29 Weeks

Somehow I didn't publish this post 2 weeks ago, and we forgot to take 28 week belly shots.  SO, I'll post 32 week belly shots with the photos from our next ultrasound in another week or so.

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Holy cow, and just like that we've finished our 1st week in our 3rd trimester!  We can hardly believe that we are less than 3 months away from meeting this precious child.  I am feeling the baby all the time with kicks so strong that it often takes my breath away...I LOVE it!  Grace often comes up to me and pulls my shirt, looks at me and says "baby" and then hugs, kisses & tickles my tummy, it's really sweet.  I think she can feel the baby kicking her when we I am giving her a bottle before nap & bedtime as the baby is always moving when big sister is laying beside him/her.  I am really enjoying these last few weeks where the 3 of is are together in this way.  It's almost surreal to think about having them both in my arms and to be able to hold them at the same time...I can't wait!

I finally feel "nested" now that we have the new dresser put together and all the gender neutral layette washed, folded and put away.  The dresser is technically going to be Grace's when we move her into her big girl room around Christmas, but for now it has all the baby things in it and I am so excited.  The dresser was a gift from Nana and my friend Bethany helped me put it together.  Not that David wasn't willing to help, it just worked out that way.  :)  It was fun having Bethany help since I helped do her nursery when baby Tyler came early.  I do have quite a bit of shopping we need to do for things we still need, but thankfully the list isn't too long since we did everything gender neutral with Grace.  Ironically, most of what we need is for Grace, not the baby - I guess that's just the beginning of being baby #2, poor kid.  :)  We did get a new double stroller from Grandma and Grandpa is going to buy Grace's big girl bed so most of the really big stuff is taken care of.

We had our monthly ultrasound May 16 with the specialists we saw with Grace and we felt MUCH better after our appointment.  The Doctors there actually come into the ultrasound room and look at the baby with us, they are very thorough which we appreciate.  The baby is still measuring ahead, for which we are grateful.  Here's hoping I get the chance to try for that VBAC.  :)  The baby was putting on quite a show for us, grabbing his/her feet and smiling at us.  Everything looks great and we get to go back again at 32 weeks for another peek at our sweet one.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of our little bean at 28 1/2 weeks!

Profile

Baby's Face, smiling!

Feet

Hands grabbing feet

25 Weeks!

I can hardly believe we are already 25 weeks into this pregnancy.  I said to David the other day we have 15 more weeks to go and it kinda woke us both up.  He has said it's funny that with Grace there was SO much to do before the baby came...classes, reading, painting, shopping, etc and this baby is just gonna come.  I said we still had some prep work to do, but since we did everything gender neutral and we already have most of what we need there isn't much to do.  Most of what we need to buy and what we need to do is more for Grace than for the baby, go figure.  :)

It did encourage me to get moving though.  When we cleaned out the attic a few months ago I had sorted out all the gender neutral newborn layette, bottles, burp cloths, etc. and put everything in a big bin in the closet.  My stepmom generously offered to buy the dresser we need (which will eventually become Grace's but for now it will house all the baby's stuff) so we went to IKEA yesterday and bought it.  Last night I pulled out that bin and started washing the clothes.  Wow, it was so surreal to have this big belly and look at those tiny, tiny clothes that my sweet big girl used to fit in.  It's getting exciting!  Oh and speaking of big bellies...here I am at 25 weeks.

On Monday we had our follow up appointment with the perinatal specialists.  They said everything looks great and even though the baby had rotated positions and was forward facing, we still didn't get any great pictures.  I blame the tech this time, lol.  We did get this cute profile picture of our precious bean...

Baby Bilbo 24 1/2 weeks

The Doctor said they did want to continue to monitor us monthly which we are more than fine with.  It will be nice to get to see the baby a few more times in utero before he/she joins us in person.  We have decided to switch practices and go back to the Specialists we saw with Grace.  Their office is over by David's work so we can make midday appointments which should make it easier to get child care for Grace and David won't have to miss as much work.  Plus we were generally in and out in less than an hour with them and these last 2 appointments have taken forever.  We'll see if they agree we should continue to be seen monthly when we go in 3 weeks.  We'll keep you posted!

Baby Gear

I edited this to include a few new thoughts at the bottom that I had forgotten about in the hustle & bustle of the holidays.  :)

I have alot of friends who are currently pregnant with their first children and they have asked for a few recommendations on things they "must-have" and things they can most likely return.  Let me first say all of this is my humble opinion and to take it with a grain of salt.  Everyone has their own opinions on this stuff, but this is what I'd recommend.  :)

With nearly everything we bought we looked for hand me downs and shopped consignment and got some great deals on things we weren't given in showers.  A few things to avoid from strangers though, car seats and cribs.  You don't know how they've been treated and/or if they've been recalled.  Though if your older sister or cousin has a car seat or crib to hand down, take it!  Especially the infant car seats, they only use them for such a short time and you can wash the inserts to look like new.  If they are Graco, you can even buy a new cover on their site to more match your style for half of what the car seat would cost to buy new.  And clothes, definitely borrow, buy a year ahead on clearance or shop consignment.  You'll be amazed how few times your baby will wear something before they outgrow it.  And skip "outfits" in newborn size all together.  You will be changing them so much you'll want them in a sleeper or sleep and play pretty much exclusively.

So anyway, in my humble opinion here's the top 11 things I wouldn't have a baby without...

1. Boppy - I used my Boppy to feed and prop Grace, and when she got older I used it to help her learn how to sit.  The velor covers are great as they wipe off easier than the cotton and don't need to be washed as often.
2. Cradle & Swing - There are multiple designs of this swing, but the concept is what I'm looking at here. Grace slept in this pretty exclusively for the first 2-3 months.  It's the same shape as the car seat so the pediatrician was fine with it. Also, if you go with this make sure you get one that plugs into the wall (the model on the link does). They take 4 D batteries and you'll need to buy stock in Duracell if you use exclusively batteries. They didn't have a plug in model when we had Grace, so when this one came out we shelled out the dough and bought it. Worth every penny.
3. Space Saver High Chair - This chair has 3 reclining positions and can then be used as a booster.  They come in some great gender neutral patterns for use with multiple kids too - I love ours!
4. Backpack Diaper Bag - I love this Columbia bag and know at least 6 other mommies who have the same one in different colors.  It's great b/c it's gender neutral so Dad won't mind carrying it around, you need a backpack when you are carting around a baby in their car seat and it's got separate compartments for everything you need.  Much more practical than the "traditional" diaper bag.
5. Medela Breast Pump - any style.  They are expensive, but fantastic!  If you plan on pumping with any regularity, you'll need a good pump and this is the series to buy from.
6. Prop n' shopper - This is fantastic!  It has pillows on each end so that you can put a baby who can't sit up on their own in the cart without the car seat.  This is good for 2 reasons: (1) Grace loved to be out of her car seat and (2) you can save space in the cart by not having the car seat in it.
7. Snuzzler - infant car seat insert - loved this, Grace's head was never flopping all over the place while she was learning head control over her first few months.
8. Ergo Baby Backpack - I loved the Ergo baby and it was a necessity for us since the Baby Bjorn wasn't tall enough for David.  That said the BB is also great and as long as you have one of these you'll do just fine. *Update - They now sell the Ergo at Target.  
9. Crib Rail Cover - This, or one similar, will save your crib when your little ones start teething
10. Angel Care Monitor - This is a SIDS monitor that gave me much needed peace of mind.  My baby would NOT sleep on her back.  So, the first time I put her on her tummy to sleep I watched the movements of her breathing until my prayers were answered and I fell asleep.  I slept soundly knowing that a blaring alarm would go off if my precious girl stopped breathing.  They use this until they can roll around in their bed or about 6 months. Then you can turn the SIDS feature off and still have the best monitor on the market (I have used every brand...none compare to angelcare. They also have a video monitor if you prefer.

A few other thoughts:

Skip the Bumbo - Your kid will learn how to sit up on their own, promise.  And you can use the boppy for support when they are learning and save yourself the dough.   Don't stock up on one kind of bottle or passy - every kid is different.  See if you can borrow or just buy one of several kinds of bottles and passys until you find one your baby will like.

Pack & Play - Get the simple one.  We splurged (read: wasted) money on the top of the line p&p a few years ago when we needed one for our nephew in a pinch.  I thought bigger is better, right?  Wrong.  A pack in play is something that gets lugged around and I can honestly say I've NEVER used the mobile, organizer, or changing pad that came with out p&p.  Get the cheap Costco one.  They work perfectly and are a fraction of the price.  If you choose to use your p&p as your cradle/bassinet then go ahead and get one a little pricier, but save yourself the dough and get a low end version of this product.

If you're planning to breastfeed, there are 2 must have items you must buy.  The first is Lansinoh - they have this everywhere for around $10 a tube and you should be able to use a tube for more than one kid, lol.  Then go to CVS or Rite Aid and get some Soothies and put them in your hospital bag.   The first 2 weeks of breastfeeding are really HARD and the soothies in conjunction with the Lansinoh will be your life savers.  Soothies are $13 for just one pair, but they are worth EVERY PENNY!

Pampers are by far my favorite diapers, but Huggies have great coupons and when paired with sales, they are up to $.15 cheaper per diaper!  When I can get the good deal, I buy pampers, but I am no longer married to a brand.  Also, Huggies Little Snugglers Newborn & Pampers Sensitive Newborn diapers both have a blue indicator line which tells you when your little one is wet or dirty.  This is an awesome feature, so make sure when you buy diapers you look for that little blue line on the diaper.

If you're an experienced Mommy and you have something to add or delete from this list - leave a comment.  There are lots of new babies coming in 2011 and I'm sure any advise (as it was when we were expecting Grace) will be greatly appreciated!

Another Baby Update

Well, the baby has dropped! Today Dr. Hudson said "it could be anytime...tonight, tomorrow, 2 weeks from now..." I had to laugh at that "timeline" of sorts. :) I'm still having contractions and while they are getting stronger, they aren't at all consistent.

We're ready though. We're all packed, my mom gets here tomorrow, David finished the cradle, the outdoor Christmas decor is up (don't judge - the presents are all bought, wrapped and delivered and the CC envelopes are all addressed too...I did all that over the summer) and I got everything on my to do list done. It's funny though, now that the house is spotless, I am being a little OCD about constantly cleaning up after us. I wash a dish as soon as it's used, I'm doing a load of laundry as soon as there is enough to wash...things like that. I keep thinking I don't want to come home to a mess with a newborn - lol. We both think it's kinda funny, I think it's just my need to control something in all of this. :)

Anyway, we're really hopeful that the baby will come sometime this week. Dr. Hudson said that if I haven't had the baby by the 30th an induction is on the way, so Lord willing the little one will come before that. We'll be keeping you posted!

Making Room for Baby

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of our nearly complete nursery. :) First up was putting the crib together. The crib was a gift from Mama & Papa (David's folks) for the baby and we absolutely LOVE it!! It was a big night in the Bilbo house when we put it together and the whole family was involved in the process...

Out of the box!David getting startedScotty checking out the springsMarty helped unwrap the big piecesI helped too!!Almost done...All dressed up

While David's folks were here they painted the nursery in 4 different colors for us. David is so creative in putting colors together, we are thrilled with how the room came out. We have white, a creamy yellow and 2 shades of sage. When we first started trying we bought an unfinished oak dresser and we hired a friend to finish it for us. With the new knobs we really love the finished product.  We found the bookshelf last, and can hardly believe that all the pieces match so well, but they do.  

BookshelfDresser
This Rocking Chair was David's when he was a baby...the Tigger was his too.  :)Here is another view with the window and black curtains to round out the room

I still need to put up the pictures, but I figured I'd go ahead and post the progress so far.  We really do love how it's turning out and can't wait for the little one to get here and use everything.  :)

Where is my motivation? (& stuff)

I haven't been feeling great this week - I blame the allergies. I had to stop taking my allergy meds 2 weeks ago and won't be able to take it through the end of the pregnancy and beyond. Anyway, with this generally crappy feeling I haven't felt terribly motivated.

We found out on Monday that sweet Martin is a stressed out kitty. He has been having the occasional accident outside his litter box and we thought that it was all the changes we've been making for the baby (or his general sense that the baby was coming) and he was just acting out. We had also moved his litter out of our bedroom since I wasn't supposed to be breathing in the litter and this could have annoyed him. After some more research we found I could be around the litter, just not change it, after 20 weeks. We moved them back into our closet 2 weeks ago and he settled down some which just confirmed our suspicion, but then he had another accident so we decided it was best to get him checked out. The vet said that he has an inflamed bladder (which is caused by the stress) and it is painful for him to go to the bathroom. He is associating the pain with the litter box, so he isn't using the litter box when it hurts. The vet said the stress could be from his brother being a bully, the baby, the changes, all kinds of things. So, I've been spending as much time in our bedroom as I can to watch him and make sure that he gets some solo time at the food and water bowls without his brother hovering and that he gets as much attention and soothing time with momma as possible. He seems to be doing well and not sleeping as much, and he's on day 3 of an anti-inflammatory that she said should bring him some relief in 7 - 10 days...so hopefully he's making progress.

Anyway, this morning I was feeling a bit better. My friend Leigh-Ann and her daughter Lydia came over for a bit to hang out and check out the nursery and home improvement projects we've done lately and then I had lunch with my friend Elizabeth which is always so enjoyable. I love opportunities for ladies social times and 2 in one day was just lovely. :) After I got home though, I just couldn't get myself motivated. I have lots I can be doing, but apart from my daily chores and a few projects here and there, I have been less than productive this week.

David did get the bookshelf we wanted for the nursery so last night we put it together...we LOVE putting the baby's room together. :) On Sunday we ordered our La-z-boy and we can pick it up on Friday so that's exciting too. (We decided on a La-z-boy instead of a rocker or glider because they aren't that much more expensive and we'll get alot more use out of it in the long run. :) Hopefully tomorrow I'll find my motivation and get some things done.

Friday night my mom & step dad are coming into town for a brief visit. It will be great to get to visit and for them to get to feel the little one moving before he/she arrives in just over 11 weeks. I'll try to do a better job of taking pictures this visit as we venture to Fry's and Bass Pro over in Gwinnett and of course, trek it up to Red Robin in Alpharetta.

Oh and for you family who read...Grandad is improving some and they are talking about bringing him home which is great news, JP's surgery went great today and he is recovering well and finally - we found out this morning that Jennifer & JP are having a baby boy in February!! Lots of good news today!

Little Things

Today has been all about the baby - what fun! We headed to Lowe's this afternoon to buy all the wood we need for David to make the baby's cradle. He decided on solid oak and it's such beautiful wood I can't wait to see the finished product. We bought the plans years ago, but the time has finally come for him to build it. We are excited to have the baby in a bassinet handmade with love by their Daddy. Now, to find the time to build it...

The nursery is certainly coming together. Over 3 years ago we bought a solid wood, unfinished dresser that has been sitting in a box in the nursery ever since. It was such a good deal and we loved the lines of it that we went ahead and bought it right before we started trying to have a baby. (I even remember running around the store with a diaper changing pad to make sure the height was right - lol!) When we found out we were pregnant, we busted open the box to refresh our memories on what it looked like and to make sure the crib we selected would match.

Well, our freshly finished & painted dresser was delivered today and it looks so good! I knew yesterday that it would be ready so I went ahead and washed burp cloths, gowns, blankets, onesies, sleepers...all of cute little things we got at our family shower that have been in gift bags for a month - I didn't want to wash them until I had a cat hair free place for them to go. :) We are so thrilled with how the dresser turned out and after we put on the new knobs, I immediately started loading it. It was so much fun!! I still have so much space in it too which is good because there are still lots of clothes from Aunt Carol & Aunt Lacey to put away once we find out of this little one is a he or she. We even went through and picked the blankets and outfits that we want to take to the hospital with us so I could leave those out to be packed away into the suitcase.

As I was loading all the sweet things our little one will soon be using into the dresser, I looked at David and said "can you believe we've had this dresser for 3 years and soon our little one will be here?" It was such a sweet moment for us. We are really treasuring everything that's involved in getting ready for this child and we are so blessed!

Oh, and pictures to come soon, Promise. :)

Busy, Busy, Busy

The last few weeks have been crazy! Lots of travel and good times with close friends, which is wonderful, but certainly makes for a busy time.

On June 3, David's folks came back through ATL after meeting Grady, our newest nephew in Colorado. It was a brief visit, but good to see them.

Saturday, June 6, the Baby's Room was having a big sale and we got our Britax car seat for a steal - woohoo! This is actually a gift from my Dad & Stepmom (thanks so much!!), but I was able to get a much better deal here than they would have been able to in WV. Saturday is also the day that I finally caught up on all my scrapbooking. 2 weeks of marathon scrapping to catch up the nearly 1 1/2 years worth of scrapbooking that I was behind. It is such a sense of accomplishment to be 100% current on the scrapbooking...now I just need to start on the baby's book!

On June 7, I headed to Clarksville, TN for several days with Lacey and the kiddos. I didn't take any pics with my camera, but took some with Lacey's. I'll need to get her to send me the pictures. Highlights of the trip (besides obviously getting to spend time with 4 of my favorite people) were:

• Watching Jake go down their inflatable water slide, he's so funny
• Trekking out to Patty's Settlement for a beautiful morning with the kids and a nice lunch at Patty's restaurant
• Lacey & I getting some girly time alone that included breakfast at Waffle house - don't judge...it was yummy!!
• Ainsley painting the wall with pink icing - long story. Lacey will post it and pictures on her blog soon

It was so nice to get out there to visit with her one last time before Ryan comes home and hopefully make that time go by quickly for her. The last few weeks are always the hardest (I say from my limited experience from when David deployed...which was all before our wedding!) so I'm glad I was able to get up there to hang out.

I got home from that trip on Thursday June 11, just before dinner, and had just enough time to do laundry and repack before leaving the next afternoon for Greenville, SC to visit with our dear friends the Carpenters. It was such a nice, relaxing visit. Somehow I once again didn't take any pictures, but that's ok. ;) Saturday morning we hit the outdoor market in downtown which was great fun and we got some yummy fruit. Then we had "the best pizza in Greenville" at Barleys Tap Room, and it was quite good as well. They boys took the kiddos home after lunch and Court & I ran around for some girly time which was great. We repaid them that night by hanging at home while the boys went out for ice cream and to work on Cory's portfolio. Sunday before we headed home we went to Red Robin for lunch and it was so tasty. Man I wish there was one closer to us! It was such a great weekend, but I was pooped after all that travelling. We were both asleep by about 9:00 Sunday night and slept clear through til morning.

This week I've just been playing catch up. I finally sat down and made a master list of everything that needs to happen before the baby comes. Thankfully, I'm not overwhelmed by this list. David's folks are going to come up for several days in Aug and will be our designated painters so that takes a huge chunk off our shoulders. For everything else I am just going to pluck away at the list. I still have 22ish weeks to go, so I feel like I still have plenty of time to get everything done if I am diligent and try to do something every day. We'll see how it goes.