Wow we have made it to 37 weeks and the baby is now officially full term. Amazing! Some days I feel like this pregnancy flew by and other days I definitely feel like it was 9 months... but it's coming to an end and we are preparing to start the next chapter in our lives as parents, yikes!
Had our baby shower this weekend. My mom and sister did an amazing job decorating the place and coming up with some fun games. The centerpieces were stuffed animals which were all super cute :) and the baby won a cow (my favorite non-dog animal!). My mom also did a great job with the diaper cake. And i got my Konditormeister cake! I went with lemon and it was so yummy! I was very happy with my choice :)
Overall it was so much fun and much less overwhelming than my bridal shower. I think it really helped that I got there early and could greet everyone. Gave me extra time to socialize and i didn't feel so rushed.
We got so much stuff, i haven't even gone through it all yet. Half of it is still at my aunt's house. We got a lot of cute clothes, but between what I have bought already and everything we have received, i think i will put some aside and exchange them for gender specific things once the little one arrives. We also received almost everything we needed from the registry. We just need to go through the stuff to make sure we have those last few items we need for when the baby first comes home. The only thing i thing we have way too many of are blankets. So we can return those to get some of the little things we still need.
Had a Dr appt yesterday... nothing exciting to report. Still barely dilated and the baby has to drop a lot more. So it doesn't sound like it's in a rush to be born. Which is good, because we need a bit more time! But then again, it can all happen so quickly, so we need to be prepared just in case!
We get the furniture delivered this weekend, and then I think we'll feel much more ready. Right now stuff is just everywhere. Once the furniture is here and we start to get organized, I think it'll make a big difference. We also bought Dreft, so i can start washing all of the baby clothes.
This weekend we plan on having one last "hurrah".. going "out" in town with some friends one last time before the little one gets here. So excited that we will have visitors! It gets so hard having such great friends in CT... we never get to just hang out. I am so excited that Alexis is coming up! And I am dying to have others visit for the weekend also (some of whom read this blog... you know who you are!). We will go out on Sat and then Sunday I think Steve will cook us brunch and maybe go up to my aunt's pool (probably should see if they are around!) if it is nice out. Can't wait!!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Busy weekend!
Steve and I are half way through our busy weekend...
Yesterday, we made more progress on the apt, unpacking and organizing. We have to finish cleaning out the baby's room, to make room for the furniture that will be delivered next weekend. Plus we have to make the spare room functional. Starting next weekend with Alexis and Manny, we will be having lots of overnight guests, especially once the baby arrives. So we really no longer have any "spare room". The last 2 apt, we have always had that extra room, for "everything else". With the baby arriving, we really won't have that any more.
Then we met with Lily, our doula, to discuss the birth plan and all of our roles during the birth. I guess up until now, this whole process has been very abstract and it was just something that was going to happen one day. But now that we are a few weeks away, i can't believe everything that will happen. I am REALLY glad we have found a doula. I think it will be the extra support person that I will need during the labor.
Today we have my shower. Yay! Steve and I have to go pick up the cake at Konditermeister. With my desire (ok demand) to have a cake from that bakery, we got put on cake duty. I don't mind bc it will be SO worth it! I am SO excited!! Then we are off to Nashua. I am excited to see what my mom has been working so hard on for the past few weeks.
Yesterday, we made more progress on the apt, unpacking and organizing. We have to finish cleaning out the baby's room, to make room for the furniture that will be delivered next weekend. Plus we have to make the spare room functional. Starting next weekend with Alexis and Manny, we will be having lots of overnight guests, especially once the baby arrives. So we really no longer have any "spare room". The last 2 apt, we have always had that extra room, for "everything else". With the baby arriving, we really won't have that any more.
Then we met with Lily, our doula, to discuss the birth plan and all of our roles during the birth. I guess up until now, this whole process has been very abstract and it was just something that was going to happen one day. But now that we are a few weeks away, i can't believe everything that will happen. I am REALLY glad we have found a doula. I think it will be the extra support person that I will need during the labor.
Today we have my shower. Yay! Steve and I have to go pick up the cake at Konditermeister. With my desire (ok demand) to have a cake from that bakery, we got put on cake duty. I don't mind bc it will be SO worth it! I am SO excited!! Then we are off to Nashua. I am excited to see what my mom has been working so hard on for the past few weeks.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
36 weeks
Wow I can't believe I have hit the 36 week mark! The Dr told me that the baby is big enough that if I go into labor, they won't intervene -- crazy! But luckily I am not very dilated (<1/2 inch), the baby hasn't dropped and I haven't had any "pre-labor warm-ups" (the Hypnobirthing language for braxon-hicks). So she was pretty sure i'd make it to the shower on Sunday and I'd see her in the office the next week. We are down to weekly visits... all on Monday afternoons.
We have started to get everything ready for the hospital... started the overnight bag. made sure to have the most important things on hand --- snacks and candy :) Hey, it's on the list provided by the hospital! I am just the worst planner. While I know it's good to be prepared, in my head, I also know that a) we live 5 min away and someone can bring us anything we forgot and b) there is a CVS next the hospital if we forget anything. So other than my glasses, contacts and nursing bras, i don't really know if there is anything that I need to have that can't be replaced at the hospital. I have to go buy most of the stuff anyway, since i can't pack my toiletries I use at home. Plus, Steve will have to go home to get my make-up and clothes to home in... none of those items can be put in a bag and not used for the next 2-6 weeks!
Interviewed a day care provider yesterday. It was the 1st person we interviewed and it went pretty well. In the end, I know the most important thing is that we like the person and feel comfortable with him or her and with the day care site. But to know if you like the person, you need to carry on a conversation for a while to get to know them. But I found a list of questions to ask, so that helped us get an idea of what we needed to know.
This women was so nice. She is licensed to have 10 kids, because she has multiple people helping her, including her husband (a retired doctor), her 2 college-aged kids and a hired assistant. However, she only has 6 kids right now, and not all are full time. All of the children are the younger siblings of kids she used to watch. So the repeat business is a huge selling point for me. we have another 2 people to interview, but i am glad this started off on the right foot!
We have started to get everything ready for the hospital... started the overnight bag. made sure to have the most important things on hand --- snacks and candy :) Hey, it's on the list provided by the hospital! I am just the worst planner. While I know it's good to be prepared, in my head, I also know that a) we live 5 min away and someone can bring us anything we forgot and b) there is a CVS next the hospital if we forget anything. So other than my glasses, contacts and nursing bras, i don't really know if there is anything that I need to have that can't be replaced at the hospital. I have to go buy most of the stuff anyway, since i can't pack my toiletries I use at home. Plus, Steve will have to go home to get my make-up and clothes to home in... none of those items can be put in a bag and not used for the next 2-6 weeks!
Interviewed a day care provider yesterday. It was the 1st person we interviewed and it went pretty well. In the end, I know the most important thing is that we like the person and feel comfortable with him or her and with the day care site. But to know if you like the person, you need to carry on a conversation for a while to get to know them. But I found a list of questions to ask, so that helped us get an idea of what we needed to know.
This women was so nice. She is licensed to have 10 kids, because she has multiple people helping her, including her husband (a retired doctor), her 2 college-aged kids and a hired assistant. However, she only has 6 kids right now, and not all are full time. All of the children are the younger siblings of kids she used to watch. So the repeat business is a huge selling point for me. we have another 2 people to interview, but i am glad this started off on the right foot!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Back from the babymoon
Just returned home from our week long beach vacation in Maine. We had such an amazing time with amazing beach weather! Looks like we picked a great week to go, as next week the forecast calls for rain every day.
We stayed at the "Shell Camp" and my expectations were not very high. We have seen other houses up at Higgins and they aren't the most updated places. So when the real estate agent called to discuss this place with us and warn us that it wasn't the most modern house, I was really nervous. But it was great! We'd definitely stay there again, given the fact it is pet friendly and the price. The shower could be improved (leaked ALL the time), but it was also used a lot by 6 adults!
Bailey had a BLAST. She was such a happy well behaved dog. Every morning Steve and i got up and took her to the beach to run and play. We'd walk to the other end, to see my family, also staying up there that week, and to let her run in the water and play in the sand. At first she wasn't very sure about the waves and tried to avoid them. But by the end, she was jumping over them and using them to carry the ball back to shore. Such a goober :)
We had amazing weather most days... except Friday afternoon/evening, when some severe storms rolled through. We lost power for a while and there was even a tornado the next town over! Luckily we just got rain and thunder. But it altered our dinner plans up at Two Lights :( So I STILL haven't been to eat and watch the sunset... i am definitely going next year!!
We definitely are excited to go back next year. We really had a blast with the people we stayed with, but also having my mom and aunts there. It was so much fun to spend time at the beach with the kids. Everyone was planning for next year when the baby is there to play in the tide pools formed during low tide. I really hope we will be able to get the same week as my aunt and uncle get next year. They want to plan for late august, as jesse will have baseball next summer in july. Maybe we can spend the baby's 1st B-day in Maine!
I absolutely LOVED wearing a bathing suit on the beach this year... for the first time i didn't feel self-conscious on the beach in a bathing suit. Yet another benefit to being PG in the summer!
We had a nice time with the 2 couples we stayed with. I didn't realize how much younger they were than us and it was very apparent this past week. Not in a bad way... they are all in their mid to late 20s, out of grad school and beginning their careers as professionals. They reminded me of us a few years ago... no immediate plans for kids and just enjoying being "Dinks" (Duel income no kids). I guess i just realized how much steve and i have changed to prepare ourselves for becoming parents. At one point Lavina even said how it was like we were the parents taking care of them. We joked that we were the cruise directors. But i did feel like i was taking on a lot more responsibility than i normally would. So maybe we are ready to become parents!
Did a lot of reading.. mostly preparing for the baby... read the hypnobirthing book and started the happiest baby on the block. They both brought up the concept of the "4th trimester" and how to help the baby adapt from a small, tight environment, full of noises, constant stimulation and being held 24/7 to this world of freedom. There are techniques (and explanations) for the use of swaddling, white noise, swinging/bouncing and other things to help teach the baby to adjust. I have heard great things about the happiest baby book, so i think we will try to apply these techniques. We'll see how it goes!
Now that we have moved and got back from vacation, it's now time to start to plan for the baby... getting everything ready for the hospital, the overnight bag, washing clothes, getting the furniture, etc etc. Lots to do in just a few short weeks!!!
We stayed at the "Shell Camp" and my expectations were not very high. We have seen other houses up at Higgins and they aren't the most updated places. So when the real estate agent called to discuss this place with us and warn us that it wasn't the most modern house, I was really nervous. But it was great! We'd definitely stay there again, given the fact it is pet friendly and the price. The shower could be improved (leaked ALL the time), but it was also used a lot by 6 adults!
Bailey had a BLAST. She was such a happy well behaved dog. Every morning Steve and i got up and took her to the beach to run and play. We'd walk to the other end, to see my family, also staying up there that week, and to let her run in the water and play in the sand. At first she wasn't very sure about the waves and tried to avoid them. But by the end, she was jumping over them and using them to carry the ball back to shore. Such a goober :)
We had amazing weather most days... except Friday afternoon/evening, when some severe storms rolled through. We lost power for a while and there was even a tornado the next town over! Luckily we just got rain and thunder. But it altered our dinner plans up at Two Lights :( So I STILL haven't been to eat and watch the sunset... i am definitely going next year!!
We definitely are excited to go back next year. We really had a blast with the people we stayed with, but also having my mom and aunts there. It was so much fun to spend time at the beach with the kids. Everyone was planning for next year when the baby is there to play in the tide pools formed during low tide. I really hope we will be able to get the same week as my aunt and uncle get next year. They want to plan for late august, as jesse will have baseball next summer in july. Maybe we can spend the baby's 1st B-day in Maine!
I absolutely LOVED wearing a bathing suit on the beach this year... for the first time i didn't feel self-conscious on the beach in a bathing suit. Yet another benefit to being PG in the summer!
We had a nice time with the 2 couples we stayed with. I didn't realize how much younger they were than us and it was very apparent this past week. Not in a bad way... they are all in their mid to late 20s, out of grad school and beginning their careers as professionals. They reminded me of us a few years ago... no immediate plans for kids and just enjoying being "Dinks" (Duel income no kids). I guess i just realized how much steve and i have changed to prepare ourselves for becoming parents. At one point Lavina even said how it was like we were the parents taking care of them. We joked that we were the cruise directors. But i did feel like i was taking on a lot more responsibility than i normally would. So maybe we are ready to become parents!
Did a lot of reading.. mostly preparing for the baby... read the hypnobirthing book and started the happiest baby on the block. They both brought up the concept of the "4th trimester" and how to help the baby adapt from a small, tight environment, full of noises, constant stimulation and being held 24/7 to this world of freedom. There are techniques (and explanations) for the use of swaddling, white noise, swinging/bouncing and other things to help teach the baby to adjust. I have heard great things about the happiest baby book, so i think we will try to apply these techniques. We'll see how it goes!
Now that we have moved and got back from vacation, it's now time to start to plan for the baby... getting everything ready for the hospital, the overnight bag, washing clothes, getting the furniture, etc etc. Lots to do in just a few short weeks!!!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Proud dog mom
Bailey finally got over her fear of jumping in the water yesterday and did some dock jumping!! We are so proud :) Our friends Kristen and Todd's dog Bella has been competing in dock jumping competitions and it looks like it's so much fun! And it's not even that I want her to compete in the competitions, but I think Bailey would have a blast. And it's a great excuse to take her swimming! But she is afraid to jump into the water.
So yesterday, we went up to the camp in NH and after some coxing, we got bailey to jump off the dock! We even taught her to get a running start, although she still slowed down right before she launched off the platform. She was starting to get the hang of it and was jumping maybe 4-6 feet at times (Bella's record is almost 15 feet!). In the end, she was starting to push off her back legs, but for the most part, she looked like a 300 pound dog belly flopping in the water. But she was just too cute. I wish we brought the video camera... next year I guess!
Bailey didn't leave the water except when we leashed her up and forced her to take a break. So obviously bailey had a great time. We did too. Jamey's family is just so nice and welcoming. We really enjoy going up there. Maybe one year i'll stop being a wuss and camp with everyone else. But as sleeping in a bed has gotten more uncomfortable for me, I didn't want to sleep in a tent on the ground this year.
We got to see Taylor yesterday as well.. she is just so adorable. She loves Bailey (and all dogs) and had fun throwing the ball for her. Taylor was hysterical watching bailey. So cute! Bailey played so well with Taylor also... she's going to make a great big sister.
So yesterday, we went up to the camp in NH and after some coxing, we got bailey to jump off the dock! We even taught her to get a running start, although she still slowed down right before she launched off the platform. She was starting to get the hang of it and was jumping maybe 4-6 feet at times (Bella's record is almost 15 feet!). In the end, she was starting to push off her back legs, but for the most part, she looked like a 300 pound dog belly flopping in the water. But she was just too cute. I wish we brought the video camera... next year I guess!
Bailey didn't leave the water except when we leashed her up and forced her to take a break. So obviously bailey had a great time. We did too. Jamey's family is just so nice and welcoming. We really enjoy going up there. Maybe one year i'll stop being a wuss and camp with everyone else. But as sleeping in a bed has gotten more uncomfortable for me, I didn't want to sleep in a tent on the ground this year.
We got to see Taylor yesterday as well.. she is just so adorable. She loves Bailey (and all dogs) and had fun throwing the ball for her. Taylor was hysterical watching bailey. So cute! Bailey played so well with Taylor also... she's going to make a great big sister.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Happy 4th of July
So excited that it's 4th of July weekend! There is just something about BBQs and spending time with friends and family that makes this holiday so fun.
We started off the weekend a bit early (on Wednesday) by taking a trip to the Cape. It was Steve's first time ever on the Cape! Being from CT, I guess it's just not a place that his family went on mini-vacations. He spent the morning golfing with my dad, uncles and cousins. Then I met them down there in the afternoon with Grandma at Ken and Nancy's vacation home. Ken and Nancy rented this AMAZING house, right on the water. Absolutely beautiful. Fro the living room, if you looked out the back doors, all you could see was the ocean. Just breathtaking.
All of the "CA cousins" were there so it was nice to see them again (some for only the 2nd time). And of course Karen and Stephen were there as well. Got to see Karen's new cottage... which was only a mile away. Super cute and she did a great job decorating. Very cozy.
On the way home, I decided I wanted taffy, so Karen sent us to Yarmouth to a pick your own taffy place. It was so weird to drive down route 28.. i recognized all the places we had shopped (Xmas tree shop, Job Lots), mini-golfed (Pirate's Cove), ate dinner, got ice cream and stayed over from my skating days. I can't believe it's been that long since I have been there. Maybe Steve and I can start taking weekend trips down there with the baby...
Working today.... but then tomorrow we are going to Nicole's in law's camp up in NH. They have a small cottage on a lake and so Bailey will be in HEAVEN! She wouldn't come out of the water last year! I think it's supposed to cool down for tomorrow, but i hope it isn't as chilly as it was last year! But it will be fun. Then i am sure we'll be BBQing at my aunt's house this weekend, sitting by the pool. Maybe i'll get to model my new maternity bathing suit. Fun fun.
We probably should spend some time this weekend unpacking. We finally have everything in 1 apartment, now we just need to organize everything! It's like every room I walk into, I try to figure out what needs to be done to straighten it out. And in the end, it all comes down to the fact that we need to move boxes into closets, but right now the closets are full of junk that needs to be moved into the basement. Tim showed Steve where our stuff can go in the basement last night so I am looking forward to making progress tonight!!
We started off the weekend a bit early (on Wednesday) by taking a trip to the Cape. It was Steve's first time ever on the Cape! Being from CT, I guess it's just not a place that his family went on mini-vacations. He spent the morning golfing with my dad, uncles and cousins. Then I met them down there in the afternoon with Grandma at Ken and Nancy's vacation home. Ken and Nancy rented this AMAZING house, right on the water. Absolutely beautiful. Fro the living room, if you looked out the back doors, all you could see was the ocean. Just breathtaking.
All of the "CA cousins" were there so it was nice to see them again (some for only the 2nd time). And of course Karen and Stephen were there as well. Got to see Karen's new cottage... which was only a mile away. Super cute and she did a great job decorating. Very cozy.
On the way home, I decided I wanted taffy, so Karen sent us to Yarmouth to a pick your own taffy place. It was so weird to drive down route 28.. i recognized all the places we had shopped (Xmas tree shop, Job Lots), mini-golfed (Pirate's Cove), ate dinner, got ice cream and stayed over from my skating days. I can't believe it's been that long since I have been there. Maybe Steve and I can start taking weekend trips down there with the baby...
Working today.... but then tomorrow we are going to Nicole's in law's camp up in NH. They have a small cottage on a lake and so Bailey will be in HEAVEN! She wouldn't come out of the water last year! I think it's supposed to cool down for tomorrow, but i hope it isn't as chilly as it was last year! But it will be fun. Then i am sure we'll be BBQing at my aunt's house this weekend, sitting by the pool. Maybe i'll get to model my new maternity bathing suit. Fun fun.
We probably should spend some time this weekend unpacking. We finally have everything in 1 apartment, now we just need to organize everything! It's like every room I walk into, I try to figure out what needs to be done to straighten it out. And in the end, it all comes down to the fact that we need to move boxes into closets, but right now the closets are full of junk that needs to be moved into the basement. Tim showed Steve where our stuff can go in the basement last night so I am looking forward to making progress tonight!!
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