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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Life will never be the same again

So I kinda figured this is the last update I will be able to make before Baby W* makes his way into this world.  I'm at a total disbelief that this time next week I will hold a tiny little person that I helped create and grew inside my belly.  The most nerve-wrecking thing is knowing that I am responsible for shaping his life into one that is worthy of the world.
One of the biggest things I've learned during this pregnancy is how HUMAN my own parents are.  I think I've spent my whole life thinking they should live up to this superhero/human persona and offended at any mistake or wrongdoing they have committed raising me and my siblings, as if they should know better and do but ignore it and mess up on purpose - but in reality, they are human just like me.  Regular people doing their very best under the circumstances they've been presented and trying to give their children a better life than they had.  And it's helped me realize just how amazing my parents have been, regardless of any little screw up that - let's be real - nearing 27 years old, I really should take responsibility to fix if it's a flaw or issue that I live with.  Hopefully that makes sense.
I hope that I can be half the parent my parents were.  I hope I can remain calm when Baby W* climbs trees and falls and breaks a bone or five.  I hope I can teach him the same love for dogs that my mom taught me.  I hope I can teach him to be respectful and mind my manners the way my dad taught me.  I hope that when we have a tough year and can't afford family vacations, I can gather up his closest family or friends and take them on a tour around our city pretending to be tourists like we did when we were kids.  I hope that every now and then, when Baby W* and his siblings are bored, I get the urge to buy water guns and take them on drives letting them shoot water at pedestrians in good fun.  I hope if my kids someday stand on the roof of my house throwing water balloons at street traffic and someone stops and tells me to reprimand my children for being children, that I instead laugh at their innocent fun and enjoy the fact that my children are playing together.  I hope I can someday watch Baby W* help his younger siblings build cars out of boxes and put together a race and roll down hills to see whose car is the fastest.  I hope I never say "no" when he wants to go to the park or the library.  I hope that more than aiming to be Baby W*'s friend, I can become a great parent and an even greater example to shape his life in a positive manner.  I hope I can encourage him to follow his dreams, whatever they may be, without forcing my ideals on him.  I hope I can teach him to laugh and love and be happy.  I hope I can be a crazy mom and create crazy memories with him while he's young - the kind that I had that still bring smiles to my face when I think of them.  I hope I can teach him about perseverance, patience, kindness, honesty, bravery, humor, failure, success, love, happiness.. everything.  I hope I can teach him to love playing outside more than being locked in the house.  I hope I can teach him to get lost in books and his imagination.  Most of all, I hope that I instill the same kind of trust and respect I had in my parents to keep an open line of communication so he comes to me when he has problems, and listens to that little voice in the back of his head whenever he is faced with temptation to do bad things.

I can't wait to meet this little guy.  I can't wait to love him and hug him and kiss him and watch him grow, even if it means seeing myself age even faster.

I am so grateful to be given the opportunity to be a mom, I can't imagine having ever missed out on any part, good or bad, of the last 38 weeks I've lived.  I'm thankful for the people who have been there to help along the way.  Your support, love, and the genuine happiness you've shared with me has meant the world.


I will be heading to the hospital on Tuesday the 21st at 5:30 AM for a scheduled delivery at 7:30 AM @ St. Mary's in Reno - that is, unless he decides to come sooner.  I don't plan on updating facebook, and LAW has been asked not to, either.  I really want the first few days to be about US.  About the new little person in our lives, and about our new little family.  I want to give our families the opportunity to meet their grandson/nephew/cousin before social media does.  I will make sure LAW gives a quick update to let everyone know everyone is okay on our end, but other than that, I will treasure the first moments of being a mom with the persons who allowed me to have that title.  That is the plan for next week.



The only other thing I wanted to update everyone on was a little project that has been getting worked on for the last few months and is finally finished... and SOMEONE other than me has been very excited about showing it off and sad that I have yet to post pictures of it anywhere... so here is what we did with the nursery... ;)


But first!  Here's the latest belly bump picture:
38 week belly bump!

Now for the reveal!!!





The before... if anyone remembers this, I called it the Easter Bunny vomit room:

and one short painting job later, it already looked 592831x better..
no more pastel pinks or yellows or greens. yowza!

then there were boxes.. lots and lots of boxes...

one of them had a really pretty crib inside of it

LAW was kind enough to put it together..

I couldn't wait for the crib bedding to be delivered!


and from there, we got to here:

LAW and I compromised on the light.. I wanted a chandelier, he wanted a more manly light.. we ended up with a mix from IKEA!

The tub and snuggabunny bouncer won't stay in the room for long, but it works for now. haha. 

We also realized we needed books for his bookshelf.. and off to a bookstore we went yesterday.  Found some classics, still needing others, but it's a good start to Baby W*'s collection!

Nursing/Reading corner, including a Daddy & Me watercolor I made for LAW and Baby W*

LAW picked this quote for his painting

So obsessed with his crib & bedding.


My "Mommy & Me" watercolor and one of just Baby W* with a flower, of course, because that represents mommy.

Airplanes for daddy.. speaking of him.. didn't he do such an AMAZING job tying those curtains? hahaha

Thank goodness for a savvy mom who finds the coolest stuff at garage sales!  She gave the bookends to LAW but I've since passed them on to Baby W*'s room ;)

I'm really anti-rug, but I thought this was worth adding.. thanks to my awesome friend MM for encouraging the purchase. haha


Not bad for a DIY nursery! and of course, the first drawing visible is our little elephant family!


Hope you liked it as much as I do :)

Until next time, with Baby in tow!



Due Date: He will be here on or before May 21st!

How far along? 38w2d

Symptoms: insomnia, go away PUHLEEZE. I only have a few days left... increasing BH, returning nausea, heartburn, Baby W* moving around.. etc.

This week, Baby is the size of: a pumpkin!

Total weight gain: +31

Gender: 'ello, Boy!

Food cravings: cheeeese.. but it's not a pregnancy thing. haha

Anything making you queasy or sick: everything in general gives me heartburn

Maternity clothes? yupppp

Sleep: I miss it so much =/

Movement: yup!  Enjoying it while it lasts :(

Stretch marks? a few!


Wedding rings on or off? off :(

Swelling? Shrek feet and hands!

Belly Button in or out? in

Labor Signs: I don't think so.

Happy or Moody most of the time: hormonal.

Best moment this week: finishing Baby W*'s nursery

What I miss: small(er) boobs. hahaha.

Looking forward to: meeting Baby W*!!!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

May Baby

So last week was a bit stressful and I didn't really feel like updating until I knew how this week would go.  I went in for an appointment and we ended up having to do an ultrasound because I was measuring too small.  Doc said everything looked "okay" but if I measured small again this week, they'd have to do tests and stuff.  He was worried about me leaking amniotic fluid, in which case, Baby W* would've had to come out even sooner!  I measured perfectly this week, though, so hopefully it'll be smooth sailing these last two weeks.
I say two weeks, but really I'm hoping for Baby W* to be early (any time starting this weekend would be fab, so if you could please get on that...)

Because I don't know what I'm doing and I'm a procrastinator, I just barely went and met with two different pediatricians this last week.  One on Thursday, and LAW got to go, and another one yesterday, where I had to go by my lonesome.  One has a subspecialty and was head of a huge research program for a number of years, but there's some bad reviews on Google.  Still, we liked him well enough.  The other has partners that came highly recommended but they aren't taking new patients.  One of our friends takes her son to him, though, and she really likes him.  No subspecialties, though.  LAW said that from the way I described the second doctor, I may be more inclined to go to the first one, which I think may be accurate. haha.  so we'll see who I write down when the moment comes!
LAW had to go to TX for the night yesterday, and said I was not allowed to go into labor while he was gone.  I guess Baby W* agreed!

Nothing has really gone on with my body that would suggest an earlier arrival, though I keep looking for hints or changes that clue me in.  It's alright, though.  It gives us time to finish preparing for his arrival.  Speaking of which, his room is almost complete.  I can't wait until it's totally done so I can post pictures, but it's looking pretty awesome.  I'm really proud of myself =] I get to pick up the last three elephant drawings I had framed at Michael's and then we'll hang those up along with the shelves I need to mount the monitor and decorations along with the humidifier and then we will be good to go!
My mom gets here next Wednesday, too.  That can only mean one thing: AMAZING FOOD... :D
I haven't really been cooking much lately.  Or deep cleaning, for that matter.  It's hard to feel motivated when my joints feel like they're 30x bigger than they normally are.  I do get random spurs of things I *have* to get done that minute, like washing all of the pacies and bottles this morning, for instance, or the day I took out all of the Britax equipment and put it together (and I haaaaate putting together things like that). But for the most part, I just want to lay in bed and keep my feet and hands elevated. haha.  Braxton Hicks don't help in the matter, either.  I don't even feel guilty, though.  I know rest is going to be extremely limited soon, so I'm doing my best to enjoy it while I still can. Plus, the furbabies are enjoying the extra cuddle days they've been getting these last few weeks.

I had a lady come by yesterday, too, to check out a few props I have for a newborn photoshoot she'll be doing for us when Baby W* arrives.  She asked way too many questions about my delivery method choice and I wanted to be rude but I was polite and nice instead.  People are way too nosy for their own good.  Even my mama bear has been running into people who know me and questioned on all sorts of aspects of my life. Ridiculous. hahaha.

Anyway, that's all for today.  I hope everyone is having an amazing month of May. Don't forget that Mother's Day is coming up, so spoil your moms rotten this weekend! xox



mid-week 35

mid-week 36

I'll add week 37 later ;)





Due Date: He will be here on or before May 21st!

How far along? 37w2d

Symptoms: random nesting spurs, swollen joints/extremities, some nausea is back, movements, heartburn, you know.. the standard.

This week, Baby is the size of: apparently, a winter melon. 

Total weight gain: +30

Gender: 'ello, Boy!

Food cravings: I craved adding bananas to my milkshakes and granola/yogurt breakfasts.. I hate bananas, so I think it's more of a potassium thing.

Anything making you queasy or sick: nothing specifically, just suffering from bad heartburn no matter what I eat.

Maternity clothes? yupppp

Sleep: I miss it so much =/

Movement: moving as I type this =]

Stretch marks? hey I finally saw some the other day!  but they are not as bad as I thought they'd be.  they're on my lower abdomen.  It's cool, I earned those stripes ;]

Wedding rings on or off? off :(

Swelling? Shrek feet and hands!

Belly Button in or out? in

Labor Signs: nope!

Happy or Moody most of the time: hormonal.

Best moment this week: the room actually looks like it's coming together.

What I miss: energy

Looking forward to: my mom coming here next week! and hopefully Baby W* being here sooner rather than later!