Ultrasound and Nursery Photos!

25 weeks... no wait, that was last week...

26 weeks down, 14 (ish) more to go!

...or is it 27 weeks, 13 (ish) to go...

The 27th week starts tomorrow... geez!

Wow, they weren’t kidding when they said time would speed up on the second half of pregnancy!  It feels like time’s flying by and soon we’ll have our baby girl in our arms.  I apologize for being a total delinquent.  I’ll blame it on the holidays…  You want some updates?  Sure! 

On Thursday, December 15^th, we had another ultrasound.  At our last appointment, Dr. M. (the high risk pregnancy specialist) said we’d be doing ultrasounds every 6 weeks or so to keep track of Lil Pea’s growth and weight gain.  At this appointment, however, she decided that we don’t need to do another ultrasound for 10 weeks – this is good news!!  We got a fair amount of good news at this appointment, actually. 

I still have not gained any weight and continue to linger in a five pound circle I’ve been in since January of last year.  Lil Pea is now 2 pounds, which is a bit bigger than average and actually means my weight is doing well.  However, she’s growing ahead of schedule in things like her humerus (the long bone in your upper arm) and her head size.  She’s about 12 days ahead of schedule in both of those areas.  Dr. M. explained that gestational diabetes can cause your baby to be larger (heavier, fatter) than average, not cause your baby to have “a big head” (“That,” she said “is genetics.”).  So she doesn’t think that Lil Pea’s growth is being effected by my blood sugars (at this point).  Yay!!  So our daughter’s probably going to have the Boyd family long arms and Richard’s big head.   Hahaha!!  Everything else seems to be right on target, give or take a few days growth here and there (everything measuring in the “perfectly normal” range). 

At the moment, she says she’s leaning more toward a c-section.  Which, as I’ve mentioned before, I definitely do not want to do unless it’s a matter of health for our baby.  I expressed my displeasure at the idea and Dr. M. said she hasn’t ruled out a natural delivery yet, but if Lil Pea keeps growing at the rate she’s growing I might not have a choice in the matter.  Our next ultrasound will determine what kind of delivery we’ll shoot for (because, of course, everything can change at the drop of a hat).  She assured us that IF we have to induce, we won’t do so until I’m a week from my due date.  She said from what she could tell, Lil Pea seems healthy and right on track.  While she’s not actually going to change my due date, based on her measurements, my due date was theoretically moved up to March 17, 2012.  

Either way, my goal is to be ready for her as of March 1^st.  I don’t wanna have anything to worry about those last few weeks but her.  Think that will actually happen?  Haha!

The ultrasound tech was great!  Lil Pea is quiet the active little thing.  She was squirming all over the place.  But I thought to ask if they did any 3D imaging and she said they did!  So, we tried to get a 3D image of her pretty little face.  Miss Pea did not cooperate.  But here are the pictures we did get. 

2D picture of her little feets

3D picture of her foot and leg

 

2D picture of her face (still a little scary)



3D picture of her face!  Her hand was covering most of her face, but you can see her lips and maybe the tip of her nose...


On to the Nursery!

Richard decided to extend his weekend and Friday (the 16^th) we headed up to Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  We’ve both been a little frustrated with hunting for nursery furniture.  The stores that we’ve been to have not had many cribs on display, if any at all.  So after extensive Google searching, I found this store's website.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford much of anything in the store, haha!  Wow, can furniture get expensive quickly.  As it turned out, my tastes in nursery décor is pretty simple.  They had over 100 different cribs and staged nurseries to look at; some were super ornate while others were glorified boxes.  One looked suspiciously like a coffin – no thanks, man!  All in all, it was an AWESOME experience. 

They gave us some tips on how to shop, what to think about when building a nursery, and even what furniture was most important (and versatile).  Nearly all the sales associates we bumped into were male, which we thought was interesting.  They gave us a frank analysis of any item we asked about and were extremely friendly.  No one pushed us to buy or followed us around the store.  They even gave us some bottled water, haha.  They were great and if we had $2,000 to drop on Lil Pea’s crib and dresser, we’d totally buy from them!  I wish I could get the $900 glider I sat in at the store, but that’s waaaaaaaay outside of our price range.  I’ll stick with my Target special, thanks. 

Richard and I discussed our options on the way home and we both were feeling pretty good about the crib and changing table that we’d previously picked out.  I think I’ve mentioned before that my mother-in-law has offered to buy Lil Pea’s crib and the glider we picked out.  She gave us the green light to do so, so I purchased them that very weekend!

One of my favorite things about ordering close to Christmas is how fast everything ships.  Our confirmation said we probably wouldn’t get our items until after Christmas.  I ordered on a Sunday, they showed up on Wednesday.  AWESOME!!  I nearly hugged the UPS man, lol.  Richard stayed up until nearly 1:00am putting everything together.  The crib wouldn’t fit through the door, so he had to take it apart and put it back together in her room, lol! 

         

Crib

Changing Table and Dresser

Glider

From the doorway...

So… I finally feel some peace about Lil Pea’s room and arrival.  It makes me feel worlds better knowing that we have the furniture in place.  I know it’s a little irrational, but I felt like if I could just get this ready it would symbolize our ability to provide for her, keep her safe.  I freely admit a few obsessive compulsive tendencies from time to time, and this was definitely one of those times.  Now, though, I can sit in the glider and just relax.  I know everything else will work out just fine… 

Reflections of a Queen Sized Pregnant Lady…

Oy!  This should be fun…

Well, a friend of mine made a post today on Facebook about body image and finding something you like about yourself.   You can watch it first, here, if you’re interested.  It got me thinking; who am I to back down from a challenge!?  I feel like I have a lot to say on that particular subject; so bare with me, if you dare. 

I can’t recall a time in my life when I didn’t obsess about how I looked… even as a child.  As a child I was pretty little, but I was the oldest in my “neighborhood” and thus larger than my sisters and neighbors.  It’s fairly easy to understand how I misconstrued being called “big” in my head.  Being taller or broader became synonymous with being fatter than everyone else.  That seed, once planted, grew and thrived in my overly sensitive little mind. 

Eagle River, Wisconsin with my sisters 

Do you know what I remember most about my 16^th birthday?  I’ll tell you…  I’d wanted to spend the day with my mom and my grandmother.  I was so excited about our outing to Alexandria, VA.  We went to the Torpedo Factory Art Center.  Unfortunately, I don’t remember feeling happy and carefree.  What I remember is the restaurant where we ate lunch and how I didn’t want to eat even though I was hungry.  What I remember is going into the lady’s room and seeing the size 10 on my black dress pants and wanting to make myself throw up.  What I remember is thinking what a huge, fat cow of a girl I was.  What I remember is crying in the bathroom stall because I was miserable.  Isn’t that a sucky way to remember turning 16?

16^th Birthday, me with my mom 

I mention this because I want you to understand how very messed up my self-vision was.  I mention this to show how so many of my memories are tied with food, hating myself, and feeling gross and ugly.  I mention this because the idea of finding something about myself physically, that I actually like, is nearly impossible for me to do.   Hating one’s self for so long… it becomes ingrained, almost.  It’s like I don’t know how else to think of myself. 

Over time, I became what I always thought I was.  I didn’t bother to watch what I ate, because it didn’t matter.  In my head, I was already fat.  I horded food.  I hid junk food in my room and ate it when everyone was asleep.  I can’t believe I’m admitting to all this… publicly, no less.  Anyway, I had some really bad habits when it came to food.  At some point, though, I started to realize what I was doing.  I haven’t horded food in years.  I haven’t gone to Burger King and McDonald’s (at the same time) in years.  Hell, I rarely eat fast food at all now, if I can help it. 

I realized the destructive path I was on, but it was too late.  I’d gotten fat.  Not just chunky.  Not just “some extra pounds”.  Nope.  Good, old-fashioned fat.  Okay, now what?  Hate myself even more?   Let myself get fatter?

My 30^th birthday weekend away with my hubby

(those ribs were pretty awesome, by the way)

I’ve struggled for the last several years with trying to decide how to feel about myself.  How to fix what I’d broken.  I’ve gone to the gym, but it never lasts very long.  I get so easily discouraged when the scale doesn’t move.  I watch what I eat much more than I ever did before (my husband’s lost almost 50 pounds this past year due to our diet changes).  But more than fixing my weight, I wanted to fix myself.  My heart and the way I view myself.  Why must “fat” mean “uneducated,” “lazy,” or “ugly”?

Having Richard in my life really helped me stabilize my self-image a little. He helped to start me on a path to changing the way I view myself.  He told me he thought I was beautiful.  He held me, touched me, and made me believe that he really meant it.  While I don’t agree with him, I do believe that he means what he says.  I can see the honesty in his eyes and have been trying to learn to see myself more like the way he sees me.  It’s extremely difficult and I rarely succeed.  I think the simple process is that no one is perfect, even the beautiful have flaws.  The goal is to find the beauty in yourself – outwardly and inwardly. 

I don’t think I will ever see myself as beautiful; I struggle to say that I’m passably pretty.  I don’t think I will ever be comfortable walking from the shower to the closet without a towel or a robe.  I don’t think that I will ever look at myself in a mirror and really believe that I’m pretty.  I don’t think I will ever stop wishing that something on my body was thinner, tighter, leaner…  The only day of my entire life that I can remember feeling beautiful and not being consumed with how fat I was, was on my wedding day.  I really felt pretty that day…  When I look at those pictures, I don’t see the depressed and disgusted 16 year old above.

Wedding day… May 15, 2010

Richard feeding me cake

        

So, fast forward to today.  When I got pregnant, my biggest fear was the weight gain.  I really, really don’t need to add to the poundage I already carry around with me.  I was worried that I would balloon up or be totally disgusted with my body.  I’m surprisingly not 100% disgusted with myself; though, there are some disappointing side effects to being a fat pregnant lady.

My cousin took a lot of really great baby bump photos.  I haven’t taken a single one.  Not only because I don’t like my profile (like, at all), but because my bump doesn’t look like her bump or the bumps I see all over the internet.  For one, it took a lot longer to look like a bump at all (rather than just a fat girl getting fatter).  Secondly, my bump doesn’t have that same smooth baby bump look.  I have a “B” shaped belly rather than the tradition “D” shape.  I’m getting more and more “D” shaped as we go along, but it’s been slow.  It’s a little disappointing to be so excited about being pregnant and then realizing that no one’s congratulating you or grabbing at your belly because they can’t tell if you’re pregnant or just fat.  I have yet to be accosted by a stranger.  Lol!  I know it sounds silly, but I would really love for a random stranger to ask me when I’m due. 

Still, pregnancy has changed the way I view my body in a positive way.  It’s doing something really amazing – growing a whole, new person.  Parts of my body are changing in response to this and rather than feel sad by them (like the way my breasts have changed, oh my!), I feel a little empowered by it.  It’s a nice feeling to realize that my body isn’t just supposed to be a beautiful, thin vessel (thank god, because I was failing miserably there) but that it’s got a greater purpose.  It brings life.  It will nourish my baby.  It will protect my baby.  How amazing is that!? 

Do I have the perfect little baby bump?  No.  Do I have a stellar body?  Definitely not.  Should I lose some weight?  Absolutely.  But for the first time in my life, I don’t utterly hate my body.  I don’t look in the mirror and just see the dimples and curves.  I see the rounded area of my belly and know that my daughter’s in there.  I know that one day she’s going to rest on my (very) ample hips.  One day she’ll snuggle into me because I’m “soft” and comfortable. 

My body isn’t all bad, because it’s giving me her.

(Sorry, taking a picture of myself, by myself... not easy)

(Six month mark)

 

Feathering our nest

Today’s post is all about my Sweet Lil Pea, but I’d like to start by saying how on earth did December get here so fast.  Where did November go? 

We’ve been keeping pretty busy in the Everingham casa.  My sister and I have done a little crafting.  I’ve been keeping up on my normal household chores much more efficiently than I ever did at South George.  Richard’s been busy building up our new budget (to accommodate the new house and other outlays).  We had two lovely Thanksgivings this year.  The first was my first attempt at hosting a Thanksgiving; we had my mother-in-law over for a nice quiet evening and I made my first turkey.  The second was our traditional Boyd family Thanksgiving on the following Saturday.  Throughout all the festivities, I couldn’t help but think of next year and the newest member of our family being present.  I can’t wait!! 

During our family Thanksgiving, I got a few gifts for our Lil Pea!  The first was a beautiful Pea Pod necklace that I’m wearing daily.  Then my mother handed me a Pea Pod Christmas ornament that my grandmother had sent for us.  We can add dates and such once Lil Pea is here.  And then Heather chimed in and said she had something for us too.  She gave us a “My Sweet Lil Pea” wall hanging.  I can’t wait to get it on a wall! 

My presents!!

Ornament from my Grandmother!

Pea Pod Necklace from my Momma!

Wall hanging Sweet Pea from my sister Heather!

Speaking of walls, I ordered the valance for the room décor Richard and I decided on.  It arrived late last week, so we took that to Home Depot for some paint matching.  The valance is from a My Baby Sam collection called Sweet Pea.  It’s done in lavenders and greens (see pictures below).  We used the lightest lavender for the walls, which Richard painted today!  Then he replaced the nasty vinyl shades with the much nicer 2” faux wood blinds and hung the curtain.  And then, we added the only bit of furniture we have for her so far – a dresser.  Heather and I swapped dressers; I had a black one, she had a white one.  They were close to the same size, so she offered to swap.  I’m really grateful as it saves me from trying to cover a black dresser with white paint… yikes. 

So, we’re well on our way to setting up the nursery!  I’m so unbelievably excited.  Richard’s mom has generously requested to buy our crib (and, it looks like, a rocker as well!!).  We’ll grab the changing table at the same time and – viola – the nursery will be furnished!! 

Lil Pea’s Nursery!!

My Baby Sam, Sweet Pea Collection that we're modeling the room after (though slightly less busy).

Walls painted the lightest lavender in the valance, new blinds, and curtain hung!

Daddy feeling good after all the hard work he put in today.  The room is very, very girly.  :o)

  

It’s strange to think that we’re on our way to becoming parents.  I read the blogs and posts of my friends and family who already have children and wonder just how on earth I’ll actually handle the task.  Will I be as organized and tidy as Jodi – always so detailed in the growth of my child?  Will I be as creative and attentive to my little girl’s diet and health, like my friend Robin?  Will she be as adventurous and rambunctious as Trevor?  Knowing me, I will probably be winging it most of the time…  But I sincerely hope that I can measure up.  I guess it’s natural to question these things.  I’ve been on the sidelines watching these other parents learn and carve their own parenting paths.  I hope that I’ve learned from them (and will continue to do so!).  I’ve wanted this for so long…  Right now she’s just a thumper in my tummy… but soon, she’ll be a wiggling bundle of endless responsibility.  I just really hope that I can do right by my little girl. 

Thanksgiving...

Fall has always been one of my most favorite times of the year.  I love the crisp mornings and the spicy smell of leaves falling.  There is no Yankee Candle that can quite match that scent.  I love desire to hibernate, slip into some comfy slippers and curl up with a good book.  I love all the delicious crock pot recipes and walking through the front door to smells of homemade chili or pot roast.  Nothing beats the smell of a neighboring woodstove or a big mug of hot chocolate.  I don’t even mind those rainy fall days when everything seems to slow down and people nestle inside. 

For me, November is the peak of the fall season.  Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite holidays.  It’s not just the amazing food – cause growing up in my mom’s house, great food was an everyday occurrence.  Though, I will admit, her Thanksgiving stuffing is the stuffing of legends.  No, Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday because it focuses so much on family and being thankful for what one has.  It’s not cluttered by gifts or too many silly traditions.  It’s just a gathering of those you love and cherish and celebrating that. 

I will readily admit that I’m a sentimental sap when it comes to things like Thanksgiving.  I love it when my family gathers around the table and my mom gets choked up as she expresses how thankful she is.  I love it when my dad bows his head and leads the family in prayer (regardless of my personal beliefs).  Even my sister, Diana, who squirms when asked what she’s thankful for and Heather’s quick witted sense of humor.  I love the memories that I have of Thanksgivings in the past…  Matching my cousin Bryan bite-for-bite so we could finish and go play together.  My grandfather’s dilly bread (which is now my yearly charge).  Visiting my cousins in Delaware, playing games, and the laughter that fills the home. 

I have a lot to be thankful for this year – and always.  I am so incredibly thankful for my husband.  He’s shown me a love that I believed only existed in fairy tales.  There are no words strong enough or deep enough to express how much I love and respect him.  He’s given me everything I’ve ever wanted, not just material items (like this amazing house) but a relationship built on love and trust and communication.  He sees all sides of me and loves me not in spite of those aspects but because of them.  I am grateful for the life that we’re building together.  I wake up each day and look forward to it…  It sounds simple, maybe.  I enjoy even just doing the laundry or washing dishes, yes - those mundane daily household chores, but they represent the lifestyle we’ve chosen to pursue.  We might not have the best cars on the block or top-of-the-line stuff, but we upgrade slowly and work hard for everything we have.  I find more value in those things and striving to make our home more comfortable in small ways.  And I’m so blessed to be able to be home right now, feathering the nest for our future family.  I feel as if this were my “calling,” so to speak.  Like I belong here doing these things.  I might not be Martha Stewart or Paula Dean, but I try.  And Richard makes this all possible – for me, for us, and for Lil Pea.

Then there’s Lil Pea.  Wow.  Now that I feel her moving more and more each day, I find myself in awe that she’s really on her way to us.  She is so wanted and so loved already.  In the beginning, I felt like she was more of a dream.  Even after our first ultrasound and I saw that there was really something in there, it was hard for me to believe that something I’d wanted for so long was really coming to pass.  Our hearts must be made of some pretty tough stuff, because I don’t know how one can contain so much love without bursting.  I can’t wait to meet her, hold her in my arms, bring her home, and learn all about her.  I can’t wait to see what kind of girl she becomes.  I can’t wait to learn what her interests will be and what her dreams will be.  I can’t wait to help her grow and guide her with the same love that my mother showed to me.  I can’t wait to write her a letter when she graduates high school to tell her how proud we are of her.  I’m already proud of her and she isn’t even here yet…   

I am thankful for my friends.  I have always been blessed with really wonderful people in my life.  I have friend who has been a part of my life since we were five years old.  I have friends who have stood by me during some really difficult times in my life and never judged me.  My friends are generous, loving, and understanding.  Some of them have been with me on road trips across the country or up and down the east coast.  I have friends who have been there through my many moves, the loss of my grandfather, finding love, and all the various stages of growing up.  I am grateful for the friends I’ve found through Facebook – new and those from high school that I’ve been able to reconnect with (even if on a small scale).  I love them all and feel close to them all.    

My mom, my dad, my sisters… How can you take a lifetime of love and memories and sum them up in a few short words?  You can’t.  My sisters are my best friends and they mean everything to me.  My parents… the struggles they went through to provide us with a fantastic childhood…  We never really knew that we didn’t have much money, because mom made everything fun.  As adults, my parents are STILL there.  They listen to our problems and provide advice when they can, help us build furniture and move into new beginnings, give us comfort and courage to try new things or chase our dreams.  They are always there, gently guiding us through life through lessons we learned in our youth or through subtle suggestions and support. 

This time of the year, I feel especially humbled.  I am so lucky to have such an amazing life full of wonderful people.  I love that this time of year offers me an excuse to freely ramble on about how thankful I am.  So, I’m also thankful for this blog and anyone who might read it.  I’ve been able to vent my frustrations, express my joy, and catalog my experiences through this medium.  I’ve appreciated every comment and every email I’ve received because of something I’ve said.  It means so much to me, the support I’ve gotten from those who have been through similar experiences. 

I am just so full of love today!! 

As we approach this holiday of gratitude, what are you most thankful for?

It's a............ Boy? Girl?

Yesterday was a pretty big day for the Everingham Fam.  We were heading off to the doctor’s office for a Lil Pea check up and anatomy ultrasound.  My appointment had been scheduled for November 8^th, but I received a call from them offering to bump up my appointment.  I readily agreed.  My mom was able to take the morning/day off and come with us. 

So, I’ll be honest.  I was a nervous wreck!  We haven’t seen Lil Pea since what we thought was our 12 week ultrasound.  As it turned out, we were only 7 weeks and 3 days rather than the 12 we’d calculated based on my menstrual cycle.  While we figured we were closer to 10 weeks… finding out we were at only 7 was a big adjustment.  I spent the next five or six weeks feeling pretty anxious, until we were “back in the clear” and the risk of miscarriage went down – for real this time.  Lol!  So, needless to say, I was worried about what surprises Lil Pea might have in store for us this time. 

Our appointment was supposed to be at 10:15.  I’m pretty sure that we weren’t even back in the ultrasound room until 11:30.  I was feeling pretty bad since mom had taken off work.  Plus, the suspense was killing me!  I knew I was just minutes (or what felt like hours) from seeing my Lil Pea again.  And maybe, if he/she cooperated, we’d get to find out Lil Pea's gender. 

We’ll keep the suspense to a minimum here…  We finally got back to see the ultrasound technician.  It was also my first meeting with the high risk pregnancy specialist.  Everything went wonderfully and we have the following pictures to prove it.  :o) 

Lil Pea’s profile

Lil Pea’s Lil Toes

Lil Pea waving to the camera

And the one you’ve all been waiting for….!  Lil Pea’s girly parts. 

Yuppers!! 

We’re having a GIRL!!

We did get a facial shot, but she wiggled.  Her face is kind of scary, as it's got no fat on it yet.  Since she moved as the picture was being taken, she looks pretty skeletal.  I’m sure as she starts to pack on the pounds, she look even more human.  Her profile is pretty cute and she’s got a cute little nose.  She has all her little limbs and digits, from what we could see.  One hand was behind her head and we could get a clear shot of it.  All of her readings fell right within the normal ranges (heartbeat of 152) and she measures in the 70th percentile so far in all her bones and brain development.  She weighs in at about 11 ounces (and I still haven’t gained anything). 

We are going back to bi-weekly appointments again, which kind of bums me out.  These will just be checking up on my sugars and other nutritional levels.   Since we’re a high risk pregnancy, we get to see lots of our little Pea.  Our next ultrasound will be on December 15^th.  I’m so excited and the more I think about her being a little her, the more excited I become.  I’m sure many of you know, I really wanted a boy.  But I am being 100% honest when I say I’m totally thrilled we’re having a little girl.

I can’t wait, Lil Pea!!!!!!  20 more weeks (we hope) and we get to meet you!!!!!!!!!!! 

All moved in!!

Wow, what a busy weekend!  Okay, maybe it’s been more like a week…  Last Tuesday, Richard and I pretty much finished packing all the boxes.  Of course, when we were actually moving things out of the house I was amazed by how much we missed.  But I digress…

Wednesday was a major laundry day for me, so all we took were clean clothes.  Then, that evening, mom gave me some new maternity clothes that she wanted me to try on!  (LOVE HER!!)  Between our adventures Wednesday evening, we got a phone call from Dave (the guy who’s been our mortgage stuff).  He tells Richard that they’re missing a document from the closing attorney and that we might not be able to close on Thursday.  He tells us “maybe Friday, maybe next week.”  So we’re standing in our kitchen staring at our home in boxes, thinking about the help we had lined up for the weekend, and remembering his mother’s incoming flight on Wednesday.  I was worried about how on earth we were going to manage such a tight schedule if they changed closing until next week!?  Dave told us to go ahead and do the final walk through on Thursday morning and he’d let us know what he could work out. 

*pause for dramatic effect*  as Richard put it…

Thursday morning, we enthusiastically show up for the final walk through.  Within ten minutes of being at the house we got a phone call from Dave.  We’re a GO!!  Well, we’re a go as long as the notary shows up…  We get to the parking lot and the notary is there!!  Woot!!  Two and a half hours, several phone calls between the mortgage guy Dave and the closing attorney’s office, and two hand cramps later – we held the keys in our hands!!  Really, the closing wasn’t that bad.  We all joked around and it was very relaxed.  My closing with South George had been so formal, I kind of liked doing the way we did for this house. 

Thursday evening, Richard’s friend from work came out and helped load up our mattress and box spring (among other odds and ends).  Then we headed off to the new house.  We pulled the stuff from the cars and rushed off to Best Buy.  Why, say you.  Well, a few days back… last Tuesday, I think… Richard and I did a little appliance window shopping.  The new house does not have a functional washer and dryer, so we made plans to purchase a set once closing was done.  We’d also talked about a new fridge, since the one at the new house is TINY and has broken shelves.  Best Buy was having a sale: 15% off select washer and dryer pairs and 10% of any two kitchen items, 15% off any three kitchen items, or 20% off any four kitchen items.  We were able to combine the sale items to get a brand new washer and dryer set, a new refrigerator, a new glass top stove, a new dish washer, and a new over the stove microwave/vent for UNDER $3,000.  Holy crap, right!!  I know!!  They won't be top of the line, obviously.  But they're good pieces.  And, granted, we weren’t crazy about spending such a huge chunk of our savings right out of the gate, but to replace all of our appliances with ones that work and aren’t totally ghetto… We felt it was worth it.  Because of some sizing issues, however, we weren’t able to make the purchase Thursday night.  So after hours of running around, I just couldn’t take it anymore.  I demanded dinner and bedtime.  Lol!  I did get a foot massage that night.  :o) 

Friday, Mom and Diana were coming over to the new house to help me clean.  After a couple of phone calls and some discussion, it was decided that I’d meet them at South George to collect some boxes before heading over to the new house.  While Mom and I were loading things into the car, she mentioned that she, my sisters, and daddy had come up with a new plan.  They thought it would be super nice to get the whole house moved on Saturday and surprise Richard.  Since he was only able to get Sunday off, wouldn’t it be cool if we could just spend Sunday unpacking and enjoying our new home.  Awwwww, I have such a sweet family!!  Friday night, Richard and I met at Best Buy again – this time with the measurements and information we needed.  Our new appliances will be delivered and installed on November 1^st!!  While we’re at dinner that night, he tells me that he’s got a surprise for me.  He said one of the part timers at work was looking to pick up a Saturday shift, so he gave his away.  He’d be able to help move small boxes on Saturday.  Hahahaha!!  What luck!!  I filled him in on my family’s plan and we had a good laugh about the coincidence. 

So, Saturday arrives!!  We get up bright and early and head out to South George.  My dear friends, Bethany and Terri and Jere, were able to come out and help as well.  We had all of South George loaded up on my brother-in-law’s box truck in about an hour.  I ordered some pizza to be delivered at the new house and we caravanned off!  Everyone was just amazing and wonderful and sooooo helpful!!  I feel so blessed and humbled and grateful to have such amazing people in my life.  Moving, without being able to move things, was really stressful for me.  I felt completely useless and frustrated.  I did have one tiny little breakdown and had to go have a quick cry.  I blame the hormones.  Abe and Richard went up to the storage unit after lunch and gathered up the last of our things, while we stayed behind and cleaned up and unpacked some more of the kitchen.  When we finished everything up, we went to celebrate with some delicious Mexican from Casa Gonzales in Ranson. 

Yesterday was our first real day in our new house with all of our stuff around (though much of it still in boxes).  We lazed around a bit in the morning before getting started on some stuff in the downstairs living room.  After lunch, we decided it might be fun to do a little window shopping for office furniture and get out on such a beautiful day.  Well, window shopping didn’t turn out as we planned.  We ended up buying a desk with a hutch and a three shelf bookcase (oak finish) and three cherry finished book shelves for the downstairs living room.  Hahaha!  That’s our last purchase for the household, though.  The next few months the focus switches from home to Lil Pea and getting everything ready for his/her arrival. 

So, it’s been pretty damn busy.  I’m totally pooped!!  I’m at South George today (see my internet access!!) to clean and get things ready for Richard’s mom.  Tomorrow, the cable guy is coming out to the new house and set us up with TV and internet.   Then we have a few things to pick up for his mom and set up here.  Then Wednesday, she arrives.  Thursday, we’re taking her shopping for whatever odds and ends she needs.  Friday, I am sleeping all day long.  Lol!!  Seriously, I’m not changing out of my jammies.  I’m taking a well deserved day off and I can’t wait!! 

Oh!  One last thing before I get off my butt and start scrubbing.  Lil Pea.  I’ve been asked if I’ve felt anything yet.  I’ve been really hesitant to say yes or no… because I’m just not sure.  I’ve had some weird bubbly type feelings, but nothing strong or definitive.  Well, last night, we were lying in bed watching a movie when I felt what totally felt like a full on summersault in my gut.  It was the coolest feeling EVER. I’m pretty sure that was definitely Lil Pea…  I’ve never felt anything like that before.  I waited and waited for another feeling like it, but that was it.  I can’t wait to start feeling him/her more regularly!! 

Okay, that’s the update for now.  Guess I should get busy…  Hope all is well everywhere else!!   

A request from a mom-to-be to the moms-who-are…

Richard and I are really excited that we get to close on the house tomorrow!  Now that we’ve got the house situation under control, it’s finally time for me to start thinking about Lil Pea’s arrival and the things we want to have for him/her.  There are some things that we’ll need to replace in the new house (like a washer, dryer, and refrigerator), so we’re going to have to plan ahead and budget accordingly when it comes to baby items. 

I’ve started looking and I’m pretty overwhelmed with all the baby gear out there.  The reviews are helpful, but it’s still an awful lot to read.  I was reading about baby monitors for hours, lol!  Speaking of baby monitors… what I remember about monitors, they were glorified walkie talkies.  I had thought $30 to $40 bucks could buy us a nice baby monitor.  Boy was I wrong!!  They can be hundreds of dollars and include video and sound.  For real??  I mean, I want my baby to be safe and I want to know when he/she is crying.  Do I need video surveillance?  What on earth is Lil Pea going to be doing in there, cold fusion experiments?  Can’t I just go to the door and check on him/her?  Or, is this really a good idea and added protection against SIDS or something new that we just don’t know about?  Since this is our first child, we aren’t sure what we need or what’s the best.  What’s overkill and what could truly keep Lil Pea safer?

So, if you would be so kind as to share your knowledge and advice, I would like to know two things.  First, what was the object or item most used by you and your baby?  Your number one “go to” item.  Then, what is the one thing that you thought would be useful, but you or your baby hated it?  Or maybe it just wasn’t as useful as you thought it would be. 

I really appreciate any helpful advice or suggestions!!  I’ve found some lists of “Baby’s Needs” on sites like TheBump.com and BabyCenter, but they have not been as helpful as I’d hoped.  I know a lot of really wonderful moms out there, so I’m appealing to you for your advice and suggestions!