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84 Days to go -- yikes!

Last week was by far the best week of my pregnancy so far. While I didn't feel great most of the week, I felt more connected than ever to that tiny baby growing in there.

Allen was out of town a few nights last week, which gave me and the baby a few quiet nights alone. He's been really active lately and I've found ways to play with him. Just talking to him or gently poking at my stomach is enough to get him spinning and kicking like crazy. It's too funny to watch my stomach shifting and contorting out of control.

In other news we got an early shower gift this week from Allen's mom -- the glider and ottoman! I love it and now the nursery feels complete. I've already sat in there a couple times rocking and talking to the baby, though I can't wait to rock with him in my arms.

Today I am 28 weeks pregnant. I can't get over how fast this pregnancy is going by. My goal is to really enjoy these final weeks with Allen before we become a family of three. I know our lives are going to change so much soon. While that's a very welcome change, it's just been the two of us for the last 6 years and I'm going to miss that, too. Allen is an amazing husband, partner and friend and I'm so lucky to share my life with him.

Nursery sneak peek!

After a lot of work (thanks Allen!) the nursery is mostly finished. We still have a few bare walls to tackle, but it's really coming together. I can't believe how real everything seems now! We're going to have a baby in just 13 weeks!!! Here's a sneak peek of the nursery.


Check out our "art" I was able to frame pictures from a calendar and saved a ton of $

It says "I'm Yertle the Turtle, oh marvelous me. For I am ruler of all that I see"


This one says "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

Bragging for a moment

It's December 1 and 90-95 percent of my Christmas shopping is finished (and most of it's wrapped) and my house is decorated. I have never been THIS organized before. I'm feeling so proud of myself. Of course my main motivation is that we have so much else to do this month in getting ready for the baby, but just for this moment I want to revel in the fact that I'm ahead of the game on something. This is all :)

24 Week Survey (a week late)

How far along? 24 weeks
Total weight gain: 13 pounds (yikes)
Maternity clothes? Are amazing
Stretch marks? No, but I figure it's only a matter or time.
Sleep: Is already becoming a little difficult. I wake up a lot throughout the night, but I can usually go back to sleep
Best moment this week: Allen felt the baby kick!
Movement: The baby has been super active and strong!
Food cravings: breakfast food, especially blueberry pancakes, and hot chocolate
Food aversions: I am past food aversions, which is apparent by my weight gain
Gender: BOY!
Labor Signs: No and I'd like to keep it that way
Belly Button: half in and half out
What I miss: Red wine
What I am looking forward to: Finishing the nursery and nesting
Weekly Wisdom: Don't pay too much attention to the numbers on the scale :)
Milestones: 24 weeks is the viability point -- basically if I were to go into labor now the baby would have a real chance of making it. However, I hope he continues to cook for anothe 16 weeks.

Where I've been

Wow, the last 5 weeks have been crazy busy. Yea, yea -- I know -- that's no excuse for not blogging. So here's an update on what we've been up to lately. Warning: It's not all that exciting, but I promise to try harder in the future :)

The nursery:
In the last five weeks we've ordered and received the bedding. Long story short, we weren't able to get the rocket bedding after all. Allen found the cutest Dr. Seuss set, though, and we love it.

We also bought the furniture, which was in stock and is just waiting to be picked up. Allen painted the room, and on Tuesday we'll have carpet installed. I'll post more pictures next week when all the furniture, drapes and some decorations are in.

More baby plans:
In addition to making space for the baby, we've been focused on finding a day care and registering. First, let me just say I can't believe how expensive day care is. It's insane. We have found a few good options, but nothing in confirmed yet. Of course, every time I think of sending our little boy to day care I tear up. I know it will be harder on me than him. I just hate thinking about someone else taking care of my sweetie.

As for registering -- OMG -- it is so overwhelming. Registering before the wedding was fun because I knew what we needed/wanted, but this is totally different. There are so many things we apparently need and, on top of that, there are SO MANY choices. I'm happy to say, though, that after hours of research, reading Baby Bargains, and shopping with my friend Heather (mother of two) we are finished.

While the last five weeks have been crazy busy and at times overwhelming, they've been great. It's so exciting planning for our little one and knowing that we're getting that much closer to having him in our arms. We feel so blessed and grateful for all the blessings in our lives.

What's in a name?

I’ve received a lot of questions about the baby’s name, so here’s a (not so) quick update.

According to my baby name book, we have at least 60,000 name options for our little one. Realistically, we probably wouldn’t pick a name that wasn’t on the top 500 names list, but that still leaves us with 500 names to choose from. Surely Allen and I could find the perfect name for Baby Savat, right?

Naming the baby is certainly the most difficult decision of the entire process because we have such different tastes. Here’s our name criteria: must be a fairly traditional/normal name; cannot be gender neutral (Allen’s rule); cannot be wimpy sounding (again, Allen’s rule and totally subjective); cannot be too popular (top 10 names were ruled out for that) but shouldn’t be a totally never-heard-of name either; and must sound good with Allen (not only is it my husband’s name, but it’s also my dad and grandpa’s name)

So far we have three potential names. They are:

Tyler or Ty for short: This is probably Allen’s favorite. It’s a strong, solid name and it sounds great with Allen, but it’s pretty popular. I also have a hard time imagining calling a baby Ty. It’s currently #27 on the Social Security Administration’s baby name list (down 6 spots from last year) and means “tile maker”.

Evan: Several years ago, Allen and I were at one of those vacation souvenir stores going through name key chains and joking about baby names when Allen saw the name Evan. It’s been on our short list ever since. Evan means “God is good/gracious.” It’s currently #38 on the SSA list (up two spots). In my opinion, Evan goes with Allen the least of the three names, but we still like it so it stays on the list.

Leo: This is definitely the most unpopular choice on the list, but I really like it. First, it has that rare combination of being a traditional yet uncommon name. Second, it’s my favorite great grandpa’s name. Leo means “lion,” which I think is pretty cool. It’s currently #227 on the SSA list (up 11 spots).

So there you have it. That’s the three names on our list. We have been calling him a different name each day in hopes that one will stick. We may very well still be deciding the day he’s born.

You’re welcome to vote on the names, but since this is not a democracy I can’t promise we’ll do anything with the results :)

Rocket baby

We bought the baby bedding!!! Yes, this sentence is worthy of three exclamation points because of what we went through to get it. The first thing I began to shop for when we found out we were expecting was bedding. Allen found this rocket collection that he just loved (rockets are way better than trains because train engineers are not real engineers, according to Allen). Overtime, the collection grew on me, too. I love the colors and I began imagining ways to decorate the nursery with this theme.

So of course, they discountinued the line. Isn't that what always happens? Well for the last week, since I found out we are expecting a boy, I have searched high and low for a set. I found ONE set on ebay and purchased it last night at a great price. We're still hoping to find the matching lamp and mobile, but if we don't that's OK. Here it is!

Bump comparison

Wow! What a difference three weeks make. Here's my bump pic from 17 weeks and then this week at 20 weeks. I can't believe how much I've grown!

For our little monkey!

Dad and MaryLynn stopped by tonight to drop off a gift for Baby Savat -- his first BOY sleeper and a rattle :)

Let the shopping begin!!!

Daydreaming

Early on in the pregnancy I read that you should spend time each day thinking about the baby – the type of person you want him or her to become, the things you want him or her to achieve, etc. I tried – I really did. But for the life of me I just didn’t feel really connected to the baby. Beyond asking him or her what we should have for lunch or if we should go to bed, I had nothing.

That all changed the moment the ultrasound tech said we were having a boy. Instantly my mind started spinning. For the first time I could really visualize the baby and all the fun adventures that lie ahead for us. Here are just a few of the things I’m looking forward to:

-Having that special mother/son relationship
-Watching him wrestle with daddy
-Playing with Tonka trucks
-T-ball games
-Seeing the world through his adventurous mind
-The mother/son dance at his wedding
-Teaching him how to treat and respect women
-Daddy teaching him how to fix things around the house
-The special relationship he’ll have with my dad
-Taking him fishing
-Jokes about farts, boogers and burping :)
-Mother/son weekends with his fraternity
-Cuddling and getting to know the sweet side of my son

If you have, are expecting or hope to have a son, what are you looking forward to?

20 Week Pregnancy Survey!

How far along? 20W (HALF WAY!!!)
Total weight gain: 6 pounds
Maternity clothes? Absolutely
Stretch marks? No - Thank goodness!
Sleep: I have found my new best friend -- a body pillow.
Best moment this week: Finding out that we're having a baby BOY!
Movement: It's happening more frequently these days. I'm also feeling hiccups -- so adorable :)
Food cravings: nothing new except for pudding cups.
Food aversions: Nothing in particular. I'm happy to report I can eat chicken again
Gender: All boy! There was no doubt on the ultrasound.
Labor Signs: Oh god no.
Belly Button: in but getting closer to being flat?
What I miss: Red wine
What I am looking forward to: Shopping for the nursery and baby clothes
Weekly Wisdom: Only you can know what's right for you and your baby. And don't listen to everyone's horror stories about labor.
Milestones: Hitting the half way point!

We're having a BOY!

We had the big ultrasound today and there was no denying that Baby Savat is a BOY! We couldn't be more excited. Allen's going to have a little buddy and I'm going to have mommy's little man :)

Can you hear me now?

So, according to my weekly updates, the baby may be able to hear me now. That's a good thing because I've been talking to him/her for a few weeks now. We talk about all kinds of things like what we should have for lunch or what a goof ball daddy is being :) Yesterday, I had a dentist appt to get a filling. Apparently the baby was about as impressed with the drilling as I was because (s)he was kicking the entire time! It's so cool to feel that interaction with the baby.

A few old wives’ tales to ponder…

Two weeks from today we’ll have the big ultrasound. While I can honestly say I don’t care if we’re having a boy or a girl, I can’t wait to know one way or the other. I feel like the pregnancy will be even more real at this point and I think knowing will help me bond with the baby. Oh, and I'm ready to shop!

I posted a gender poll to the right. I’m curious to see what everyone thinks we’re having. From day one I said I was having a boy. But nearly every baby dream has been of baby girls. Since my intuition isn’t all that reliable, I’ve taken a few quizzes based on old wives’ tales. Don’t worry. I don’t believe these aren’t reliable, but they’re fun.

Here’s the run down:

According to the Chinese gender predictor, I’m having a girl.

According to the ring trick, I’m having a boy (it spins in circles, not side to side)

According to the wives tale survey I took, I have a 35 percent chance of having a boy and a 65 percent chance of having a girl. Here’s why:

*You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy.
*The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your pregnancy, so it's a girl.
*Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl.
*Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy.
*Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
*Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
*The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
*You didn't have morning sickness early in pregnancy, so it will be a boy.
*Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
*Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is an odd number, it will be a girl.
*Your urine is a bright neon yellow color, so you will have a boy.
*You are craving sweets, which means that it is a girl.
*Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
*You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.
*Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.
*You must have orange juice every day, so it's a girl.
*You are having headaches, so it's a boy.
*Your belly looks like a watermelon, so it's a girl.
*You show them the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.
*You use the handle, so it's a boy.

Houston, we have movement

The baby is making his or her presence known! It started out as a strange vibration feeling. I chalked it up as nothing ... all in my head. But still it was strange and I took note. Then on Saturday I went to get a massage. As I was laying on my stomach, totally relaxed and enjoying the massage, I felt a thud. It only happened once, but it definitely caught my attention. And then Monday night as I was trying to go to sleep I felt an undeniable fluttering sensation in my stomach. It was so awesome and lasted for a good minute. I cannot begin to put into words how special this feeling is. I love knowing our little monkey is in there moving around. I am in total awe of this little miracle who we already love so much!

In other news, only 26 days until the big gender ultrasound! I cannot wait!

Here's the 16 week update:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Now that you're here...

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A pregnancy survey

How far along? 16W, 1D
Total weight gain: 3.5 pounds
Maternity clothes? All maternity pants, but I’m still getting away with some regular tops. It won’t be long though, my stomach is getting bigger
Stretch marks? None.
Sleep: I wake up at least once every night to go to the bathroom or move around, but I’m still sleeping well because I fall back to sleep right away
Best moment this week: Feeling the baby move!
Movement: It started last week with a light vibration feel in my stomach. Then I felt a kick on Saturday and last night I felt some fluttering going on!
Food cravings: OJ, eggs, PBJ, pizza, deli sandwiches, ice cream and fruit.
Food aversions: I’m becoming a very picky eater – it’s terrible. The worst aversion is to meat, chicken in particular.
Gender: Still waiting to find out. The ultrasound is set for Oct. 21, but I might move it up because I’m feeling impatient.
Labor Signs: Oh god no.
Belly Button in or out? In, it looks kind of funny with the rest of my belly
What I miss: Red wine and medium rare tuna, yum!
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the gender and preparing for the baby!
Weekly Wisdom: Don’t compare yourself with other women. Every woman (and pregnancy for that matter) is different.
Milestones: Making it to 2nd tri and feeling the baby move!

A little freaked out right now

I've posted before about how I've been having crazy pregnancy dreams. Well this one takes the cake. Last night I had a dream about this girl, let's call her Sally, who I haven't talked to in a few months. The last time we talked we had some words and we were both pissed. Since we're not friends and have no regular contact, I assumed that would be it.

Well I had a dream last night that Sally e-mailed me about my pregnancy, but the e-mail was a little snarky. And guess what... I just got an email from her (less than 24 hours after the dream) congratulating me on my pregnancy and it was snarky. I don't care so much about what she said, but that I totally knew it was going to happen before it did. Is pregnancy making my psychic? LOL!