Another Baby Shower!

I have the greatest co-workers ever! Kristen, Amber, Jill and Allison threw Baby and me a Baby Shower on February 19 and it was so fun! We work in a great department of creative and generous women so I feel very lucky to have enjoyed such a sweet shower with everyone.

The shower was at Jill's house and the hostesses really went all out with the food and details. We managed to get a few pictures, but sadly we were having too much fun to remember to take one of of the hostesses! Oops ... I might still try to coerce them into snapping one at the office so we have some documentation.

I don't have pictures of it but the game we played was "Memory" where Kristen placed 25 baby items on a tray and we all got a minute or so to check everything out before having it put away and try our hand at remembering all that was on there. I blame pregnancy brain for only remembering 10 of the items! 

Onto the things we did get pictures of, here's the fun onesie decor on the mantel. All four of the hostesses have kiddos under the age of two, so I am in good company for helpful tips, advice and support for becoming a new mom.

Here is the gift table ...

The spread on the table was really great. Two vases (mason jars of course!) of flowers along with a diaper cake, Baby Hill sign and diaper basket. Laura (my boss) made the Baby Hill sign that functioned as a guest book. Everyone signed it with their well wishes and now we have some fun nursery decor and keepsake for Baby. And Allison made the lovely diaper cake that's in the center of the table. It will take me awhile before I'm willing to take it apart - for now it is cute as is in the nursery!

As for the basket of diapers, those were for everyone to sign with some "middle of the night advice" for me to read while changing those 3 a.m. diapers. My favorite message was "Tell Aaron it's his turn!"

 
And the food was over the top. Amber made this strawberry lemon truffle. Beautiful AND delicious!

And these ladies know me well because there was even Qdoba queso to enjoy! Queso has always been a weakness of mine and pregnancy hasn't decreased that. Kristen whipped up some "million dollar buns" and the punch was excellent too. 

Once I got home, I had fun setting everything out ... of course. 

Here are some close-ups. Love the bath toys, Pack n Play sheet, books, Taggies and box for special mementos.

Here's the signed sign, burp cloths, swaddle wraps and baby dishes.

More dishes, pacifier clip, diaper cake and books. Books were actually what everyone signed and gave as cards which is such a great idea! Baby will appreciate those so much more than a Baby card.

And finally, this homemade quilt from Mary will be great for lots of outings and playtime with Baby! 

It was a great way to conclude Baby's showers. Again, I work with such awesome ladies and am so appreciative of all the hostesses did to throw Baby and me such a special shower!

37 Weeks

37 weeks and Baby is fully cooked! By the looks of things, it looks like we'll have a healthy 10 pounder in there. But I reeeaallly hope Baby hangs more in the 7 to 8 pound range. Picture was taken February 22.

Baby's movement is becoming a little more ... shall we say, distracting? I still love feeling it, but with the space inside running out, those little movements are starting to cramp my style. As crazy as the feeling is, watching little Baby movements across my stomach is still even crazier. And even though Aaron has seen it before, until last night he had yet to witness the really BIG movements. As we were watching the Oscars, he finally saw the crazy "OMG your entire stomach just shifted" movements which was awesome. Noting the time of Baby's antics (about 10 or 10:30 p.m.), he sighed and said, "Oh no ... Baby is just like you getting way too much energy late at night." :) It is fair to say that Aaron is a "wind down as the day goes on" kind of guy while I have always found a second wind for vacuuming, dishes and house projects between the hours of 9:00 to 11:00 p.m.  Witnessing Baby's increased activity as the night went on, Aaron is now preparing himself for a couple of night owls in the house!

My other physical update worth noting is the beginning stages of swollen ankles and feet. It's nothing major, but as I've felt very fortunate to really not have any swelling to this point, it's another sign of the final stages. The little swelling happening now in February makes me even more grateful I'm not hitting this stage of pregnancy in the heat and humidity of July. Very excited for this Spring Baby!!

Oh, and it's worth noting (probably related to swollen ankles??), how ridiculously thirsty I get these days. Ice cold water is often the greatest thing in the world, particularly late at night and through the night. Each time I'm up to go to the bathroom at night I find great satisfaction in downing some cold water. Probably so Mother Nature can be sure I'm up again to go to the bathroom in another couple of hours. We wouldn't want to get too used to uninterrupted sleep this close to Baby's arrival! :) 

Baby is the size of a winter melon. Another comparison that doesn't really resonate with me, so I just translate it to - Baby is big! Baby weighs about 6.5 pounds, is about 19 inches long, and is considered full term.

Ooh, and how exciting according to the update below - Baby is making his/her first poop! Good thing we have lots of diapers awaiting Baby's arrival!

Weekly Appointments

We're into our weekly doctor appointments now so things are cruising along. There's not a lot to report from today's appointment other than a lot of basketball recaps between Aaron and Dangerfield, and then this funny little photo opp.

You can't read the sign in this picture, but you can see Aaron is holding my purse at the "weighing station" as I like to call it. Here's the close-up of the new sign added to that area.

Kind of funny ... funny enough to whip out my phone and take a picture anyway. What can I say - we're easily amused. Apparently Aaron isn't the only guy who gets stuck with a purse at these doctor appointments!

36 Weeks

36 Weeks! I've been saying we're in the home stretch for a while, but now we're reallly in the home stretch. People have started saying things like, "could be any time..." which is both exciting and crazy.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and even though Aaron spent the evening reffing and I spent the evening home in sweat pants, he was kind enough to send this beautiful bouquet to the office. Even Baby Hill and Millie contributed to this little gift. The card reads:

"Mom, We hope you have a great day and we love you so much! Baby Hill says he/she will see you soon. Will you be our Valentine? Love, Baby Hill, Mildred and Dad"

Sweet, huh? Thanks Aaron, Millie and Baby for sprucing up my desk and sending some love! To answer your question, YES, of course I'll be your Valentine ... all of yours.

Back to the Baby update, Baby is the size of a honeydew, according to my usual updates, but I kind of like the update I just saw on my iPad app that says Baby is the size of a bowling ball. Oh, how I believe it. The app also says that Baby's kicks feel more like a sliding motion and I would say that's an accurate description. It is also SO VISIBLE when Baby moves and I sometimes wonder while I'm sitting at my desk and someone is talking to me if they notice. No one has said anything, but I know if they paid a little bit of attention, they would see Baby making his/her moves all across my stomach.

Even though full term isn't technically considered reached until next week at 37 weeks, the nurse at Lamaze last weekend talked about how 35 weeks is pretty safe. And I certainly know other babies born long before 35 that are healthy and doing great. So it's really awesome to know we're "pretty much there" as far as Baby being OK to thrive in the real world. Now it's just a matter of when he/she decides to meet us. It's so crazy that it could be tomorrow or 6 weeks from now. That seems like an awfully long range of possibilities to try to anticipate. But I guess this won't be the first time Baby gives us a taste of surprises!

35 Weeks

Is this really what I look like? 35 weeks and I'm starting to shock myself with these weekly photos. I guess I don't typically see my profile other than these shots, and the bump is not as "in your face" when you're just looking head on in the mirror. 

So apparently this is the "large and in charge" phase of pregnancy. Not 18 weeks like my sad little self thought way back in October. And actually, as this week has progressed, I've gotten exponentially bigger. Everybody told me, "just wait until the last month...you grow so much more and at a faster rate," and I'm beginning to understand. My skin feels like it is begging for mercy, constantly tight and pulling. My ribs "sting" if I bend forward (I realize ribs don't actually have feeling, but let's not get too technical here). And I think getting in and out of my low-to-the-ground car is a sight for any onlooker. BUT! All that really means is that the end (or beginning!) is drawing near. And that makes it all worth it. These final weeks I'm trying to relish the last of pregnancy, the last of 'life as just a couple' and the last of spoiling Millie like she's the center of our world (which she is). But the expiration date of that is drawing near and I think she's starting to figure that out. She snuggles with me in my new nursery chair and I wonder if I'm going to be "cool" with that when Baby is here. We shall see...

Baby is the size of a coconut, rounding out my big ol' belly. We've been to a few more classes at Sanford now, all of them moving us closer to feeling as ready as we can be. We went to Lamaze February 8 and 9 which was helpful. A lot was redundant of the Labor and What to Expect class we went to in January, but it was still good. We got a more extensive and more informative tour of the family birth center which we both really appreciated. And having Aaron learn massage techniques and practice on my shoulders and arms while I was NOT in labor was not a terrible way to spend a Saturday morning.

We also recently attended the "Caring for a Newborn" class at Sanford and both learned a few things. Aaron was most excited to learn how to soothe Baby when he or she has gas since that is something  he is very empathetic towards! We also stumbled our way through our swaddling lesson (wow, we have some practicing to do) and Aaron changed his first diaper EVER on a doll. I guess teenage boys don't babysit like teenage girls do, so practice rounds haven't been a part of his life. Something tells me he'll figure it out though. And then he'll show me a thing or two about effective techniques. 

Nursery Progress

The nursery is starting to come together! My chair arrived last week so that finishes up the big pieces of furniture for the room. Still need a lamp and side table, but that's pretty secondary so I'm not panicking to get that in place in the next 5 minutes.

 

Regarding the chair, after much debate and research, I decided to order it from Bed, Bath and Beyond's new baby department. It rocks, swivels and even reclines so I'm confident/hopeful it will be a comfy place for Baby and me to clock lots of time together. Aaron might be allowed a sitting or two in it too.

You can also see the area rug added to the room in the above picture. We bought that at IKEA when we bought the dresser last November and it wasn't intended for the nursery at the time, but it's working out pretty well so far so I think it will stay. Once we know gender, maybe a more colorful rug will strike my eye, but for now this one (somewhat) disguises the fact that we painted gray in a room with tan carpeting.

Since both of those mentions are again in the gray category, here is some color to spruce things up. I got crafty with DIY again and whipped up a "no sew crib skirt" on Sunday while it was blizzarding. 

It was a little time-consuming but wasn't too bad to put together ... and with the snow coming down outside I was on house arrest anyway, so it was a good project to keep me occupied.

I once again thank the Internet for providing a nice little tutorial to guide the way. But even though I used "Heat n Bond" hem tape for the hems, thus eliminating a good portion of sewing, the "no sew" claim turned out to be false since I still had to sew together the front panel in order to get the chevron/zigzag pattern to fit and run horizontally. And I attached it all to the crib mattress frame with Velcro which I had to sew onto the fabric.

Regardless, it still wasn't bad. I think the hem tape stuff is my new BFF because it really is easy to use and keeps the edge feeling a little more sturdy (and straight)!

To walk through the DIY process, here's some cutting action to get this started.

And some ironing excitement. 

And here's some smiling while ironing action ... (clearly we were in the process of cleaning out some boxes from baby items). 

Here's the sewing on of the Velcro. 

Since Aaron was home I took advantage of getting more smiling/action shots. Plus I needed proof that I actually used my sewing machine!

Fastening the finished product to the crib challenged my ability to fit wrists and arms through the crib slats, but I eventually got the hang of it.  

So here is the room looking a little more fun for Baby. 

 

Note the changing pad cover and diaper genie have also been added to the room. And in the distance in both of the above pictures you can see a few toys/stuffed animals that Baby acquired at our recent baby shower. I'm realizing I probably won't have room for a bookshelf on the floor unless we use the inside of the closet, but I'd still like to find a way to display more of Baby's toys and books. Shelving over the dresser might be where we end up on that. 

There is still plenty to do in this room, but these baby steps make it feel like it's coming together!

Baby Shower!

On February 2, my dear friends Erin, Jeanine, Abby and Kris threw Bergill and me a really fun, sweet and beautiful baby shower!

The theme was "Milk and Cookies" and we had cookies of every kind (and in mass quantities) cookie fruit pizza, cookie cupcakes, Mimosas (for the guests; Bergill and I refrained) and then of course ... milk! The spread looked like it was plucked from a magazine. Everything coordinated and was beautifully displayed. My friends should do this professionally! 

 And we need close-ups too... 

 

Love these old fashioned bottles and the straws for the milk!

Even the banner over the fireplace had cookies in it!

After consuming our weekly quota of cookies the hostesses arranged for a little activity. Everyone filled out a card with wishes for Baby Hill and advice and tips for Mama Hill. We went around the room for everyone to share a little something from their card and, from serious to silly, it was great to hear everyone's wishes and advice! Advice ranged from, "sleep when Baby sleeps," and "go to Target sans Baby once in awhile" to "remember that even teenagers raise babies" and "remember to keep time with your girlfriends." Wishes for Baby Hill included things like:

• be happy and healthy
• be a good sleeper
• get mom and dad's teeth :)
• get mom's sense of humor :)
• have great friends
• love your parents

What great advice and wishes for Baby. We will treasure these forever!

Then it was time to open gifts. Bergill is already spoiled by so many special people! 

Grandma Ange surprised me by completing "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" quilt in time for Baby's arrival. This will accompany the book by Eric Carle and will be a favorite of Bergill's, I'm sure!

And I wasn't the only expectant mama there. Left to right is Erin Westby, due with Baby #3 on June 1; Mindy Christianson, due with Baby #1 on April 2; Jeanine Larson, due with Baby #2 on March 19; and me, due with Baby #1 on March 15!

 

Then it was time to pack up the car and get home to put away all of Baby's new treasures! 

And I was so in awe of everything that I had to set it all out at home and take a picture before putting it away. The putting away process was nesting at its finest.

I'm still completely overwhelmed and humbled by everyone's generosity. We are so blessed and appreciate everything from everyone! Thanks to all who made it to the shower and a very special thanks to Kris, Abby, Erin and Jeanine for planning such a special shower for us! I'll make sure Bergill mows your lawn or something when he or she is old enough.

Little Laundry

As Baby's arrival draws near, we did a little laundry to get us one step closer to ready. I've never had more fun folding laundry ... and I expect I never will again. Fun to see all the tiny little things Bergill has already collected. 

Washed in nothing but the best of Dreft of course, which I already had on hand because (and I warn you that this is random) all my life my dad has preached that any wound or infection can be healed by soaking it in Dreft laundry detergent. Since I haven't nursed an ingrown toenail in awhile, there is plenty on hand. It reminds me of the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and how the dad fixes everything with Windex. Dreft is our Windex I guess ... and it works.

Anyway ... Baby's clothes and blankets are gently cleaned in the good stuff. Now we just need Baby to arrive and start wearing them. (But Bergill - please wait about a month! Mama isn't quite 100% ready, but I promise I will be very soon!) 

34 Weeks

At 34 weeks, Baby is the size of a butternut squash which is fitting because I think "squash" is an accurate description for how most of my body feels these days. My newest ailment (and not that I want to complain but I DO want to document these things so I remember them someday...) is a squashed feeling under my right rib. It transitions from sometimes sharp pain, depending on what position I'm in, to actually feeling kind of numb which is weird. As usual ... it's nothing to worry about but is yet another, "yep, I'm pregnant" kind of feelings. And it should go without saying these days that my bladder also feels squashed. Duh ... 4 trips to the bathroom per night? Soon enough I'll be up that much for Baby feedings.

I'm cruising along in my pre-baby reading, trying to soak in the last of what I need to know for delivery while re-prioritizing for when Baby is actually here and, this just in, we have to take care of a human! From breast feeding to sleeping to bathing, there's a lot to study up on and while I know we will figure it all out in stride, I'm doing my best to be educated in advance. Kind of wish I'd started on these chapters months ago, but I guess I had other things on my mind at that time.