I'd probably see her the next day.

Caleb: Thursday (Thanksgiving Day!)

After a night of contractions, I was devastated to find out that we had made no progress. I cried. I was so tired. The nurses started the pitocin. The whole family was there for Thanksgiving (though we'd pushed the big meal to Friday), and Karen D became my super-great birthing coach. Everyone kind of went in shifts, but she talked me through the worst of the contractions. They started coming in wave after wave. I couldn't refocus after one contraction to prepare for the next. And yet, despite the pain, I was drifting into sleep at any break. Finally I decided on the epidural. My choice going into the hospital had been to have an all-natural birth unless it became so painful that I wasn't aware of what was going on. That moment had come, and I was never so happy to see a dr. as when I saw that anesthesiologist. At that point I was dilated to 6cm. Throughout the whole day there was constant worry about Caleb's heart rate. I was given an oxygen mask.

At 9:15 it was time to push. My Dr. showed up (she was the on-call dr for the holiday, and came and went all through the day) and away we went. I was surprised that the dr. laid me pretty flat on my back--something I'd read was a big no-no, but there really was no other option when my legs had no feeling in them. I started pushing, but I didn't feel like I was pushing hard enough. Everyone had their eyes on the monitor as we watched the rise and fall of contractions. For some reason I could feel a slight pressure at each contraction, so I at least had an idea of when they were coming. Then I heard a nurse say, "We've got mec." Meconium was coming out with the amniotic fluid, a sign that the baby was in distress. Things ratcheted into high gear, I was given the epesiotomy of all epesiotomies, and Dr. K used a vacuum to get Caleb out. 9:32pm and he was born!

He was whisked away to the "french fry warmer" where a neonatal specialist was there to check him out. We had concerns that he would have a cleft palate, so my first thought was not to count his fingers and toes, but to look at his mouth. The room was packed with the normal drs and nurses, but also the NICU drs and nurses. Caleb was declared healthy, and I said aloud, "Oh Jon, he IS cute!" because honestly--well, Jon and I are so different from each other, that some combinations of our features could come out pretty wonky.

By the time the nurses had done everything, the dr has sewn me back up, and Jon and I had our quiet alone time with our firstborn, my mom was knocking on the door: "Um, it's 11:00 at night, and some of us would like to see the baby and go to bed." Will do! The whole family piled in, we took pictures galore, and thus ended Thursday. That night would be another sleepless night as we learned our little newborn.

James: Tuesday

I didn't sleep much that night, and about 3am I sat up in bed. I'd been having contractions for awhile now. I really didn't want to go to the hospital early like last time. And yet...there was such security in having someone else take over. As I sat there in the quiet, I wished my water would break so I'd have a real reason to go to the hospital. Jon asked me about my contractions, and I told him calmly that they were about 5 minutes apart now. Which, technically, was when the dr. had wanted us to check into the hospital, but the contractions were so painless that there was no way I was ready to go to the hospital. We talked it over for a bit and decided that we would start getting ready to go, but we'd take our time and see how things went. We both took showers and finished putting things in bags. My mom woke up and figured something was up, so she started getting ready without our even talking to her. I texted Debbie to let her know that it was time.

When Debbie arrived around 4am, all our things were ready to go to the hospital. Our bags were packed, and most of it was in the van already. But...it just didn't seem like it was time. I was desperately trying to avoid what had happened with Caleb's birth, and I didn't want to get to the hospital only dilated to a 2. I wanted to avoid Pitocin if at all possible, and getting there early could cause the dr to get impatient and opt for Pitocin. So we waited. I kept an eye on the clock. A little before 5, I was finally hit with a contraction that took my breath away. Without a word of discussion, we all gathered the final things and headed to the van. By 5:15 we were in Labor and Delivery. When I walked into the hospital room, tears sprang to my eyes. Tears of relief. I had felt the burden of "going it alone" and was glad to hand the monitoring and expertise over to the nurses and dr. By 6am I was checked in and found out I was dilated to 7cm. SEVEN. Then the tears flowed for real. I'd done it! I stayed home until I really needed to come. I couldn't believe it. And I couldn't believe how (relatively) painless the contractions were. They came every 5 to 10 minutes, which gave me plenty of time to recover, even if they were painful. Jon was my strong man, letting me hang on to him as I made it through each contraction.

I started walking. And walking. And walking. I was thankful for no IVs or poles to carry around. I'd go back to the room to rest and get hooked up to the monitor to see how James's heart rate was doing. Every time I rested, my contractions slowed, so I'd pull myself up again and we'd walk some more.  Slowly I dilated. When I got to 9cm, I decided I couldn't do it any more. I wanted to lay down, let my contractions settle a bit, take a nap, and then I'd be ready. The nurse said that it was when a mother feels like she can't do it any more is when it's getting close to time. When the doctor heard my grand idea, she smiled and said, "You can do that, but that baby will still be in there. Or you can have this baby now." Fine...the nurse hooked me up to a wireless monitor so she could watch my contractions while I walked. The monitor base was set up in a different room than mine, so we could no longer watch the endless trail of humps across the page. The nurse said I could not go to the bathroom any more, and to let her know immediately when I had the urge to push. The doctor couldn't believe that I was still talking and smiling between contractions. I couldn't either, really. Compared to the first time I did this, it was hard to believe I was so far along!

As I was leaning on Jon through a contraction, he suggested I squat a little...to assume the position, so to speak. When I did that, I had the oddest feeling of needing to go to the bathroom. I stood up quickly and we called for the nurse. She checked me out, and I was almost to a 10. She suggested I lay down on the bed and give a very small push to see if she could clear the last bit away. A group of student nurses and a med student file into the room (I'd asked if they wanted to join us for the big moment). The head nurse explained that this was an unusual occurrence. This woman, she said with dramatic effect, is doing it all natural. No drugs. Then she turned to me.

One. small. push.

Oh my gosh. Holy cow. I have to push. Right now. I mean really push. PUSH. PUSH!!!

The nurse started talking quickly. "Don't push any more. Let's call the dr and get her in here first. Stop pushing now.  Let's wait for the doctor."

The nursing students gathered around, entreating me to do the impossible, to stop pushing this being out into the world that had occupied my body for 9 months.

I heard my mom at my side, "Push honey! Mothers have been having babies without doctors for years! Push!" I pushed.

I can't begin to describe to you the power that was behind those pushes. I yelled like an Amazon woman. And I really wanted the dr to show up. The nurses had me flat on my back, and I knew I didn't want to be there.

Suddenly I saw the eyes of my dr looking at me steadily. She calmly directed the nurses to resituate the bed so I was closer to a sitting position. She explained how I was to push. Between contractions I said, "What am I doing wrong? I just know I'm going to have black eyes from this crazy pushing!" She smiled and said, "Sorry honey, that's just part of it! You're doing fine."

Between contractions, all eyes were on me. With the monitor in another room, the nurses could only rely on me to know when contractions were coming and going.

The doctor said that there was too much pressure at the top of the cervix, and that I was about to have a nasty tear, so she gave me a small epesiotomy with a local anesthetic. And not too much longer after that--only 15 minutes or so of pushing--little James was born at 11:15am. Our tiny baby James who would change our lives just as Caleb had done.

Comparing the two birth stories, the second was by far the easier birth. I know there were several contributing factors, but I do believe that the natural birth was what helped the most. With no Pitocin, the contractions were much more manageable, which allowed me to go without the epidural, which allowed me to be in a more upright position and push harder than I thought possible. And okay, maybe the fact that James was only 5lbs 12oz helped, too. :) I don't regret my choices with the first birth--I can't change the fact that I had low amniotic fluid and needed to be induced--but I do hate the sick feeling I got just thinking about the whole event. I'm thankful that this second time around has left me with a much better taste in my mouth.

The rest of the story of Caleb's life is all through this blog. And James's stories will be added as time goes on!

36 Weeks: Dr. Appt. and more!

Whew, these appointments are coming so close it's hard to keep up with them! Let's see if I can get you the highlights:


The stats:
Weight gain: 2.5 lbs
BP: 110/80
Baby's Heart Rate: "Just perfect"
Uterus: 34 cm

The uterus had measured in at 36 cm last week (so Dr. W tells me; I didn't get the measurement last week), which means the baby has dropped 2 cm! Hooray! I could tell something had changed based on my frequent trips to the bathroom, and sure enough, James is settled right on top of my bladder. His head is pretty set in the pelvis, so that's good! Hopefully he will stay there! Dr. W is estimating that he'll be about the same size as Caleb at birth, so around 7 lbs or so.

Questions we discussed:

• Further clarification on the "natural methods of induction." It turns out that these methods (mentioned in a previous post) will start contractions, but will most likely not start labor. The contractions will serve to start the effacement/dilation process, something that didn't happen 'til late in the game last time. So when labor does begin, we'd be ready!
• Birthing positions: It's common knowledge by now that trying to birth a baby flat on your back is not ideal. However, it's still pretty common practice. So when I asked Dr. W about different birthing positions, I was happy when she responded, "I'll use any position BUT flat on the back." She suggested a squatting position or even on all fours (I've read about it, but still not sure how that works). Something to note, though, is that an epidural effectively takes away the use of your legs, which means that an on-your-back position is almost required.
• Video and photography is allowed throughout the entire process...if I really want it....
• I found out that Dr. W will be attending the birth whether she's the doctor on call or not. This gave me a good bit of relief because I think she will be a big help, and by her admission, the other doctors in the group will probably only show up to catch the baby. She, on the other hand, will come around every 2 hours or so, day or night. She said the only time she won't come in is at the really tough part right before it's time to push (called the "transition phase"). While it seems a little odd, the reasoning is that at that moment, I will be begging her to do whatever she can to get. that. baby. out. Because I know she can. But if she's not hanging around (though she assures us she'll be close by at the nurse's station), I'm likely to be more patient and make it through that stage on my own. Interesting bit of psychology, eh?
• Dr. W said that the nurses are very open to natural deliveries and will be just as willing--if the time comes--to act quickly for an epidural or whatever is needed.

All in all I thought it was an exciting visit. Not only does James seem like he's getting ready to go, I'm looking forward to working with Dr. W...and getting to hold our tiny baby in just four short weeks!

On from there, Jon and I headed to the hospital to pre-register and get a little tour of the Women's Center. The pre-registration was long, boring and expensive. Nothing to report. I was thankful my mom was in town and keeping Caleb at home!

The labor and delivery room is huge! When Dr. W told us we could have as many people in there as we wanted, I think it's actually true! We could fit a tight 30 people in there, I'm sure.

I asked about food and the nurse said, "You mean for him (Jon)? Because you're only allowed ice chips." I left that alone. Dr. W had said, "I'll deal with the nurses" regarding that issue, so I'll let her deal with it. The nurse said they provide a birthing ball, but they only have 2, and both were in use while we were there, so if we really wanted one, to bring our own. Good to know, because I LOVED having mine last time.

And then I confirmed that I could carry James out in my arms, which I can. Some hospitals require the baby to be strapped into a baby carrier, which we're not planning on having. And that was the basic hospital visit.

Overall I'm still feeling good. I have slight swelling in my ankles if I've been on my feet all day, but it goes down with rest. Yesterday we went to an indoor/outdoor museum that wore me out. I've definitely slowed down, but I don't feel bad. I'm sleeping much worse lately (Jon says I'm snoring up a storm, which I did with the first pregnancy, as well!). I've been waking up every couple of hours with my mind buzzing about baby stuff, then I go to sleep and dream about baby stuff. I don't feel any less comfortable than I have in the last few weeks, so I think the change in my sleep patterns is more psychological than physiological. However, I might try the couch tonight and see if that helps anything. At least it'll help Jon get a better night's sleep!

Week 8

Today as I curled up into bed for a much-needed nap, I struggled to get comfortable--stretching out makes my stomach feel icky, curling up too tight doesn't feel great, either--and I thought, "Week six is sick. Oh wait. I'm at week eight. Well, week eight ain't great. Hm...I think I've heard that before...."

Until now it's been hard to tell I'm pregnant. I'm still not showing, no real weight gain, and only a slight bit of gagginess. But this week has been harder. My stomach has hurt more, foods have seemed less appealing to me (though I've been more hungry), and the fatigue I've felt for several weeks has not let up. Add in a fussy, teething son and a husband trying to get his bearings at a new job and it's made for a hard week. Oh, yeah, and being pregnant makes me crabby. Bah humbug.

But, apart from that, I'd say this pregnancy is going well. I kind of expected to be showing a little by this time, but not yet! I have gained 2.5 pounds, but I'm thinking that might be more attributed to moving to a new town and going out to eat, going to potlucks, receiving food from friends, etc. There's a lot of eating that goes on around here!

We've decided on an insurance plan finally! We thought we were going to have to go with a plan that required we pay 20% of all costs. No copays, instead we pay 20% of each dr. visit, 20% of each sonogram, 20% of the hospital bills, anesthesiologist, any NICU drs who might need to be present at the birth (as they were with Caleb). Yeah, we saw all those bills that Caleb accrued. Twenty percent is not just ugly; it's impossible!

Last week we found a company who would accept my pre-existing pregnancy. The policy is a little more expensive, but not as much as we'd have to pay in bills with the first policy. So I think we've made a good decision. Now I'm just hoping we get approved quickly so we can find a doctor here. I don't think I need to go to another appointment for at least two weeks, so there's time. If all else fails, there's a nurse at our church who does sonograms, and we might ask her if we could at least get a sonogram and check the basics out. Make sure Newbie2 is still happy in his little floaty world!

This week the little guy has fingers and toes and is about the size of a kidney bean. And we love him!

The Big Boy Seat

Today we upgraded Caleb to a big boy car seat! Caleb has outgrown his first carseat--in height, certainly not weight! Babies R Us will let you take the carseats out to your car to try them out. Thankfully, we found one that didn't cramp us any more than the first seat, and it was on sale! It's a 3-in-1 convertible seat. It starts rear-facing, then turns around, then some of the cushions come off to turn into a booster. Supposedly it'll grow with Caleb all the way until he's ready for just a seatbelt...which I've heard lately the law is requiring kids to be 8 years old? Anyone else heard that?

Feeding time

Nursing takes up quite a bit of my day, so let me tell you some of the helpful things I have related to the topic:

First, I have a Boppy pillow. This helps hold Caleb in place while he's nursing, and gives my arms a rest. I have tried a My Breast Friend pillow as well, and thought it actually worked better, but really, My Breast Friend? Yeah, I'm not buying that. Rename it, and I might. Or give it to me, because I'm always a sucker for a deal. Anyway, it was nice because it stayed tight against my stomach, where the Boppy will slide away, so Caleb is eventually sitting on my lap. However, the Boppy still keeps his head up and his body turned the right way, so I still like it, and it's handy when others are holding Caleb, too, just to rest their arms. As Caleb has gotten older and we've both gotten more experience under our belts, I can now nurse him without the Boppy, but still choose to when I'm at home.

Next, I have burp cloths. I call them diaper cloths or drop cloths...never burp cloths. I have no idea why, but it's all about the same. Cloth diapers really are the best burp cloths, and I keep one draped over the Boppy to keep it clean. Sometimes I think there's a hole in Caleb's chin for all the milk that gets everywhere.

Nursing bras are very handy. Regular bras are just a lot of hassle when you're trying to get a crying baby fed discreetly. I have one that's padded with underwire and one with no padding or underwire, both from Motherhood. They're okay. The fit isn't that great, but I'm just not willing to spend a lot of money on a bra, which is what I'd have to do for a better fit.

Nursing tops are also good. The only ones I have are tank tops--one black and one white--that I wear under other clothes. I do this especially when I know I'll be nursing in public, because it means that I can lift my shirt up and still have the tank on underneath. There's only one part of me that's uncovered, and it's usually covered by a baby (who handily likes to throw his arm over his face while he eats, so it's even more covered). I also bought a couple cheap and stretchy non-nursing tank tops for the same reason. I just pull them down for feeding, and it keeps my midsection covered.

For the first six weeks, I used a nipple shield. This was recommended to me by the nurses and the lactation consultant to help Caleb latch on better. Not everyone needs this, but I did. However, I think we used it for too long, because Caleb didn't develop a very good latch, and it just prolonged the "breaking in" period for me. Goody.

That brings us to our next product: lanolin. Lanolin helps heal and protect dry, cracked nipples. I had to use it for the first two months, though some people don't need it that long. I recommend the Medela brand, because it's a very good consistency. I have the Lansinoh brand, and it's really gooey and gummy. You're supposed to rub it between your fingers before applying, but the Medela brand doesn't require that.

In the beginning of nursing, most women will leak milk. They'll leak when they're feeding their babies, when their milk lets down, and when it's been awhile between feedings. Some women continue to leak milk until their babies wean. I don't know which one I am (I'm thinking the second group), but here are my reviews/recommendations of three products.

One is Johnson's nursing pads. These are one of the less expensive brands ($7 a box), but they're very comfortable. The pros are 1) very cushy, 2) not a weird shape that looks funny under your shirt. The cons are 1) not individually wrapped, so hard to take with you, 2) not very thin, again hard to take with you, 3) can stick to sore nipples, which just ain't pretty, and 4) can hold in moisture. I had to change my nursing pads every time I nursed, and was going through a box of these a week. Plus I think the constant moisture contributed to my getting thrush. Woohoo.

Clearly I needed to find another way. So I found LilyPadz. LilyPadz are silicone nursing pads. They apply pressure, preventing leaking and thus eliminating the need for something to soak it up. They're reusable (the package says up to two months), so hopefully I'm saving a little money by spending $20 on one pair. I love these! First, they don't require a bra, so I can finally sleep without a bra (and can go get the massage I was given for Christmas!). I can also wear them in the swimming pool in the summer. However, if Caleb skips a feeding (at night), then it's pretty certain that I will leak. But during the day, it works pretty great.

I've been using the LilyPadz for awhile now, and I'm still on the first pair, so that's good! However, I've been thinking that silicone against my skin 24 hours a day for a couple months can't be that great, and a friend gave me her cloth nursing pads she was done with, so I'm trying them out. They've been washed a lot, so they've pilled up, which makes them itchy. But otherwise, they're good. They don't apply pressure like the LilyPadz, so I have to put my arms to my chest whenever I feel my milk let down to prevent leaks, but that's fine. One advantage is that the cloth pads fold right up into the bra when I have to fold it down to feed Caleb. The LilyPadz won't do that, so I have to set them somewhere, which can be awkward out in public. I still wear the LilyPadz at night.

I'm also so glad I have a Medela breast pump. I really don't like being hooked up to a machine for 20 minutes of my life, but seeing the rewards of several ounces of milk in little bottles in my fridge makes it worthwhile. No, wait. Being able to hand a bottle to someone and leave my child for longer than 2 hours makes it worthwhile!

Pumping milk requires storage, and I use First Years Milk Storage Organizer, with a spring at the back to keep the bags of milk upright and pushed forward. It really helps to fill the bags (I use Lansinoh bags, but don't have a particular preference) with milk and lay them flat to freeze, then put them in the container. When I did as the package recommended, and just stuck the bags (unfrozen) in the container, they froze all different shapes and didn't fit as well. EDIT: I ran out of room in the organizer and went to buy another, only to be reminded that it cost over $20! So, I bought an ice cube box for a couple bucks, and it works great!

I can be a bit scatterbrained, and going on little sleep makes things worse, so I'm very glad I found out about MilkBands. MilkBands are silicone bracelets (like the LiveStrong Lance Armstrong bands) that have little markers that slide along minute and hour segments, so I can mark what time Caleb ate last. It also has "left" written on one side, and "right" on the other, so I flip it each time I feed. For those of you who don't know why it would say "left" and "right," and because this blog is about providing information, a nursing mama is supposed to alternate which boob she starts feeding on. That way, the baby empties the right, and then just takes what he needs to fill up on the left. Then, the next feeding, he starts on the left and empties it, which helps keep things even--physically even as well as keeping the milk supply even on both sides by regulating demand.

In order to use the MilkBand to its fullest, it's important to have a watch or clock somewhere. And I have a little flashlight to shine on the clock for the night feedings.

For public feedings, a nursing cover is a must! I tried to go without it once, and ended up with a blanket that wouldn't stay up, and I'm pretty sure more than a few indecent moments. Ever since then I've kept mine handy when we're going out. Teresa made it for me, and it's got terry cloth on the inside, so I don't even need the burp cloth. And when I'm out and about, the fewer things required for feeding, the better!

KarenD gave me a neck pillow, and it has been a huge life saver! At least a neck saver! My neck and shoulder muscles were killing me from feedings where I was too tired to hold my head up, and my chin was ending up on my chest. The neck pillow lets me stay comfortable...sometimes too comfortable! Sometimes I've left the nursery after a late-night feeding rubbing my eyes and wondering, "Did Caleb really take an hour to eat...or did I doze off?"

Other items that are nice to have on hand are a glass of water, a book, pencil and paper, and a phone. Or a computer! Though I've noticed as Caleb gets older that he's more distracted, so I usually can't do something that's too noisy or is a big bright light, like a computer monitor.

Though this list is extensive, don't get overwhelmed! These are just things that help. But really, especially after the "break-in" period has passed and your milk has regulated (which took me about 4 months, most people much faster), all you need is you and the baby! And it really is worth it. I'd go through the pain and frustration again for the sweet bonding experience of nursing.

Cushy Tushy

Did you know how much diapers cost? It's insane, really. Jon and I figured up that we'll be spending almost $2,000 just to protect ourselves from baby poo for the next two years. Being the cheap people we are, that really hurt. It caused us to consider something we never had before: cloth diapers. Realizing that an initial investment of less than $250 would get us set for two years of diapering really caused us to think. Then we'd say, "Yeah, but baby poo...I don't want to deal with that." And just looking at cloth diapers made my head swim--there were so many options!

Well then our friend, Stacey, made the switch with her one-year-old. She blogged about and answered many of my questions. Suddenly cloth diapers didn't seem so weird. She found two great things.

One, the diapers. BumGenius 3.0 diapers are adjustable to fit babies from 8lbs until they potty train, so one purchase of diapers will last two years...and will fit two different-sized kiddos if we have another baby while Caleb is still in diapers. Then the same diapers will last through the second kid. That's awesome.

Two, the diaper liner. This is kind of like a dryer sheet, and it can be washed up to three times. But if it gets poo on it, you just take it out of the diaper and flush it. It's biodegradable so perfectly fine to go in the toilet. So no dealing with poo! Actually, it's better than disposables, because the poo is flushed away instead of sitting in the Diaper Genie until trash day.

As we watched our stash of diapers that we'd collected over 9 months dwindle away, and as we considered that our income might be much smaller in the future, we decided to take the plunge. I did minimal research, mostly trusting Stacey's choices. Everyone I asked who used cloth, or every forum I found, rated BumGenius as the best. We bought 12 diapers for about $225. Sure, it sounds like a lot, but we had asked for money for Christmas, plus $200 for diapers that would last through all our children? You're looking at a 90% savings for one kid, and it just gets better with every child. So it was worth the investment.

And yesterday we started cloth diapering!

I've been a little skeptical. I mean, disposables have double elastics around each leg. With just one elastic, I figured we were doomed to leakage. However, Jon reminded me that Caleb leaks through the disposables and we just change his clothes and move on, no big deal, and it would be the same with cloth. Well, we put his first diaper on, took a picture...


...and then I camped out in my usual work spot at my desk with Caleb on my lap, with a lap pad under his bum, because I just didn't trust these crazy diapers. And of course he pooped. Didn't wanna give mama an easy first diaper, evidently. But no leaks!

So now what do I do? With a disposable, you roll and fold and close it all in on itself so it's a tiny ball, then dump it in the Diaper Genie. With this, I was going to have to wash it, so I didn't want to roll it up into a ball. So I folded it as cleanly as I could and put it in the bag for washing. On to the next diaper.

I put him in a disposable last night, since I don't know how much absorbency he needs at night. And today he's had a full day of cloth. I can't tell when it's wet, yet, but I guess that's just something I'll learn. And really, for all the money we're saving, he's got the cushiest tushy around! So far I'm a fan!

Aw, mom, don't take a picture! I'm in my undies!

He sleeps!

Jon figured out something big the other day: Caleb will fall asleep when you face him toward you and rest his head on your shoulder. It still takes a lot of jiggling and rocking, but it cuts out the walking around and around and around the house. This is a huge discovery! Now if we could figure out a way to keep him asleep; he tends to wake up about 10 minutes after falling asleep.

In other news, Caleb is starting to make prolonged eye contact! It sounds small, but it's pretty exciting.

And we put up a Winnie the Pooh toy by the changing table. He's all scrunched up, and when you stretch him out, he squeezes back together and plays the "Winnie the Pooh" song. We pull it at every diaper change, and Caleb really likes it! His eyes will fix on it, and he'll wiggle with the music...not that conducive to changing diapers, but still fun. He really likes the changing table. It's a good place to lay him to calm him down sometimes, and he's very good during [most] diaper and wardrobe changes.

Thirty-Eight Weeks

Here it is: the 38-week update!

Caleb is approximately 6.8 pounds and over 19.5 inches long! He should have a good grip by now, so BabyCenter says. Another interesting tidbit from BabyCenter is about eye color:

"Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)"

So there you go! Jon has blue-green eyes, and I have brown-green eyes, so it'll be interesting to see what color Caleb's eyes are.

Caleb is still moving away. His bumps and kicks aren't as spastic as they used to be; they're more like he's rolling around, or doing a slow stretch. Sometimes he still catches me off guard with a quick whack in the bladder or something like that, but usually it's fairly slow. His movements will get smaller as his living quarters get more cramped.

My movements have also gotten slower these days. The other day I mopped, and it wore me out so much I couldn't even put the rugs and things back on the tile when I was done. Bending over was just too hard. So from now on, if you come by and notice my dirty floors, well you just grab the mop and bucket and have fun! :) Today I'm supposed to be finishing the house cleaning...we'll see how that goes. I'm hoping as long as I stay upright (not lots of bending or stretching), I'll be okay. I'm thankful for Jon and his constant willingness to help!

I've also gotten very tired lately. I wear out easily, and wanted to go to bed at about 7 the last two nights. I managed to stay up until 9 last night. (10 the night before, but that's because it was girl-talk with Karen night, and usually we stay up until midnight or 1 for those!) When I do sleep, I dream about labor, about work, about moving...and I wake up and think about these things. Then I pray about them and go back to sleep to dream some more. I don't know if it's the discomfort of pregnancy or my mind racing that wakes me up throughout the night. I do know that I'm thankful there's a God who listens to my midnight prayers!

I found out on Wednesday that our company has been sold to another company (maybe more on that will show up on my LMNovations blog someday). It's a big deal, and I think a good thing. No jobs will be lost, which is very good. However, our whole "look and feel" has to change by January, and that happens to be my department solely...and oh yeah, I'm having a baby in two weeks and won't be back until Jan. 5th.... So, yesterday, for the first time, I thought, "I don't want to be pregnant any more. I don't want to have a baby. This is more than I can handle. This is too much change." I'm not a big change person anyway, so to add the sale of the company on top of everything else has just felt like the last straw.

However, this morning my mindset is better. Of ALL the changes coming our way in the next couple of months, Caleb is the one I'm most excited about. Job changes, role reversals, moves, and marketing will all settle down...and eventually will change again. But Caleb is here to stay!

I've tried to formulate a post in my mind about what it feels like to be pregnant. To be sure, I've conveyed the physical feelings as thoroughly as I could, and some of the mental ones as well, but I haven't been able to explain--even to myself--the impact that being pregnant has had on me. I thought it would change my life: that I would grow in wisdom and spiritual truth as I prepared for parenthood. I thought it would be on my mind at all times of the day--this new joy that I haven't yet met. So I've been surprised and felt a little guilty that I have not become that wise mother-figure, and there are many times in a day when I'm thinking about the laundry or work or church plans or countless other things. I don't sit in Caleb's room and dream, and I don't rub my belly and have conversations with Caleb about how much God loves him and how much Jon and I love him. I don't gravitate towards small children and want to hold them. I expected these things, but it hasn't happened. And since that's what I expected, I feel at a loss to describe what really has happened, because I can't really tell. Have I matured these past 9 months? Am I a different person now? Does that come at Caleb's birth? Or perhaps I'm expecting to become my own mother overnight, when I know it probably took her years to become the woman she is.

At some point, perhaps, I'll be able to look back and see how the last 9 months have affected me. Once Caleb is no longer my constant campanion in my womb, maybe I'll figure out the emotions I had when he kicked and squirmed.

I know that over the last 9 months, I've had time to adjust to new things. Nine months ago, Babies R Us scared me, diapers were an unnecessary conversation, and I could really care less about the correct methods to soothe a baby. All that is now everyday life: diapers, wipes, socks, onesies, the best bottles, the right lighting.... It's all part of my conversation these days. So I'm glad I've had these 9 months. I've needed them! And though I may not be able to explain what has happened to me as a person over this period of my life, I do know I've changed. And I know I'll continue to change as our little baby becomes a little boy and then a young man.

Thirty-Three Weeks

Week 33 has come and gone! What's happened in this week? Well, it's been just about more of the same. Caleb is still active, and it's fun to try to figure out where he is in my belly. He weighs a little over 4 pounds and is 17 inches long!

As far as how I'm doing physically, things are again, pretty much the same. I think I might bust into a waddle pretty soon, which won't be pretty, but I guess it has to happen eventually! I haven't been sleeping well, which also affects Jon's sleep, and I have lots of weird dreams. I got my first yeast infection. Woohoo. On our first prenatal visit, our nurse had said to go ahead and get some Monistat, because I would be needing it. So it's quite common in pregnancy, but I hope I don't see much more of it. And why, you ask, would I even mention such a thing on a public blog? Well, I figure this is for "posterity"--to document for myself what happened, and to document for those who haven't experienced it, yet. To those women, aren't you excited about what's coming?? :)

Over the weekend, I took back duplicates, etc., that I'd received at showers. I made a list of everything we absolutely needed before Caleb's birth. Thanks to the blessings of family and friends, that list is pretty short! I gathered coupons and Jon and I made three separate purchases at Babies R Us (to maximize the coupons), and we used gift cards, with more to spare for next week's purchases! (BRU coupons are only valid one week, so I have another set of coupons to use next week!)

Before all this, I had been worrying about everything that we still needed, and that we wouldn't have enough money to get it all. But now it looks like we'll have everything we need, without spending much (if any) money out of our own pocket! We are so blessed!

Once the short list I made has been fulfilled, everything else on our registry is open game for Christmas! :)

This past weekend I also organized the nursery again; I found places for the things that hadn't gotten settled, yet. I took all the tags off of toys. I put away diapers and bath stuff. I put all the 0-3 month clothes in the dresser and 3-6 month (and beyond) in a Rubbermaid tub. Thanks, Karen, for all the cute Ian clothes! My dresser is now packed!

Today I'm going to a 3-day business meeting with work, and I realized that after this, my next bag to pack will be my hospital bag! How exciting is that! I have a few things on my mind that I'd like to get before that, as well, but they're all "wish list" stuff, not necessaries. So all in all, I feel prepared for where we are right now.

Some days (or moments in a day) I struggle with the fact that our life will never be the same, and there's nothing we can do about it. It's not like a move or a job that we can back out of. This is permanent. And while most of the time I'm excited about that, some of the time I dread it. Life's gonna change big time. It's kind of like how we all look back on our college days as some of the best times--we had the most freedoms with the least amount of responsibility. I think I'll look back at our "pre-kids" marriage that way as well. These have been good years. Sometimes hard, but very, very good. And then someday I'll look back at the toddler years, or the school-age years, and think the same thing. Hard, but very, very good.

Where's Clyde?

When we first put the crib in the nursery, I expected the cats to find it immediately. Surprisingly, they didn't! However, curiosity gets a hold of every cat, and it wasn't too long before Clyde made his way into the crib. Boy, what fun he had! He ran around it, chased his tail, and was just generally a hyper kitty quite proud of what he'd discovered. It took Bonnie a bit longer to discover the crib. I worried a little that the cats would claim the crib as their own, and then they'd be put out when Caleb came, but they really didn't do much in the nursery unless we were in there as well.

Well, the other day, I walked in to discover this:
First of all, have you ever seen a funnier looking sleeping position?? Clyde sleeps like this all the time. One half facing one way, the other have facing the other way.

He was eyeing the mobile, but didn't make a move for it. I think he figured he'd found a comfy spot and had no intentions of leaving.

Well, that's the only time I've seen him sleeping in the crib. I've seen Bonnie laying in there once now, as well, though just while I was in there. They haven't made a habit of it, and I'm not going to worry about it unless it actually becomes a territory issue, which we won't find out until Caleb comes. I figure a little bundle who waves his arms erratically (probably knocking kitties in the process) will prove to be too much for them, and they'll find a less crowded place to sleep.

As an interesting side note, Bonnie is now 6.5 pounds, and Clyde is 7.5 pounds. So they just might be good examples of how big Caleb is when he's born!

Thirty-Two Weeks

This will be short and sweet because I'm hoping to put up a few posts today.

Caleb is approximately 3.75 pounds and 16.7 inches. I should be gaining about a half a pound a week now, as he continues to grow in preparation of his Big Debut!

My blood volume has increased by 40-50%! That factors in to my weight gain, as a matter of fact. Sitting on hard chairs is extremely uncomfortable; I took a blanket to sit on during Sunday School, which worked for about an hour, and then I needed to constantly readjust.

I think I'm getting a few more stretch marks. I know they're inevitable, and I also know I'll be expanding quite a bit more before it's all said and done, so I guess I better get used to it! I've made it this far with no stretch marks on my belly, though the skin is all mottled-looking, like it could become one big stretch mark overnight. I'm still holding out hope, though!

I had a second baby shower, put on by friends at church. It was a great shower, and I got lots of practical things from the girls who are moms now. Many of the gifts were not on my registry, but things they themselves found very helpful/useful, so that was neat. When I got home, I put it all away, and resorted what I already had. I've got a box of things that can be returned, and a small list of items I need to buy before Caleb comes. The returned items plus gift cards I've received should cover that list, and then everything else we'll get for Christmas gifts or just figure out we don't need! I've gone back through my registry and taken off some items to simplify things a little more.

I heard yesterday that Caleb should be turned into "birthin' position" head down by now, and pretty settled. I can't really tell. I feel like his back is along the left hemisphere of the uterus, with his feet kicking my right side. But whether he's head up or down, I don't know. That's one of my questions for the doctor this afternoon.

I feel like things are going pretty well as far as preparations go. Still, I also think I could quit working now and spend the entire time doing baby-related stuff: blogging, laundry, pictures, shopping, finding coupons, researching products...oh, and looking for a job for Jon! With all that on my mind plus preparing for maternity leave at work, I'm pretty scatterbrained, but "this too shall pass!"

A great shower!

I will be having three baby showers for Caleb: one from work, one from church, and one from family and friends. The family and friends shower was the first, hosted by KarenN last Saturday. It was such a great shower!

As I got ready on Saturday, I told Jon, "You know, I'm really looking forward to this shower, because everyone there loves us, and already loves Caleb!"

And it's true. Most showers, there are the random people there--maybe they don't know you that well, or had to ask "girl or boy?" before they ran out and got a gift. There are the friends you haven't seen in awhile, and so you haven't really gotten to catch up with them. But this shower, well I'm pretty sure everyone there is a faithful reader of this blog, and gosh, I think every one of them had already been showering Caleb with gifts throughout the whole pregnancy! So it was a special group.

One of the greatest joys of the day was having my mother-in-law, Mary, make the 7-hour drive for the sole purpose of the shower. She came in Friday night, left Sunday morning, and we kept her busy all day Saturday!

Because Mary was there, Jon and I got to the shower early, so we could visit with her. She brought out a bag full of Jon's things from when he was a baby--including his baby book and some beautiful clothes that were used as part of the shower decorations. Looking through all those things was neat, and I can't wait for Caleb to play with toys his daddy played with.

KarenN's house was beautiful--as always! The shower was a luncheon, and the tables were set with china and roses everywhere! The placemats and napkins were even made from baby-related fabric. The food was delicious: twice-baked potatoes, stuffed bell peppers, chicken lettuce wraps, fruit-kabobs, and yummy chips and salsa (Leanna's contribution, because she knows an event is not complete without chips and salsa!). The cake was a three-layer chocolate cake, baked and decorated by soon-to-be Uncle Dave.

After eating, we played games. The first was guessing the baby food in the jar, which I'm familiar with. The second was guessing the baby names of animals (kangaroo baby is a joey, for example). That was fun because I got to pick the animals from a list Dave and Karen put together, and call them out to everyone else. An owl baby is an owlet...how cute is that! And Margie knew that one from working with the owls at the zoo. (Below is a pic of me tasting the baby food. As a side note, I was incapable of closing any of the jars correctly. Let's hope I figure that one out eventually.)

After games we opened gifts, and I was overwhelmed with everyone's gift-giving. I love to give hand-made gifts, and I received many hand-made gifts as well! I also received gifts from people who weren't there: moms and aunts of those who attended. And thoughtful gifts from those who knew what I needed, either from their own experience or because they know my taste. And gifts that were obviously items gathered over time.

The final gift was coordinated by Leanna: a book of memories. Each shower guest (and some who couldn't attend) wrote a memory about me, the personality traits that were evident in that memory, and why those traits would make me a good mom. They all included photos, and Mary was passing out the Kleenexes about half-way through! That book will be something I will always cherish. It stung a little to realize that many of these character traits I had let go of during pregnancy; I'm become a mountains-out-of-molehills, my-way-or-the-highway, 7-months-of-PMS kind of girl. I'm thankful for the grace that my family and friends give me, and for KarenD's assurance that things will eventually be back to normal! I know there will be days when I will need that book as a reminder that I can do this, and that I have a family and friends who are there to back me up all the way.

We finished off the shower with cake and chit-chatting. Overall, it was the perfect shower, full of love and support. It couldn't have been better! Thanks, KarenN, for hosting such a beautiful shower, and to everyone who participated in some way.

I'm including two slideshows. One is of the shower in general, with all the decorations and pics of everyone who attended. The other is pics of most of the shower gifts as they're opened. I know some people could care less about seeing those, and some would love to see it all, so that's why there are two separate shows. If you click on the underlined name of the slideshow in the bottom left of each one, you'll be directed to the Picasa albums, where you can see the pics full-size. Enjoy!

The Big Shift

To prepare for Caleb, we need to make the living room serve as the living and office area. Hence, the Big Shift! Because there are large pieces of furniture involved, we only want to move stuff around once, so one night I measured out everything in the house--the walls and everything that had a footprint on the floor--and drew it out on a grid. I drew the furniture on a separate grid, then cut out each piece. My mom put some adhesive on the back of the pieces, so we could arrange and rearrange all the furniture on the grid. It worked so great, and only took an hour or so of time! Since then, we've come up with two possible plans for how to arrange the house. I didn't have the foresight to show you the way it looks currently, to give you a comparison. I guess I could rearrange it all and scan that one in, but...nah.... Here are the two plans:

KarenD came up with this layout, and I think it's the winner. It brings our office space into the living room, but, as she pointed out, gives room next to my desk for Caleb to play (at least until he's mobile!). It uses the space in front of the fireplace, too, which spreads things out a bit more.

(click on the image for a larger view)

The next layout is the one my mom and I actually came up with first. (I just scanned in the living room area, because nothing else changes.) It splits the room more into two separate spaces: living and office, but it ends up being a little more crowded. Plus, my desk is the one in the back corner, leaving no space for Caleb to play where I can watch him while I work.

(click on the image for a larger view)

So, there you are! Jon's off on Monday of this week, so I'm hoping we'll get a lot of it moved around then. After that, the nursery (because then it'll be an official nursery!) will be open for us to start sorting things and going through the storage closet.

Very exciting!

Diaper Bag Purchase

We ordered our diaper bag today! Because it's a pretty big (and long-term) purchase, I was nervous about making the perfect choice. From talking to moms I know, it seemed important to determine the kind of mom I might be. Will I just grab a diaper and a bottle and go, or will I have every possible scenario of the day covered, with sunscreen and a sweater in the same bag, "just in case."

So I thought about what kind of purse I carry. I have two favorites: one is very small with only the basics, and one is very large, with all kinds of random stuff inside. Hm...that doesn't help. But, of all the random things I put in my big bag, it's mostly just because I have the room and not because I need it. I do like lots of pockets, and I don't want to carry a bag and a purse at the same time. I want something I can carry saddle-bag style across my chest, and something that Jon wouldn't mind carrying as well. Finally, I didn't want it to scream, "I'm a mommy!" with it's fluffy diaper bag-ness.

Enter the Skip Hop Expo!

I think it's going to be a perfect fit. It's very streamlined (only 3.5 inches deep), but the bottom expands to 7 inches for those longer trips. So, I can keep it pretty small, and add more when I wish. And it looks more like a book bag than a diaper bag--one I would be happy to carry wherever.

Twenty-Four Weeks

Ack! It's already been another week! I reported a little late last week, so that made this one come much faster. Caleb has gained about 4 ounces since last week! And he's been wiggling away! Sometimes I can feel him move--not kick--just roll around a little. That's kind of a weird feeling. And I definitely feel him above my belly button now, which up until recently he had not resided. The other day, I even saw my belly jump when he kicked!

The glider is here, and it is as lovely as we remembered it being in the store. My Grandma is working on sheets and curtains and a skirt and pillows. That has been the first commitment to the nursery plan that I've made, so we're running with it now! I think it's going to look great. I'm still having a hard time visualizing it all. Hopefully soon we'll start making some changes around the house so it will start coming together.

I don't think I have any more pregnancy signs to report, or any other big purchases that I can remember. Oh, that reminds me, I do think I'm more forgetful. My mind has started blanking out sometimes, and people have asked me to do something at work and I've immediately forgotten it. I hope I haven't forgotten anything important! If you ask me to do something for you, please remind me about it a day or two later, if I still haven't done it. I've always been forgetful, and my general tactic is to do things right away, but sometimes that's not possible. Once again I'm thankful for Jon, who keeps my head on straight!

Speaking of Jon, let me just say that he has been so great lately! I mean, he's always great, but it seems that he's transitioned into a new role lately. We went to a German restaurant yesterday (which is another story altogether). Being German food, it was very heavy, and I ate only about a third of what was on my plate. Even though it was very expensive, Jon apologized and said we'd pick up something for me on the way home. That wasn't necessary at all, but I appreciated that the immediate thought was for my needs and not for the price of my uneaten meal. He's also been quick to help out with Bonnie & Clyde, our little test babies (poor cats). He changes their litter, helps me clip their claws, and takes an active role in their training and upbringing. Sometimes I can see that it's a conscious effort on his part. He would rather not deal with the cats in the middle of the night if I'm already awake to deal with them. But he realizes that it won't be just me dealing with Caleb, and he wants to get ready for that and set the precedent of being involved now.

I've always been amazed at Jon's intentional nature. I can make goals all day, but by the time I've written them down and set the paper aside, I've forgotten. It's only two days later that I think, "Oh! I was supposed to do...." Jon, on the other hand, can make a mental note, and it's there. Any lack of follow-through on his part is another conscious decision. He's always been that way, and I'm grateful to see he's making a decision to handle parenting as a team, with grace and patience, just like he's doing with Bonnie & Clyde.

Note: I added the Week 22 pic to the sidebar! Sadly, we missed the 23 week picture, so we'll take 24 on Saturday (if we remember!).

Twenty-Three Weeks

The weeks are zooming by! I'm going to make this a quick post this time....

Caleb is 11 inches and just a little over a pound, now! He loves to move, and I feel him all the time!

For me, nothing much new. My belly's a little bigger, my hips still hurt, and that's about all there is to report! I've slept on the couch a couple of times--not through the night, just when I wake up and then can't get comfortable again. The couch isn't really any more comfortable, but at least then I'm not keeping both myself and Jon awake!

I've been working on my registry this week. I have all the big-ticket items, which is really great. Holly went with me to Target the other day, and we got a lot registered for. I still haven't picked out toys--something about that aisle of colors and noises is overwhelming for me--but I think I'm pretty far on the rest of it. However, between Babies R Us and Target, I've gotten things in a bit of a mess by registering for the same thing at both places, and some things are only available online or in stores. Probably not a huge deal, but I'll be working on cleaning it all up this week.

I might cut some things out, too, because I always feel a little indignant when I print off someone's registry and it's 17 pages long. Just how much do they think I'm going to buy them? So I may take off the diapers and other miscellaneous things. Otherwise, I went with the philosophy, "Register for what you want, and if you don't get it, buy what you can afford." So I registered for some things that I probably wouldn't buy for myself, but it sure would be nice to have.

Okay, that's about it. It's past my bedtime and I might turn into a pumpkin. :) I'm trying to do much better about getting enough sleep...we'll see if I do better this week. What am I going to do when I have a kiddo who won't let me sleep more than an hour at a time??

Twenty-Two Weeks

Today is July 21, and Caleb is due November 21. That makes ONLY FOUR MONTHS to prepare! Holy cow! I cannot believe that we're that close.

So, what has happened this week? Well, Caleb has certainly made his appearance! He is 11 inches long and weighs almost a pound! I've now had two people who didn't know, ask me if I was expecting or how far along I was. I'm working on a nice round belly, and am a little nervous about the fact that it should grow quite rapidly all the way to the end. My muscles have felt so tight around my abdomen, it literally hurts to take in a big breath of air and stretch it further. Sneezing has become quite dramatic (or traumatic), first because of the pain and fear of bursting associated with big breaths, and then with the effort to not pee from the force of the sneeze. Yeah, maybe that's TMI, but there it is. Pregnancy.

I have gotten so many goodies from family and friends! I've been taking pictures, but new things keep coming, and it's hard to keep up! So hopefully soon I'll be posting all the new things for Caleb.

Jon and I have picked out our glider, which is uh-ma-zing and comfy. It's big enough for Jon to be comfortable, which was important for us. And my grandparents have wonderfully helped pay for it, which is a big blessing that we'll be enjoying for years to come.

My other grandparents are providing the bedding for the nursery, through the sewing talents of my Grandma. One day, we both went to JoAnn's in our respective towns, and came back with fabric. Grandma came back with exactly what I told her I was looking for, and I came back with something completely different! Haha! I haven't completely made my decision, yet, but I think I'm going to go with what Grandma picked, with the addition of a couple more colors in the form of accents. It's fun to pick out all these things, but still hard for me to visualize since the "nursery" still looks like an "office" to me.

So, along those lines, Jon and I have August 9 on the calendar for the beginning of the Big Shift. Organize the garage to make more room, move the computer(s) to the living room, and everything else to the garage. My parents are coming Labor Day weekend to help us get the nursery together--mostly for my mom to help me organize. So yes, we are cleaning out the garage in August in Texas. I'm voting for a 6am start time so we'll be done by 11, and hopefully it won't hit 100 degrees, yet. I'm also voting for LemonBerry slushes from Sonic to be on tap.

Sheesh, there's so much planning required to have a baby! Besides that, what else is going on?

Oh, my worst fear has come true--my ankles are swelling. I know, you're all thinking, "So...what's the bad part?" I mean, in the spectrum of things that can happen during pregnancy, swollen ankles don't seem so bad, but my ankles are my vanity. I think they're pretty, and now they're swollen. Not bad, yet, but I have more (and hotter) months to come. So sad. It would figure that God had a plan to cure me of my pride.

My hips are still hurting, and--with the help of a friend--I believe I've diagnosed myself with sciatic nerve pain as well. Woohoo! But as long as I'm sitting on a nice cushy chair, I'm okay. Sleeping with hip pain/discomfort hasn't been the greatest, and that's been hard on both Jon and I. I could swear Jon used to be a heavier sleeper than this, but once I'm awake and shifting around, he can't sleep either. He said this morning, "Well...there's more of you to shift, now, and it shakes the whole bed." That's my sweet man. :) I TRY to not move too much, but I end up tossing and turning, which is hard to do when a body pillow (and two cats who have planted themselves on the body pillow) is involved. Okay, so Jon might be right about shaking the bed.... I slept better on Karen's couch over the weekend, and I'm wondering if it's because of the way her couch cushions sink in so nice. I may be moving to the couch (or the soon-to-be-acquired glider!) sooner than I expected!

Well, I think that's enough for today. I've been finding myself getting a little overwhelmed with all the decisions required in the next few months. I can only think about it for a certain period of time, and then I'm done. :) So, after this post of all the things that need to get accomplished, I think I'm finished with baby stuff until this afternoon, at least.

16 weeks!

Another week has passed! I've blogged a couple times this week, so not much to update on my end. Oh! The biggest thing this week was that KarenN helped me trade out all my normal clothes for maternity! It was pretty crazy, and I'm so thankful for her help. We ended up with two trash bags full of stuff for Goodwill, two big Rubbermaid bins full of normal clothes, and a closet full of maternity! I am so blessed to have received all the clothes I have. Most of the summer clothes are pretty outdated, so some of it is going to Goodwill as well, and I'll be contributing to the "summer collection" through this summer. I've already added a pair of shorts and a cute top! And hopefully Leanna's going to go shopping with me next week so we can add even more! (Right, Leanna??) I haven't actually cleared it with her, but I'm hoping she says yes. :)

It's fun to have a whole new wardrobe, but also a little intimidating. I don't have my old standbys and I don't know what tops go with what pants. All my favorite comfy clothes are gone. So yeah, I went through a little shock, but it's also so nice to know that whatever I pull out will fit! Some of it's still too big, but a lot of it works just fine.

The Norvells got me a high chair this week, and are scouting out the perfect Pack 'N Play. It's amazing how much variety is out there. I tried to look at baby toys online the other day and quickly got overwhelmed. I think my kid is going to play with cardboard boxes and pots and pans--if only so I don't have to decide what to register for!

On the baby front, Newbie is 4.5 inches, and is "poised for a growth spurt." In the next few weeks he'll double his weight! And sometime in there I'll start to feel his little movements. How cool will that be!

I've got an appointment on Monday--just routine stuff--though John tells me we'll get to hear the heartbeat every time, which is way too neat to be labeled routine.

So blessed

Newbie is just 8 weeks old, and he/she already has so many things!

I've made two blankets. The taggie blanket is like the ones I gave as shower gifts. The Pooh quilt was when my friend Bekah taught us how to make a quilt in a day.

My parents already have a crib from when Brooke was little, and we'll move that to our house at some point (hopefully not too soon!).

My parents found a stroller and carseat at a good price. Just taking it out to take this picture showed me a lot of the cool stuff it can do. I'm already envisioning trips to the State Fair....

And my sister-in-law, KarenN, couldn't resist the "Baby's First Easter" stuff on sale!

What a blessing to be so loved before even being born! Thank you!