Monday, March 26, 2012

Baby Bump Update: 37 Weeks...Almost there!

I made it to FULL TERM!!

As miserable as this pregnancy has been, I really didn't think I would make it this far....but I have...Yippee....and sadly, the misery continues, but will be over shortly.

My c-section is scheduled just 15 days from today...April 10th...

I can't believe I am so close to having this sweet little boy!

37 Weeks



*How far along?:    37 weeks 2days when this photo was taken...I need a fork life to hold up my belly!!!!! ;-)

*Total weight gain:   around 30-31 pounds now....still doing great to keep it at or below 35 pounds....just 15 days to go and 5 pounds to spare.....but the water weight is packing on. Hoping it's not more than 4lbs of water!

*How big is baby?:    The OB/GYN has already told me she thought this baby is going to be 10lbs at birth....so if that's the case, this little guy is already about 20in in length and 8-9 lbs.....I grow them big, remember!!! NO little babies in our family!

*Sleep?:   Amazingly, I am sleeping great....I remember with my other 2 pregnancies being up all night all of the time....that happens here and there with this pregnancy. But I can't complain about my sleep...

*Best moment this week?:  Making it to 37 weeks, knowing I am full term now! I have been miserable this entire pregnancy, but I was willing to do what it took to make it to full term in hopes of having a healthy baby. Even though there are a lot of unknowns right now with his birth, I am happy to have made it to the point where I know he is "cooked" and ready to bless us with his arrival!

*Movement?:  SOOOOOO much movement...he even stuck a FOOT up yesterday, and my husband and kids got to see the outline of his foot....I, on the other hand, screamed in pain when he did that and immediately started crying. His movements are so strong and painful. (I rev'ed up the blender to make a smoothie this weekend and he jumped!!! ha!)

*Food cravings?:  Water and fruit...and this weekend, I had a HUGE craving for a Coke!!! What?!?!? I haven't had a soft drink is years, and I was dying for a Coke!

*Labor signs?:  No....but lots of pressure and pain in my pelvis. Sometimes it hurts to walk. At the doctor on Thursday I was dilated to 2cm....I could walk around like this for the next 2 weeks, or it cold be the beginning of labor. We will find out, for sure!!!

*Belly button in or out?:   It's out, and has been out...and sometimes the baby will stick his heel right in my belly button, which makes it stick out even further! ha!
 
 *What I miss:  My energy!!! I also miss being able to eat....for 9 months now I have had to watch every bite I put in my mouth for fear of it making me sick. I told my husband once this baby is born we are headed to a buffet where I can eat myself sick!!!!!!

*What I’m looking forward to:   We are just 15 days away from delivery....or maybe even sooner....I am really getting excited, yet overwhelmed with a bunch of emotions,  about seeing this baby. I can't wait to see him and hold him for the first time, and see what features he inherited from my husband and me, and see if he resembles the girls.....I'm eager to see my husband hold his son for the first time, and eager for everyone else to see him. Can't wait to complete our family with this new addition.....so many exciting things coming up for us. But I am very nervous about going back into baby mode, and praying my girls adjust to the "new norm".....





Thursday, March 22, 2012

Finally...BABY BOY Navy/White/Gray NURSERY REVEAL

Sooo, the nursery is finished....

...or maybe I should say, it's as finished as it's going to be.

Because....

I'm now almost 37 weeks pregnant.

I'm big.  I'm awkward.

I can't see my feet.

I have no energy.

I can't remember the last time I had a full night's sleep.

I can't bend over.

I can't sit.

I can't stand.

I waddle. 

I can't even vacuum my house without stopping 3 times.

I'm up to 456 bathroom trips in a 24 hour period.

I've had enough of this magical special time.  Really. Thank you.

And this is the same girl who logged over 850 miles running last year.   Yes, it's the same girl.  Now I can't seem to even go grocery shopping without feeling wiped out.

I'm finally at the point of  "What I haven't gotten around to doing, I will do when this kid is 18..or whenever I have time."

So, I have decided the nursery is finished, whether I want it to be or not. 

I had already planned to keep it simple...not a whole lot of decorating for this little guy. There were so many options I looked at, but wanted a color scheme that would grow with him....one that wasn't alot of work, and easy on the eyes. I didn't want the traditional baby blue nursery, but was not opposed to pulling in a little baby blue here and there....and I really wanted to make the bedding this time vs. spending a fortune on it.

I ended up with a navy, white and gray color scheme....and then decided green accents would make it look nice while keeping it masculine looking.

Here is what I came up with....

This is actually our bonus room....as you walk into the room this is what you see.

Some old cubbies I had in my oldest's closet....I slapped on a fresh coat of white semi-gloss paint....Looks good as new!




The bucket came off of my late grandmother's back porch. I'm sure you can buy one just like or similar at Lowe's but this one is special because it came from her....love having a piece of her in this room.




My husband is in the Army, so we had to have a touch of something Army in it....




This is one corner of the room...you'll notice several closet doors in this room. Our house was built with no attic space, so we closed in a wall a few years ago and put in closet doors so we could get to all of our storage....

The curtains you see where already hanging there, but were solid white, purchased at Target for $16 a panel. I sewed on navy blue fabric pieces for the stripes!!




Here is the little guy's crib....the banner was made by my sister in law and hung up at my baby shower. It fits perfectly over his crib.




The crib furniture and twin bed you see were already ours...no new furniture purchased for this baby! Yay! We saved a lot of money by not having to purchase a crib!

I had 2 big purchases in this room. One was the rug you see...$150 on sale at Overstock.com...it was a $300+ rug, and I happened to be on the site one day when they had it on sale. I went online to find a coupon code that took another $20 off....and ended up with this rug for 50% off!!!! Awesome!



I made his bedding and kept it simple....White bumper pads with navy piping. On one end I monogrammed his initials. I found a tutorial on Pintrest on how to make a crib sheet, and made this one out of navy and white polka dotted fabric. I made a few pillows to put in here...(that obviously won't stay once he's in here,) but can be moved around and saved for a later time.




This little giraffe has been in both girls' rooms and now sits in his room, along with a cute little pair of shoes I got for $5...
My sister in law made this precious diaper cake...I couldn't bare to take it apart, so for now, it sits on the little desk by the window.




My other big expense were my glider cushions. My mom gave me this glider, and I love it. But it was covered in a girly print...so I paid $125 to have it recovered in navy fabric with white piping.  I made the pillow and appliqued a "G: on it. Love the way it looks in the chair.




The "G' was made by my Dad...it's 2 ft tall and I painted it green to go with the room! Love having something hand crafted by my dad in his room!!! It looks great on this wall! I recovered the changing pad to match the crib sheet.


The lamp was already in the room, but the shade was purchased at Target.



I opted not to make a quilt for his crib. I never used the quilt with my girls...so I bought this pretty blanket at Target and monogrammed it with his initials.



Here is a view of the twin bed in his room....for you first time moms out there, an extra bed in the room is a must for those late night feedings.  
 We already had the bed and the spread. The navy "blanket" you see at the foot was actually a piece of scrap fabric I bought for $5 at a local fabric store. I sewed the edges up and draped it over the bed, making it look like an actual blanket!! Genius, I must say!! haha


I made the pillows on the bed, and got the idea from HERE....Love the way they turned out!!!







I made the photos myself. I bought the images off of ETSY and had them printed up in 8x10's at Walgreens. The frames are $3 from Wal-Mart that I spray painted white. The mirror is also from Wal-Mart. It was $7 and black, so I put a few coats of white spray paint on it as well.

A small diaper bag I made using a placemat...
 
 

The little desk in front of the window was mine as a child. I spray painted it a shade of green last year and it just happened to match the room, so I didn't have to repaint it.  
The tv in the room was given to us by our neighbor. He was throwing it out ( and it's in perfect condition). We took it and put it in the nursery for those late night feedings. I can sleep in the room with the baby and have a tv to watch....Nic At Night was my friend with my last 2 babies....I foresee lots of Friends, Full House, and Family Matters reruns in my future!!!

 
And this entire nursery is for this little guy right here! 

This was him at 30 weeks....7 weeks ago....look how chubby his cheeks were then! They are estimating him to be 10 pounds!! We have a little chunk on the way!!!! 

Can't wait to show him his new room...I"m sure he's going to notice it all.... ;-)

His delivery is set for April 10th....let's see if he waits that long to get here!!!

Early or not, his nursery is ready!!!!!!!


Monday, March 19, 2012

Baby Bump Update : 36 Weeks

Are we there yet?!?!?!?

This is officially the longest pregnancy EVER....not sure why other pregnancies seem to fly by, and mine seem to drag....but I promise you, my weeks go by alot slower than any other pregnant woman. ha!

36 Week Update




*How far along?: 36 weeks when this photo was taken

*Total weight gain:around 30 pounds now....doing great on my goal to keep it around 35 pounds. Thank goodness...but I FINALLY have an appetite, so I seem to have gained the most weight here at the end.

*How big is baby?: Who knows?!? My dr seems to think he's between 8-9 pounds already...and will be 10 pounds at delivery, if I make it to my delivery date.....I surely hope not

*Sleep?:Hit and Miss this week....Friday night/Saturday Morning I was up from 3am-6am wide awake. It's amazing how much you can get accomplished when the rest of the house is sleeping!! Otherwise, sleeping okay.

*Best moment this week?: My blood thinners were switched!!!!! Yay! This was a huge deal for me. This means I can be awake for my c-section. On the other thinners I was on, I would have been put to sleep had I gone into labor....but not now. I am in the clear to have my c-section and be awake for all of the "fun"!!!! I was so scared I wouldn't make it this far, but I did!!

*Movement?:  Constant. Yesterday in church, this little guy moved the entire hour. And the movements hurt...so at the end of the hour I was worn out!!! Some movements can bring me to my knees in pain...others aren't so bad. There's no doubt there is a BIG baby growing in my belly!

*Food cravings?: Still drinking lots of water and eating lots of fruit....clementines and strawberries are my favorite. Have had a few cravings for sweets....and pretzels are still delicious!!! And I love my protein shake smoothies....I have one a day, usually for breakfast, but I would make one 3 times a day if I could!

*Labor signs?:No, but I sure would love to have some...I will be considered full term this coming weekend, so I welcome signs of labor!!! 

*Belly button in or out?: It's out, and has been out...and sometimes the baby will stick his heel right in my belly button, which makes it stick out even further! ha!
 *What I miss:Bending....I need a fork lift to get me out of bed or out of a chair.....you take for granted the ability to bend until you aren't able to....

*What I’m looking forward to: As of today, just 22 days to go at the most...hoping that number gets cut in half! At this point I am looking forward to getting this baby here...we've been waiting on him a LONG time and we are ready to see what he looks like....and acts like...what he likes and what he doesn't like....who does he look like?....does he have my mouth or his Daddy's?.....etc....the excitement and suspense is building!!!!




**And I have the nursery finished.....well, as finished as it's going to be....I've just run out of energy to do anything else in it...and seeing that he won't be sleeping in it for a while after he is born, I doubt he will care!!! I plan to get a blog post with all the pictures together this week....but until then, here is a sneek peek......






Check back later this week where I will have photos of the entire room!!!!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Baby Bump Update: 35 Weeks

Bump Update: 35 Weeks

Just days to go.....


*How far along?: 35 weeks when this photo was taken

*Total weight gain:around 28 pounds now....doing great on my goal to keep it around 35 pounds. Thank goodness!

*How big is baby?: Well, according to all of these baby information sites, it says that my baby is 18 inches and over 5 lbs....BUUUTTTT, not my baby! I went to my regular dr.'s appt this past week and she believes this baby is 8lbs ALREADY and if I go until my scheduled C-Section (April 10th) he will easily be 10 pounds!!!!!!!! WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?

*Sleep?: Still sleeping well, except for the many bathroom breaks. My biggest issue is falling asleep this week...I toss and turn for 30 min-1hr before I fall asleep. Just can't get comfortable....but once I am asleep, I sleep just fine!

*Best moment this week?: Hearing the OB say they will switch my blood thinners this week....I haven't talked about it much, but when I was 14 weeks pregnant I was diagnosed with blood clots in my leg (due to a lot of pain behind my knee, an ultrasound was done and I was diagnosed with pregnancy induced blood clots). Up to this week I have been on a blood thinner that, in the event I go into labor, is not compatible with surgery. They would need to put me to sleep if I go into labor..(a little more dangerous AND I wouldn't be awake to see my son).  Later this week, they will switch those thinners to one that allows me to be awake for my C-section, and won't be as risky if I go into labor. SO, at the end of the week I am excited to switch the blood thinners...it takes away lots of the anxiety I'm feeling about  delivery!!

*Movement?:  Surely, you didn't miss the part where I told you I already have an 8 pound baby inside me, with 29 days still to go....so, of course, there is still movement.....and strong movement!!! Yesterday, he stuck his toes up and I could feel them. My friend, who was over at the time, also felt them. We had a game of "This Little Piggy" already!!! ;-)

*Food cravings?: Water and fruit....no real cravings and still feel sick if I eat the wrong thing or too much. I carry my big cup of water with me every where I go....

*Labor signs?: No....but I welcome them any time!!!! Beyond ready to have this boy....everyday I hope my water breaks! haha! But, so far, just some Braxton Hicks....

*Belly button in or out?: It's out, and has been out...and sometimes the baby will stick his heel right in my belly button, which makes it stick out even further! ha!
 
 *What I miss: At this point, I am so close to having this baby, and so far away from remembering what "normal" feels like.....so I am missing it all from having my normal body, to eating certain foods, to less bathroom breaks......and eager to get back into my exercise routine!

*What I’m looking forward to:  Just 29 days at the most to go at this point. I went 2 weeks early with my last pregnancy, so I am hoping that's the case this time....keep your fingers crossed for me!




It's hard to believe I went from this.............................to this in less than a year!!!!




Using this picture from last summer to motivate me to get back in shape after the baby gets here!!!!  I don't have much time to get back into swimsuit shape.....so pressure is on!!!!

I have my nursery finished...except for my stinkin' glider cushions I'm STILL waiting on to be ready. Gotta love it when they tell you 2 weeks, and 4 weeks later they still aren't ready. Argg!!! I may just have to show you the room, minus the glider cushions!

Have a great week!!!!

Friday, March 9, 2012

A Tween Bedroom Makeover....

I've been working on and off for a while on my 9 year old daughter's room.

She came to me one day and said she was tired of pink walls...that she was too old for pale pink walls.  Of course, I didn't think so.....are we ever too old for PINK??!?!? ;(

So, slowly, I brought myself around to the fact that she IS growing up, and maybe having pale pink walls is not the "coolest" thing to have.....

.....Sigh.....

I mean, what was wrong with this room?!?...


This was her room before...yes, it's pale pink, but oh so cute. I really hated to change it.

So, I started searching around for ideas that we both could agree on.  

That's when I came across Emily Clark's Blog...and saw this picture pinned on Pinterest...


A POLKA DOTTED WALL!!!!!

Now, we're talking. I loved it. My 9 year old loved it. Perfect! SO I went to work, and used the wall as my inspiration.

Then my daughter came to me and said she wanted this bedding for her room..

She's really into peace signs...and I'm a sucker for polka dots...AND this would totally help pull off the polka dotted wall I had planned. 

Another Win-Win situation for us both.

SO, I went to work...slowly but surely...because by this time, my morning sickness from my third pregnancy had kicked in and the thought of doing anything but laying on the couch trying to keep food down, was out of the question.

Then the morning sickness never went away....and the slow process on the room got even slower.....

So, I slowly worked on her room as I could....

And here I am....9 months pregnant...and am JUST at a point where I can say her room is finished. There are a few things I still want to do in here, but now I am just too big and miserable to do it. Soooo, without further hesitation, here is my updated daughter's room...fit for a peace sign lovin', pale pink hatin' 9 year old girl.....


BEFORE


AFTER

BEFORE


AFTER

BEFORE


AFTER

BEFORE


AFTER
(One wall is chocolate brown, while the rest are a khaki color)

BEFORE


AFTER
You can read more about the cute lampshade HERE

Here are a few more shots of the room....doesn't it look like a FUN room?!?


(Window seat with storage for toys)

($4 Goodwill chair. Spray painted and recovered)




SO, there you have it. A non-pink "cool" tween room for a 9 year old...and I was even still able to keep a little pink in it without her getting upset! 


Even though there are a few things left to do in here (make a bed skirt and throw pillows for the bed) I don't see me getting them done before this baby gets here. Trying to get a nursery ready and redo this room has exhausted me. I think I will wait on the bed skirt and throw pillows!!!

Details....

Bedding: Potter Barn Teen
Wall Dots : Wall-pops.com
Bulletin Board : Lowe's (had it cut to a 4x4ft piece....painted the squares on myself
Chair : Goodwill...$4...spray painted it and recovered the seat with scrap fabric I already had

No new furniture was bought for her room..we simply moved what we already had around...she got some of the guest room furniture, and an old antique desk that was in another part of the house.

 I"ll be back soon to show you my nursery. I have it completed, but am waiting on the cushions to the glider I had recovered...they upholsterer is taking FOREVER! UGH!

Have a great weekend!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Bump Update : 34 Weeks

34 Week Bump Update

Somehow I have made it through another week of pregnancy. The weeks are getting longer and the time is going by slower.

Come on, Baby P and get here!!



*How far along?: 34 weeks 1 day when this photo was taken

*Total weight gain: around 25.5 pounds total...still keeping my fingers crossed to keep it under 35 pounds. I know the water weight is coming soon....hoping it's less than 10 lbs of it! Just 36 days left!

*How big is baby?: About 18 inches in length and around 5-6lbs....he's measuring big (18 days bigger) so this number could be WAY off. I can tell you that he's big enough to cause me alot of pain when he moves!

*Sleep?: Surprisingly, I have been sleeping great. Once I get comfortable (that can take 20 minutes or so) I fall asleep and sleep well. I can remember not sleeping well at all with my previous 2 pregnancies, so I am glad there are no issues so far this time...

*Best moment this week?: Getting close to finishing up the nursery, and finally feeling like I am ready for this baby. Took a trip to Babies R Us this past weekend and picked up loose ends that I still needed, and painted a set of cubbies that I put in the babies room. Now the only thing left to do is stock the cubbies I painted, and get my glider cushions back from the upholsterer.

*Movement?:  I seriously think I am going to go into early labor because of this baby's strong movements. He HURTS me when he moves, and he is in constant motion. I'm am so eager to see how big this baby is....these movements are not being made by a tiny little boy, that's for sure.

*Food cravings?: Water and fruit....a box of clementines lasts me about 4 days...and raw veggies taste great too...but no other cravings...still have no desire to eat sweets or drink coffee (my 2 pre-pregnancy loves)...however, I did snack on a bag of M&M's I bought at Target the other day...and they were yummy!!!

*Labor signs?: No...but I'm expecting them soon. Something just tells me I will go pretty early with this baby....maybe I am speaking too soon....but holy cow I am so uncomfortable and miserable! This baby is measuring big, so he's almost out of room...but according to my scheduled c-section I still have 36 days to go!!! I just don't think I will make it that far!....at least I hope I don't!

*Belly button in or out?: It's out, and has been out...and sometimes the baby will stick his heel right in my belly button, which makes it stick out even further! ha!
 *What I miss:I really miss feeling comfortable....and having energy. Ready to run a race again, and get back into weight lifting and training....Boy, do I miss being in shape and the great feeling that comes along with it. And I am sure my family would agree that they are ready for me to lose the crankiness....I tend to be cranky most of the time....I even get on my own nerves sometimes. haha!

*What I’m looking forward to:With just 36 days to go from today, I am really looking forward to getting this little boy here for all to see. I'm ready to start the next chapter of my life, and complete my family. I know God is blessing us with the perfect son for my husband and me, and the perfect little brother for my older girls. Looking forward to getting him here safely and enjoying him!!!  I am very nervous about my c-section this time because I am currently on blood thinners that could interfere with my surgery, and that has me a little more nervous than last time.  Once I get to 36 weeks they will switch my blood thinners to one that is more compatible with surgery, and I can relax a little...but I need to make it 2 more weeks in order for that to happen.  As miserable as I am, I hope this little guy waits til 36 weeks to make his debut!