Baby To-Do List

With my pregnancy winding down to the last 2 months, I've put together my pre-baby to do list.

Pre-baby:

• Finalize maternity leave w/ employer
• Start disability paperwork
• Attend breastfeeding class {scheduled for end of Sept.}
• Purchase thank you cards for shower
• Write and send out thank you cards
• Install car seat
• Set up dog sitting while we're at the hospital
• Pack hospital bags
• Finish reading my childbirth books
• Buy postpartum supplies
• Buy nursing supplies
• Look into pump rental
• Purchase baby items needed not gifted at shower
• Wash all baby items
• Put away and organize baby items
• Watch Happiest Baby On the Block DVD
• Purchase and install carbon monoxide detector {How do we not have one of these already?! Oops}
• Purchase baby book if not gifted one
• Assemble all baby gear
• Pick a name! {We are still debating this one}
• Put together music for labor
• DIY some maternity photos
• Make and freeze some meals
• Finish nursery
• Go on dates with hubby
• Clean up around the house
• Get a pedicure
• Get a haircut

Post-baby:

• Add baby to Jack's health insurance
• mail out birth certificate
• Call newborn photog to schedule session
• Mail out birth announcements
• Send out birth announcement email to coworkers

I'm not sure what else needs to be done once he's here. Anyone have anything else I should add? 

Already completed:

• Pre-register at the hospital
• Tour birth center
• Take childbirth prep classes
• Find pediatrician
• Research health insurance for baby
• Research circumcision 
• Book newborn photog
• Complete shower registry

I feel like I've accomplished a lot so far, but my list still seems so long. Anything else I should add? 

Week 32

Holy smokes! Only 8 weeks until my due date. Time seems to be moving quickly lately. I'm getting excited to meet our little man, but nervous at the same time. It's a little scary thinking about being responsible for another human being. Plus the fact that Jack and I's lives will never be the same.

I had an OB appointment today. His heartbeat sounds great and doc confirmed that he is head down! Hopefully he stays that way. I'll go every 2 weeks until 36 weeks and then weekly! Crazy how close we're getting to the end.

Gender: Boy!

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain: about 27 lbs now. My weight gain has slowed a bit. I hope I can keep the total under 35 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Yep! Super comfy. I'm starting to get a little bored with the same 6 or so shirts I have to wear to work. I've only got 2 months to go so hopefully they can last me.

Sleep: Just getting up to use the restroom. I practically sleep through it. Oh and sometimes the little bub likes to move around and wake me up.

Miss anything? My old body sometimes. This belly gets in the way too much.

Cravings: This week I had to have chili. Made some tonight and it was delicious.

Symptoms: The usual heartburn, rib pain, back pain. My ankles are starting to swell by the end of the day. I also find that I get out of breath easy now.

Movement: So much movement. I feel little nudges all through out the day. His little bum it right under my boobs and he likes to kick my ribs. He also likes to hang out on my right side.

The bump: Growing more every week. It's definitely uncomfortable bending over.

Belly button in or out? still in.

Mood: Happy, nervous, excited, tired, grumpy

Best moment of this week? Putting more of the nursery together. We hung up the gallery wall and I made a crib skirt. Just some last little details to finish.

What are you looking forward to? Definitely the upcoming 3 day weekend, and also my shower next Saturday.

Week 31

Things are moving along quickly now. I can't believe I only have about two more months until his arrival. I'm getting really excited to meet this little guy that I've been growing in my belly.

This week, I've been reading my breastfeeding book and I started Ina May's book as well. We also met with a newborn photog and reserved a spot.  Oh and I bought this cute little knit turtle costume for the little guy's newborn shoot. It's from this Etsy seller. Jack really liked the turtle costume. I probably would've picked something different, but he really liked it, so I bought it. Especially since he doesn't voice his opinion on things like this very often.

{Source}

Still lots left to do. Here is my to do list with updates in purple. I need to make a more extensive list soon.

• Find a pediatrician 
• figure out maternity leave w/ employer {need to confirm details}
• start disability paperwork & PFL paperwork & give to OB {I've researched into it at least}
• find daycare {If I do get 6 months off, then I won't worry about this just yet}
• pre-register w/ the hospital
• take birth classes {Last class is tomorrow}
• take preparing to breastfeed class {taking at end of September}
• figure out who's health insurance the baby will go on {Jack's since it doesn't cost anything}
• finish nursery
• find newborn photog 
• finalize registry 
• plus all the things at the end like pack hospital bag, install car seat, etc. 

I was lazy and didn't feel like doing my normal weekly bump photo this week. At least I took one though!


Gender: Boy!

How far along? 31 weeks

Total weight gain: about 25 lbs now. My weight gain has slowed a bit to less than a pound a week.

Maternity clothes: Yes! All the time. I do have a few shirts that are non-maternity. The skirt I'm wearing above is a size larger non-maternity skirt from Old Navy.

Sleep: Still good besides getting up to go pee 2-3 times a night. Oh and my hands like to go numb. But I fall back to sleep very quickly.

Miss anything? Miss not getting up in the night to use the restroom.... I guess I better get used to not sleeping through the night from now on.

Cravings: I had a craving for Mexican food today. Satisfied it tonight by eating out at Que Pasa.

Symptoms: rib and back pain. My boobs are still leaking, and I'm starting to feel more tired. Oh and I had a day where it felt like my ab muscles were about to rip apart. I think he was just having a growth spurt or something and it was stretching my belly bigger. But man did it hurt! Then he would move around and push right into the spot that was sore. ouch!

Movement: Lots and lots of movement. He gets the hiccups a lot, which I find are really cute. It's fun trying to guess what body parts are protruding from my belly.

The bump: Getting bigger and bigger! It's getting large and in charge.

Belly button in or out? still in... wondering if it'll ever pop out..

Mood: Happy & excited & tired

Best moment of this week? Getting our crib and glider. The nursery just looks so much more put together now. I'm excited to finish all the little details.

What are you looking forward to? Touring the hospital tomorrow and getting things done in the nursery over the weekend.

Nursery Update {We finally have a crib and glider!}

I'm so excited that we finally have our crib and glider! I ordered these two items back in May from Buy Buy Baby. In my genius head, I thought it would be a great idea to order furniture in a city two hours away from us. Maybe not so much, but it ended up working out just fine.

My crib had been in since the end of June, but the glider took foooorever to get in. I kept calling BBB and bugging the crap out of them. Every time I called, someone told me it would be in by such and such date and then that day would roll on by and I'd call again and it still wouldn't be in. I even had a hormonal pregnant lady breakdown one day after getting off of the phone with them. Many tears ensued and lots of laughs afterwards because I was crying over something so ridiculous. I think my husband thought I was a crazy person crying and laughing.

Anyways, Sunday the husband put the crib together. And I just love it so much.

 He looks a little creepy peeking around the crib like that!

 Such a hardworking hubby! He's done a lot of work on this nursery for me!

Here it is all put together! The crib is the Bonavita Peyton lifestyle purchased from Buy Buy Baby. Bonus with them is that you get to use their 20% off coupons for furniture.

I was so excited after it was all put together, I had to hang up the prints right away.

Ok, now for the glider! It's the Little Castle Blake Glider custom ordered through Buy Buy Baby. You can use their 20% off coupons for gliders too, and Little Castle doesn't add a fee for picking custom fabric. The chair is in crushed midnight with silver piping.

I looooove it! I'm so happy I went with an upholstered glider. It's super comfy and it rocks and swivels.

The nursery just looks so much more complete now! I have lots more to finish and update on. Stay tuned!

Week 30

Wow! I can't believe I'm in the 30's now. Only 10 weeks until my due date and about 8-12 weeks until this little guy decides to make his arrival. It's all happening so fast. I still feel like there is so much left to do to prepare, but I know a lot will get done over the next 6 weeks. Shower invites went out and the shower is in about 3 weeks!

We attended the first of three classes for childbirth preparation. We went over the stages of labor and when we should come to the hospital. We also had to watch a few videos on childbirth. Then we sat on the floor and learned exercises and relaxation techniques. Our homework was to grip ice cubes and practice our relaxed breathing and focusing away from the pain. We've tried it out twice now. It's definitely hard to keep your mind off it! What I took away from the first class is that it's all about trying to relax through your contractions. If you tense up, then you're working against your body and your labor won't progress as easily.

I've noticed my focus has shifted from pregnancy to labor and actually taking care of this baby. I started reading Breastfeeding Made Simple. I'm on Law 4 right now and I find the information very interesting. I've even had a few breastfeeding dreams since I started reading it. Definitely recommend to my pregnant friends!

{Found here}

Gender: Boy!

How far along? 30 weeks

Total weight gain: about 25 lbs now. I went swimming last weekend and was shocked when I looked at my butt and thighs in the mirror! I think that's where some of my weight gain has gone.

Maternity clothes: Yes! All the time.

Sleep: Still pretty good. I get up a few times to go pee, but I practically sleep through it. My back has been getting a little sore by the morning, but it's not bad.

Miss anything? Sometimes I miss my flat stomach. It's taken some getting used to that I can't move around the same like I used to.

Cravings: Cereal, Honey Bunches of Oats to be exact. I have like two bowls a day. I also crave chocolate all the time.

Symptoms: Occasional BH contractions, sore back

Movement: He really likes my right side. He hangs out there a lot. I think it's funny when I lay down and the right side of my belly is sticking up higher than the left. Sometimes I wonder what he's doing in there or what position he's in. My whole belly shakes sometimes from his movement!

The bump: Feeling some growing pains this week. It feels like it's stretching out, especially around my belly button.

Belly button in or out? still in but the top is starting to look different.

Mood: Happy

Best moment of this week? Hearing from Buy Buy Baby that the glider is in! So excited to go pick it up this weekend.

What are you looking forward to? Going to pick up our glider and crib!

Ok. I'm going to share some nursery pics, but it's a mess right now! Trying to keep it real. Can't wait to go get the crib and glider and start putting the finishing touches on it.

What a mess! I hope to get this nursery looking more put together in the next few weeks. Can't wait to share all the details!

Bump Progression

Here is my bump progression thus far! It's amazing how much my belly has grown. I can't believe how skinny I was at 8 weeks! And I laugh at myself for thinking I had a bump at 16 weeks.

Week 29

I feel very productive this last week. We found our pediatrician! It was really stressing me out for some reason, but it was an easy decision. All our friends recommended this one practice. I set up an appointment to meet the doctor, and that was that. We liked her and we liked the office, so we've decided to use them. I also pre-registered at the hospital which was an easy process as well. While we were there, I saw a couple walking the halls with their newborn. The baby was all wrapped up like a burrito with a little hat on. Looked so cute! Made me even more excited about meeting our little guy.

• Find a pediatrician 
• figure out maternity leave w/ employer {started talking to HR about it}
• start disability paperwork & PFL paperwork & give to OB {I've researched into it at least}
• find daycare 
• pre-register w/ the hospital
• take birth classes {start tomorrow!}
• take preparing to breastfeed class {taking at end of September}
• figure out who's health insurance the baby will go on {I've figured out cost thru my work. Just waiting for Jack to go back to work next week to ask about it}
• finish nursery
• find newborn photog {I've started emailing a couple}
• finalize registry 
• plus all the things at the end like pack hospital bag, install car seat, etc. 

I definitely feel better prepared now. Now I just need the crib and glider. Buy Buy Baby said it should be there Monday, so hopefully next weekend we'll be able to go pick it up.

Gender: Boy!

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain: about 24 lbs now. Weight gain slowed this last week to only .5 lb thank goodness! I didn't want to continue down a path of 3+ every week.

Maternity clothes: All the time! So comfy. I find it funny how my non maternity shirts are starting to rise up.

Sleep: Still great. Just get up to go pee. My back has been a little sore when I get up in the morning. I also started sleeping with a pillow in between my legs to help with the back pain.

Miss anything? Still wish I could have a glass of wine. I miss not getting so tired easily too.

Cravings: Chocolate!

Symptoms: BH contractions. I have a couple every day. Occasional heartburn, sore back, feeling more tired, ribs hurt.

Movement: All the time! He is a mover in there. I feel him all through out the day. He also gets the hiccups a couple of times a day which I find are so cute. He likes to hang out more on my right side and stick some body part up in my rib cage. Saturday he kicked me so hard it hurt!

The bump: Not really feeling like it grew too much in the last week.

Belly button in or out? still in although more shallow.

Mood: Happy, nervous

Best moment of this week? Ikea trip went great! I went with my friend and two coworkers. Got lots of goods for the nursery that I'll have to share soon.

What are you looking forward to? I'm really looking forward to the day that we can finally go pick up our crib and glider. Buy Buy Baby is my enemy now. Grrrrr

Week 28

Hello third trimester! Wow! I can't believe I have only 12 weeks until my due date. 12 weeks just doesn't seem like enough time. I feel like there is still so much to do! I'm definitely in no hurry for this pregnancy to end. I just want to feel prepared and I feel far from it. Here is my to do list:

• Find a pediatrician {I've got a couple recommendations}
• figure out maternity leave w/ employer {I'm really procrastinating on this one}
• start disability paperwork & PFL paperwork & give to OB {I've researched into it at least}
• find daycare 
• pre-register w/ the hospital
• take birth classes {these start next Saturday}
• figure out who's health insurance the baby will go on
• finish nursery
• find newborn photog 
• plus all the things at the end like pack hospital bag, install car seat, etc. 

So yeah baby boy can keep on cookin in there while I get this stuff done.

Gender: Boy!

How far along? 28 weeks

Total weight gain: a little over 20lbs. My scale says I gained over 3 pounds this last week. :( I think I need to start watching my dessert intake.

Maternity clothes: Mostly maternity. All that pants I wear are maternity. I have a few long enough tanks and shirts that are non-maternity that I can still wear. I'm hoping I don't have to buy too much more to get me through the last 12 weeks.

Sleep: Still pretty good which makes me happy. Only annoyances are getting up to go pee and my hands falling asleep. I wake up and they're numb and I have to shake them until I get feeling back.

Miss anything? Not really missing anything this week.

Cravings: Just the usual chocolate craving. I think I'm using pregnancy as an excuse to eat a lot of dessert. I need to start watching my dessert intake a little more.

Symptoms: Some braxton hicks contractions still, heartburn, frequent urination, leaking boobs.... My ankles swelled for the first time since Taiwan, so I'm trying to stay well hydrated.

Movement: So much movement! I feel it all the time. It's gotten so much stronger. I can feel him rolling around in there. I like to place my hand at the top of my belly and it feels like little feet are rubbing my hands. Sometimes it startles me too. I'll be leaning or pressing into my belly and he'll kick that spot! I guess he doesn't like that. lol It's also crazy how all over the place the movement has become. Sometimes I'll feel it way off to the side or way up high. He likes to hang out on the right side. I can actually see when he's lopsided in there. One side of my belly will be higher than the other. He also likes to keep his feet {I think it's his fee!} in my right rib cage. It can be uncomfortable at times.

The bump: I definitely feel like it grew this last week. I haven't encountered any strangers trying to touch it yet.

Belly button in or out? still in although more shallow.

Mood: Happy, nervous

Best moment of this week? Date night last night with my hubby. I had to go get my RhoGAM shot so I was home by 4:30. We went and had Mexican for dinner and then watched The Dark Knight. Which was really good by the way!

What are you looking forward to? Ikea tomorrow! I can't wait to pick up some more stuff for the nursery.  And I'm really hoping I get a call from Buy Buy Baby to let me know our glider is in. That thing shipped almost a month ago! I don't know why it's taking so long to get to the store.

And the bump has definitely grown in the last week. No wonder I gained 3 lbs in one week! Look at last weeks photo compared to this week. Baby boy is getting big!

Nursery {DIY Chevron Curtains}

I did it! I sewed for the first time since high school. I bought this {Brother XL2600i} sewing machine a few weeks back, and it sat around for awhile in it's box intimidating me.

I got sick last week and took two days off of work, so I figured it was a good time to try and tackle the curtains. Probably not the best way to try and recover from being sick, but I worked at it slowly. I found this video on YouTube on how to wind the bobbin for the Brother sewing machine. It's actually the first video in a series of four on how to thread the Brother sewing machine. You can find the other three here, here & here. I didn't even read the manual and just followed along with the videos. Amazingly, I had no problems once I actually started sewing! It worked perfectly.

I was debating between these three fabrics for the curtains and ultimately decided to go with the top one. It's Premier Prints ZigZag in Twill Blue. You can find it here.

I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here and give step by step instructions. Especially since I didn't take photos of all the steps. <--- Bad blogger But I did find these two tutorials helpful. Found here and here.

My window is 48" wide, so I went the cheap way and ordered 4 yards of the fabric, and just cut the 56" wide fabric in half to make two panels. 4 yards was too much by the way. I have a whole extra yard left, but I wanted to be on the safe side.

I put a towel down on the tile to make ironing the hems easier. That's pretty much what took up most of the time, ironing.

I made Jack take a photo of me, so I can show this little baby how much work I put into his nursery one day. {not like he'll probably care though}

The sewing part was pretty easy. Although I could use some practice with making a straight seem. ha!

So I knew I wanted them to be blackout some how since this room gets a lot of light in the evening. So, I tried to go the cheap route first and try these blackout liner panels that I found at Target. I just clipped them behind the panels.

But it didn't turn out looking very good. I couldn't close them all the way with out light shining through on the sides. It looked pretty ugly and like my panels weren't wide enough. womp womp On to plan B.

I decided to buy actual black out curtains and do a double curtain rod. I bought a double rod & two panels of the Eclipse kids blackout curtains in navy from Target.

And here is the end result! I think this looks so much nicer. It doesn't look like it in the photo {slowed shutter speed so you could see the curtains}, but these make the room nice and dark. Perfect environment for a sleeping baby. :)

It will look like this when we want more light in the room.

I love them so much and it makes me happy that I made them myself. Here is a cost break down:

3 yards of chevron fabric: $19.07
2 black out curtain panels: $34.30
4 - 7 packs of clip rings: $20.33
double curtain rod: $40.64
Total: $114.35


That's not too bad considering I've seen custom curtains on Etsy going for over $100.

And a glimpse of what else I picked up at Target.

The room is starting to take shape! I can't wait to show more as I complete it.