Intimidated - Baltimore, MD - April 2010

There are two places that completely intimidate and or overwhelm me. One is the baby store as there is still so much left to buy. The other is the fabric store. Now I know that the worst is when those two places collide.

As our due date draws nearer I walked into the baby store to look at one, maybe two things. On this day in particular I was looking at a glider rocker and options for a baby bed skirt. First off there are 85 gliders!!! Some come with ottomans, some without; some recline and some don’t. There are about 30 choices for the stain you want and just as many choices for the color of fabric you’d like. After sitting in every one I decided on the one that’s on clearance. It just so happened that I like the wood and fabric color. Decision one down. Now on to the crib skirt… Wait, so did you know that they don’t sell crib skirts (also known as dust ruffles) by themselves. WHY???

This brings me to the fabric store…

Note to Reader: My friends Sarah and Robyn can confirm that the back story I’m about to tell you is completely true.

Last year I decided to make baby quilts for some of my prego friends. The three of us all had sewing projects so we all went out to the fabric store together. I had everything picked out; thread, batting, fabric, binding, etc. all in the cart and ready to check out. Then, as they were picking out there stuff I had some time to think about my projects, the actual process of making the quilts and completely psyched myself out. I then proceeded to put EVERYTHING back. A week later I drug the Hub back to the fabric store, which by the way is the last place on EARTH the Hub wanted to be. I gathered everything I’d had in my cart the week before and took it to the fabric cutting station. Come to find out almost everything I’d picked out was wrong. This very nice woman walked me through the store and traded out all the wrong things for the right ones.

So to bridge these two places that completely freak me out, after striking out at the baby store I thought to myself I could make a bed skirt. It’s only a few strait lines. So I went to the fabric store, which happens to be across the street from the baby store. Once inside I managed (after 30 min) to find a pattern. Oh and I must point out that it was ONLY $0.99.

This pattern…

I must also point out that I’ve NEVER sewed by a pattern. I was thinking I’d love to do the skirt in a white, with the bottom section in green. Then once we figure out if it’s a girl or boy put their first initial on it in green iron on letters, or maybe a monogram. I walked the store knowing deep down that I was searching for that same very nice woman to tell me exactly what to buy… No such luck!!! The more I walked the store, the worse my fear got so I bought the pattern, and brought it home to stare at. I’ve even pulled out the instructions to see if that would lessen my fear and discovered words like “basting” which I thought was something you only did to turkeys. I don’t know what kind of fabric to buy. I don’t know what kind of thread to buy. I know it’s a baby and they really aren’t going to care what their crib skirt looks like or better yet if there is even a crib skirt at all, but I’d really like to do this…

Till next time
Bon Voyage!

Bed Rest... A Family Affair - Baltimore, MD - April 2010

The latest in Baby Sticks' journey to the outside is that as of Thursday of last week I have been placed on bedrest due to I.U.G.R (Intrauterine growth restriction). This means that the baby is not growing as the doctors feel that he or she should be. Thursday Baby Sticks was in the 9th percentile on the growth chart. While we are concerned about his or her growth we are comforted by the fact that he or she is very active and is very responsive to both the hub and I (as well as a certain puring kitty that snuggles up to my belly while I nap). So to make a long story short we have a little, but very active baby and we both feel that we couldn't be in a better place for care.

As for the bed rest... It's really become an effort of the entire family to make sure that I and Baby Sticks are getting the most benefit out of it. Both Malchik and Kitty Sticks have taken it upon themselves to make sure I understand that there are many comfortable spots in our house to "bedrest".

The Floor...

The tree...

The chair...

The back of the chair...

And even the bed...

And the Hub has made sure that I maintain a balanced diet and drink lots of fluids...

And has gotten me out of the house so that I don't go completely bonkers! Last weekend we drove over to Skyline Drive, part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, in the Hubs New "Baby Hauling Machine" Oscar...

(which could also be an "Entire T-Ball Team Hauling Machine")

We hit several of the overlooks which were completely breathtaking. The Hub took some cute belly pics... We even managed to get a few bystanders to take a couple of really great pictures of us.

Only 8 weeks (or less) till we get to meet our little bitty Baby Sticks!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Tummy Sleeper - Baltimore, MD - April 2010

Note to Reader: From the beginning I have ALWAYS been a tummy sleeper. My parents found it hysterical that they'd come in to find me in my crib tush in the air sleeping like a rock. Even now as an adult, full grown and on my way to having a little one of my own I can be found "tummy sleeping". Maybe not with my tush up in the air, but I'm sure not too far from it.

So in the last few days, I've discovered that I have now acquired a belly that is large enough to prevent the above mentioned tummy sleeping. So it goes without saying, but I'll say it just the same... I NEED HELP!!! I haven't slept in about three days! Cat naps , yes, and one heck of a couch nap after an early morning hospital stay that I will tell you about a little later, but I haven't seen good, night time, REM sleep in a little while. Even my rockin' Vera Wang mattress hasn't been able to offer much relief.

So to all of my friends that are pregnant, have been pregnant, or know of people that have been or are pregnant, I need help sleeping! How do you sleep when you have a squash strapped to your belly? (The Bump.com says that Baby Sticks is the size of a squash.) How do you, as a lifetime "Tummy Sleeper", get some rest the last 9 weeks of being pregnant?

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

A Little More Belly - Baltimore, MD - March 2010

So even though he or she is measuring a little small, we're both growing like weeds. We get more ultrasound pictures in a couple of weeks so that will be fun, but in the mean time here's a couple of pics to tide you over.

My Sister Lo (the pretty one on the Left) threw us a baby shower while we were in Memphis about a month ago. It was so much fun. My little sister Suze was able to be there (she's the beauty to my right), and some of my very best friends were there.

Cozy and Jen from Side By Side Memphis came. Love them! Love Them!! LOVE THEM!!! And my friends Ashley and Anna also came and they made OH SO YUMMY food!!! I haven't gotten all the pictures back so as soon as I get them I'll put more up.

Me at 27 weeks after we got back from Memphis

28 Weeks (Yes, I love this shirt... apparently more than I realized.)

and this is me last week at 29 weeks.

I've finally reached the point where people do come up to me and try to touch my belly (pretty creepy) and the baby is constantly moving. It's absolutely wild! I can't wait to meet this little one!

Till next time,

Bon Voyage!

Getting to Work - Baltimore, MD - March 2010

So I came home from work last Sunday to find that the Hub had been a busy man. He did this...

I guess one of us had to get to work on the baby's room. Thank you for being AWESOME J-Rod!

Walls Painted (Check)
Baby Bed Put Together (Check)

Tomorrow we're both off and even though I'm not sure if we're more productive together, we sure do have more fun!

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Just Wait Until... - Memphis, TN - March 2010

Note To Reader: Just a quick apology to those of you that aren't really interested in hearing about me being pregnant. Don't forget that this blog is pretty much a window into my brain and at the moment that's what's on my mind.

So in the last few weeks I've had about a hundred people begin a statement with the following three words... "Just wait until..." followed by some terrifying detail from either their own pregnancy, the pregnancy of a friend, their wife's pregnancy, or the crazy crap they've seen on that TLC show A Baby Story. I've found that the ones from women that are actually pregnant themselves are really the worst and most difficult to swallow. Don't forget, the only book I've read cover to cover thus far is Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy.

"Oh you're only 27 weeks pregnant, just wait until you're 35 weeks like me and you...
...can't sleep.
...can only eat small amounts of food at a time
...can't poop.
...have swollen feet and your arches have fallen.
...have a rash
...have been to the hospital three times with false labor.
...start laughing at some one's joke and pee all over yourself IN PUBLIC!
...fart all the time.!

Then there are the stories from the husbands after the baby was born.

"When little Johnny was born they used that sucker thing on him to try to get him out of her "you know what". It sounded like they were sucking his brains out. We were so scared.

"When we were in the delivery room she just pooped on herself straight into this giant trash bag at the end of the table. I guess it happens to everyone but it's GROSS!"

"We thought throughout the entire pregnancy that she was just having one baby, then in the delivery room out popped two!"

"Oh yeah she went into labor at work! Her water broke right there in the middle of the break area"!

"Oh yeah that's right Jane was born in an elevator and delivered by a biker guy named Butch."

Why on Earth would you tell a first time mother-to-be these sorts of stories. To scare the crap out of her? Really...? If so mission accomplished, but really I think that may go without saying. Maybe it's to show the mother-to-be that scary stuff happens, but they made it through and their baby turned out just fine. I guess we'll know in about 12 weeks when we're living through and then sharing our story.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!

Last 6... Next 3... - Mempis, TN - March 2010

At 26 weeks pregnant I find myself reflecting on the last few months and also looking forward to the next few. Part of me feels completely ill prepared because I've been able to read exactly one book... Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy, which although wildly entertaining really can't be considered a book for research and preparation. I've peeked at the Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way but the photo and realistic depiction of what actual childbirth is going to be like completely freaked me out... 3 months to get there... One day at a time...

So after last week, one of the most stressful weeks in my professional career, we've been able to take a much needed vacation to visit friends and family in Tennessee. My sister and friends, Ashley and Anna, threw me an wonderful baby shower on Sunday (***photos coming soon***). The Hub and I have both had the chance to have dinner with our fantastic friends that we haven't gotten to see in 8 months. I got to visit with friends from my old job and compare bellies with some of my prego friends. I also got to get my hair cut and eye brows waxed for the first time in 8 months. THANK YOU LORD!!!! (and David!)

Tonight two sisters (Lo and Sue) and I are going to be bridesmaid in our brother's wedding. We'll be wearing our red dresses with red toe nails and get to flip flop down the isle to celebrate our family getting just a little bit bigger.

As for the next three months... In the next 14 to 16 weeks, this baby will come and he or she will be a blessing and a miracle, and even if I don't read another book we'll be just fine.

Till next time,
Bon Voyage!