Too cute

No time for words, just great pics:

Brand new


Sleepy baby


Baby burrito


Bathtime

Too real!

She's here! From dad:

"Zoey Virginia was born at 1:42 pm on Wednesday June 11th, 2008.

She was 8 pounds 3 ounces, and 20 inches long.



Mother and baby are in perfect health and doing wonderfully.

Dad will need to be heavily medicated for some time to come."

Everything is going very well and we are very much in love with her.
I'll be back with more pictures and stories as soon as I can.

Too late...

Look at this:

No days left--baby has 27 minutes or we all lost the birthday game!

I guess it goes with my procrastinating nature that this baby is not here yet. I am not complaining though--I feel GREAT, my last day of work was Friday, there is shopping and projects to finish up, I am enjoying my naps and snacks, and I want this baby to be well cooked and ready. Since I have passed my goals of 36 and 39 weeks and my hoped for birthdays of June 7 or 9, I am now holding out for June 16. Last week OB said baby is "beautiful" on the non-stress test, measured exactly at 39 weeks 5 days, my blood pressure and weight is perfect and the heartburn is gone. Our next OB appointment is Thursday afternoon and she did say bring my bags (hee hee, they have been in the car since May 1!) just in case we do decide that I need to go on over to the hospital, but otherwise there is no cause for concern and she is not talking about inducing anytime soon. I am far too comfortable and ready according to my friends to be anywhere close to delivery. My husband swears he is going to mess up the house and not do the laundry just to give baby a kick start!

Watch this space though...you never know when a baby might appear!

Too excited!

If you read here yesterday you saw my lament about the IKEA crib that we still don't have and baby is two weeks away, but I'm OK with it. Really I am. But I want it, badly. Last week I even went to the website and printed out a picture and taped it to the wall in the nursery. I have been checking the website for a couple of weeks now and it still says "In Stock: NO." I'm afraid it is going to be discontinued and I will have to start all over with a search and still not be happy with what I settle for. This morning I finally added the IKEA site to my daily clicks and of course it said no, but that didn't keep me from refreshing every 30 minutes, so I reluctantly spent some time googling cribs to see what else is out there. So frustrating!

After lunch I was taking a break and decided to refresh one more time before signing off... "In Stock: YES." WHAT?! Two hours ago it was out of stock, and had been for months! OK, breathe--how many, how soon can I get it, should I leave work, who do I know up there (IKEA is about 90 minutes away), what if it's a computer glitch? Refresh 16 more times--OK, it's true. At 4 PM IKEA confirms that they have 19 cribs in stock. 19!! After not having any for so long. Wait--I am 38.5 weeks pregnant and not supposed to travel out of town, although my husband wants to go get it tonight. My mom is a bit excited about it, so numerous phone calls, e-mails and discussions later, my parents, 90 minutes from me, drive up there, buy it and drive home. So it is still not here, but close enough. They are awesome for doing that!

So here it is, the final piece to go in the IKEA nursery:



Worth all that drama, right?

Too cool nursery

We had decided long ago if we ever did have a baby their room would be bright but neutral, and no cutesy theme. I had this plaid fabric from IKEA (you'll see a theme here) that I have hung onto for about 12 years, knowing one day I would find the perfect use for it. So it became the inspiration for the room.

Before, when it was a messy office/dumping space:


Now, looking into the room. I love the way the light comes in even with the curtains down.


C. painted the walls and ceiling (I hate white ceilings) yellow over Christmas break, we installed a ceiling fan, my mom and aunt made the curtains, and family passed down furniture (I love that they are family pieces used by other babies and kids). The dots were a complete after-thought, just something I found while online, but they probably turned out to be my favorite thing that we did.





The changing table is our pack and play, set up in place of a crib for now, with my bear from when I was a baby wearing a size 0 Kissaluv cloth diaper and Proraps cover.



We stalked the rocker for 3 months and had given up when it fell into our laps one day after a particularly rough OB appointment, so we knew it was meant to be ours. We named it Baby Chairry--it looks just like the smaller version from Pee-Wee's Playhouse. If only it were green...



C. picked out the floors mats. Our whole house is hardwoods which we love, but knew we needed something warmer and softer for this room. So we looked at rugs, carpets and finally settled on these mats. I am not much of a plastic/rubber/synthetic person, but love that these are made from recycled rubber, non-toxic and can be easily washed. I am sure that will be the most important thing eventually. ;)



The books, stuffed animals and some of the toys we already had from teaching and collecting, so it was just natural that they go in a baby's room. A few times we saw really great themes that we loved, like Dr. Seuss murals and bedding ($425 for a quilt?! Umm, no.) and Sesame Street curtains and rugs, but always went back to the yellow and green, with a few favorites here and there.





I guess our theme could be called IKEA though, completely by accident! Of course the fabric, plus the buckets and vases on the dresser, fish mobile, green mirror and several toys all came from IKEA, and there is still a wooden shelf and hooks to put up if we need them.



And eventually an IKEA crib. Two trips up there and still out of stock. We have been told they will be there in June, but others are having trouble finding any cribs in stock, right now only 2 California and one Utah store have them. Rumor in England is that they are discontinuing these models. So I am not holding my breath, but will wait it out since baby will be in a co-sleeper (the blue bed in the first picture) in our room the first few months anyway.

So what do you think? Especially the lampshade--I am not sure I like the dots on there as much as I do on the walls.



Anything look odd or missing? We still have some things to do, like put together like the swing, strip the half table, add a basket liner and get a pail for diapers. You can see more pics and some other details here: Nursery

Too much fun!

So close now, and to keep me going at work the predictions have started. Family has their own ideas too, so wanna play along?

Some background in case it makes guessing easier: this is our first baby, due date is technically June 9, but early on was June 4, June 7 and as of right now I am measuring about a week ahead on the ultrasound. Baby was predicted at 6 pounds 13 ounces, give or take 1/2 pound either way at the 5.16.08 ultrasound. C and I were both 8 pound + babies.

Co-worker #1 said May 23. Nope :)
Co-worker #2 says Tuesday.
Co-worker #3 says June 3 or 21.
C's mom says this week.
On Thursday my dad said 9 more days.
C says 39 weeks, 9 pounds with a huge head. Thanks honey. ;)
I say June 7, middle of the night and yeah, a big baby. If I get to pick though, I want to hold out until June 16.

Comment with date, weight and anything else you wanna guess. Winner gets...I dunno, maybe the first babysitting job? ;)

Too long

...since I wrote here! WOW--February 21 was 3 months ago! I guess I have been a little busy. A lot has happened since then so I'll make this one quick (well, as quick as I know how to be) and come back with details later.

~Baby is still cooking, healthy and growing. I was 2 cm at my last appointment and baby is head down, so things are moving along. Today we are 38 weeks, OB has actually tabled the plans for induction at 39 weeks because everything is going so well and I finish work June 6 unless baby decides to come earlier. My sub for the summer starts on Tuesday, so I get to spend these last two weeks in the office and being with the kids. Off my feet for the most part--I like that. My boss really is awesome.

~Some very minor complications that make me uncomfortable, but all in all a much smoother pregnancy than any of us thought it would be. Acid reflux is miserable--so much coughing that I have a hard time catching my breath sometimes. But a new medication seems to be kicking in and the past 3 days have been almost normal. Otherwise, typical swollen feet, achy legs, sore hips, painful back. I had to finish swimming about 2 weeks ago because it was just too risky for me to be in the water with the coughing episodes making it hard to breath. Still doing some light yoga, but mostly concentrating on my labor exercises, breathing and Hypnobirthing relaxation.

~Showers were wonderful, carseat is installed, bags are packed and nursery is completely done. I will post some shower and nursery pics in the next few days. It is interesting to see the finished nursery compared to the sketches and plans I made in the beginning. Very, very happy with how it all came together. In the beginning I was very specific about how little and what types of baby stuff we wanted and happy to say I was able to stick very close to that plan. I know it will happen eventually, but as of yet our small house is not taken over with baby stuff. It feels just right.

~Having some contractions on and off this past week, but nothing notable. Spent today cleaning the kitchen, not what I would call nesting but "necessitating" since I can't remember the last time I did a really deep cleaning in there. It felt good, but I am paying for it tonight. I even sent C to bed early in case this sore back and on and off twinges turn into something. There has been a prediction for me to go on Tuesday, so maybe....

~Oh yeah, and somewhat unrelated, but we lost our laptop, the Original Baby, in March. It was a terrible, horrible, scary feeling when I went to log on and it was gone, stolen right off my desk at work. LMPD detectives actually worked (and apparently are still looking as of last week) on finding it, but I know it is a lost cause and so we just had to get a new one. Worst part is every belly picture, journal entry, web post and e-mail about baby was on there, so a whole lot of history is lost. I tried not to be too sad about it, but yeah, it really, really sucked.

Be back soon with a little game to play!

Too...MUCH!!!

Wanna hear about my day?  I know you are just dying for an update...  :) It's a long one, and not even all about baby for once.

Up at 6 AM as usual, with only about 4 hours of sleep, as usual.  Stupid cough and stupid hips and stupid pillows and stupid wrist...  Difference today is I don't get to eat breakfast, but have to still take meds that make me woozy.  Today is the day I get to drink glucola for the gestational diabetes test and be poked in the arm. Fun! 

Off to work at 7, make 50 sandwiches for lunch, slice 48 oranges for snack and then drive across the river.  Still a bit shaky--I miss my banana and peanut butter and milk!  Everything is ready in case my appointment takes longer than we expect so someone else can serve lunch.  They take me first for the appointment and while I am in there she comes to get my blood.  The good thing about this set-up is I am distracted so I don't even notice the needle.  Glad that is over.  So OB and I talk for a good long time and here is where we are:

~Gained 7 pounds, which she is happy about since it is a steady, even gain and I am still under the max recommended.

~Blood pressure was 173/65, low normal and great since I have a history of slightly high BP.

~Down to 500 mg Metformin, since I am having some occasional dizzy and lightheaded moments, mainly when I don't eat enough or am really, really active. 

~Albuterol prescription for the cough, Benadrly for sleeping.  These two recommendations alone were worth the appointment.

~Fundal measurement is 24 cm, exactly what it should be, heartbeat is steady and strong and baby is closer to the surface which means good growth.

~And biggest news:  we have deadline date.  She is concerned that I may develop some complications, mainly due to age and blood pressure, and since baby is growing exactly as it should and very healthy, she expects we can safely deliver between 36-39 weeks.  She won't take the baby before 36, but if I don't go on my own before 39, then we will induce.  I don't really like that idea, but a healthy mom=healthy baby, and while I am not one for planning when to deliver, it will probably reduce my stress level if I have a deadline by then.  She does not want me traveling after 34 weeks either, so that works perfect with my plan to do nothing but veg the last month.

It is 9:30 AM when I am done and I joke with the office staff that I was kinda hoping the ice storm that is coming would be here by now so schools would start closing and I can go on home instead of back to work, but no such luck--it's just bitter cold.  Drive back to work and as I am pulling into the parking lot, the county announces that they are sending kids home beginning at 10 AM.  YES!!!  We are part of  college campus and also have a contract with the school system, so our director usually gets to make her own best decision about what to do and who to follow--best case is she can close for either or both systems.  So I serve lunch at 10:45, we close to families at 11, so after spending 30 minutes at Walgreens, we are home by 12:30.  This was a good, crazy mixed-up day!  

Good, cause I am tired.  T.I.R.E.D.  Maybe it was the not eating, or how rushed the morning was, or the culmination of not sleeping well at night, so I nap at about 2:30 PM.  At 4 PM, I wake up practically screaming.  The worst charley horse I have ever had in my life.  I massage, I stretch, C. massages, reminds me to relax--I can't.  Then I start breathing.  Now the pain did not go away, and actually it still hurts 5 hours later, but I kinda went into this zone where I could handle it and began to relax.  So our childbirth class and the relaxation CDs and hypnobirthing reading does work.  C. joked that if I can't handle this, what about a baby--I reminded him we actually get something out of that pain, this only gave me a sore leg.  He agreed.  Besides, my mantra for childbirth is "This is not painful."

Stop laughing.

So I roll over and doze off again.  I hear the rain and ice hitting the windows and dripping on the front porch.  Then...hmmm, that one sounds odd.  And then, what was that on my head?  OH NO!!  Our bedroom ceiling is leaking, onto the bed and lamp!  We put down towels and C finds the leak in the attic and puts a bucket there.  But it is dark outside, in the middle of an ice storm, and the roof is covered in ice, so there is nothing else we can do.  We had a tornado in our area about 3 weeks ago that took off a corner of our roof, opposite the leak area, and that was all the damage we had found, but obviously there was more, as the roof has never leaked before and this is the first real rain we have had since then.  We have a settlement from the insurance company and a repair guy coming to do the corner next week, but we have to start over tomorrow.  ARGGG. Maybe they will replace the whole roof though.

As good as the day was for the most part, and the OB appointment seems so long ago now, I am done with this day.  So now I am on the couch, eating Reese Cups, watching "My Name is Earl" with my husband.  I told ya, I am just like Britney...

Too...redneck?

Just call me Britney.

Yesterday was very long day, not bad, just a lot to do.  C. had to stay late at work, then we went straight to a baby class across the river.  I was very sure to eat several times in the afternoon, so much that C. teased me about leaving a bag of Cheetos in the staff room.  Not mine, but now I had Cheetos on the brain.  So when we got to the class, I checked out the vending machines, but no Cheetos.  I had water with me but by the time we got out of class 2 hours later, I was starving.  We had planned a quick run to Sam's and I got some chicken salad at the Wal-Mart next door for dinner, since it was already 8 PM and I was not making anything when I got home.  And there in the line, the Cheetos were staring at me.  Somehow they jumped in my bag.  While waiting for C. to finish, I opened them up, right in the Wal-Mart lobby.  Did I mention my feet are bigger so I am leaving the laces loose?  So there I am pregnant, almost barefoot, scarfing Cheetos in front of a Wal-Mart.  I don't even like Cheetos that much, and tossed half the bag on the way home, and now I have heartburn.  

At least my thong wasn't showing...

Too busy!

22 weeks!  

Wow, I can't believe I last updated here in December--that was over a month ago. I feel like January went by sooo slowly, but then ago, that last post wasn't that long ago in my mind.

A few quick hits then some details:
~ The baby room is painted! Bright sunny yellow with full bookcases and baskets and drawers--how did I already get so much stuff?! I haven't even gone crazy shopping yet. We still have some rearranging to do and one more piece of furniture to get and the curtains made and ceiling fan hung and I have yet to decide on which crib or a crib at all, but otherwise it really is a baby room. I'll post some pictures when it is done.

~So it is good that we stuck with yellow, orange, and green colors, since baby was very uncooperative at our ultrasound. Yah for me--I don't want to know, but boo for C.--he really wants to know. He is convinced that since we didn't see any hanging parts it is a girl. Actually, he is convinced it is a girl because it was stubborn and lazy, like it's mom! We get to try again in 2 weeks, and if he knows you will have to drag it out of him--I'm not talking. Otherwise the ultrasound was great: baby is measuring exactly on target, all the parts that are supposed to be there are there, heartbeat was very strong, umbilical cord was working and fluid levels were perfect.

~I finished with the physical therapist in January, but not before I developed carpal tunnel. So now I get to wear a brace when I sleep--let me tell you how much fun that is! It does help, but I am hoping my joints go back to normal this summer. One of the reasons I finished with therapy is because I am swimming and doing yoga and strength training at the Y. I love it. Love, love, love. I had to sit out for a few days last week and I really missed it. The water and the stretching is making a huge difference in my energy and sleep, and my back feels so good all day.

~We started childbirth classes last week. There are only four couples in our group, and so far, so good. Even C. walked out after 2 hours--that he actually participated in--and said "not bad." We have 2 classes this week, so it may be a little more overwhelming, but I am glad we are starting a little earlier than the norm, in case we want to do another session somewhere, or complications come up.

~Which they almost did. A call from my OB last Thursday that she wanted me to see a kidney specialist sent me into bit of a tailspin. She wanted me to get the earliest possible appointment, so I freaked a little bit more. Then when the earliest was March 10, I said no way--if there is a reason I need to be there, see me now. Can you imagine--something might be wrong with me or the baby and they are willing to wait 6 weeks?! So between my OBs office and the specialist, they worked it out for Monday afternoon. All weekend I was told not to do anything special or different, but yeah, bedrest couldn't hurt and would ease my stress and blood pressure. Of all the things that can go wrong in a pregnancy, I have this irrational...fear, I guess it is, of having to go on bedrest, and I really thought we were over that hump after week 4. I think it is because I am such a go-go-go, controlling kind of person that having to let others do it, miss work, stay home does not settle well with me. I would do it, of course, but not very quietly. So anyway, the appointment Monday was GREAT! I really liked the doctor and he saw nothing in my labs or history that indicated a problem at this time. I am still high risk, and may yet develop pre-eclampsia, which is what my OB was leaning towards as opposed to kidney disease, and will be monitored more closely (like ultrasounds every 4 weeks now--one plus is getting to see the baby more often). But for now, keep eating healthy, KEEP EXERCISING--yah, I was so glad to hear that, take my BP and vitamins regularly, put my feet up often and call him if anything changes. I was so relived--I will do anything I have to do to keep this baby cooking as long as possible, but getting to keep my life as normal as possible will def help me to not stress out--I really believe a happy mom makes a happy baby. Cause we know there soon will be no "normal life" as we know it.

That's all the craziness for now. I think my next post will not be about baby stuff--I do have other thoughts in my head I'd like to share. Oooooo, maybe I will give you a preview of my next organizing job....