Spits & Giggles

Yesterday, Rob and I spent the day trying to get some things done around the house and in the yard. We needed to spray for bugs, so after Rob sprayed, we took off for the afternoon so that we wouldn't breathe in the chemicals all day. We went out for lunch, then frozen yogurt, then tried to think of something fun to do before we went home.

Despite it being almost 100 degrees, we decided to go to the zoo. It's fun to walk around, and we've been meaning to purchase a membership-- it will be a great place for me to get some exercise after the baby arrives and fun for him as he gets older.

We watched the kangaroos, fed the Lorikeets nectar & watched the sea lions swim. We decided to make our way over to the Children's Zoo, which has a bunch of water fountains and bubble machines for kids and a petting zoo. We dreamed about what it will be like to take Liam there. We pet the goats, the pigs, the miniature pony, and then we came across this guy:

The Llama.

Rob was fascinated with him. I was terrified. I can't imagine how a kid wouldn't be afraid of him. We stood there watching him for a long time before visiting the barnyard animals. Then we came back to look at the llama again.

There was a large family standing there watching him and the little girl was pretty close. Her mother said, "Back up! You better watch out-- They spit!" As she backed away, Rob made his move to get closer. He stood there, eye to eye with this six foot creature & several people giggled nervously.

And then...

PATOOEY!!
(Seriously, how else do you describe the sound of something spitting?!)

The llama spit right in his face in front of everyone.

I cannot tell you the last time I laughed so hard. Everytime I stopped laughing, I started again. I woke up at 2am, thought about it and started laughing again. That moment was well worth the $100 membership, so thank you, Birmingham Zoo. We'll be back again soon for more spits and giggles.

Jumping for G's

Since before we got pregnant, I knew that I wanted to use gDiapers. I love the idea of hybrid diapers that allow us to switch back and forth between cloth and disposable. And, even though I'm kind of doubting that we'll stick with cloth (I'm really intrigued & inspired by them but not sure I want to deal with the reality of them.) I like having options. So, the thing I love most about gDiapers inserts is that they are flushable. We're fully committed and stocked with Tiny G's and Small Gpants, with larger sizes on our registry for later.

Today, gDiapers introduced their latest "baby"-- biodegradable gWipes.

I immediately ordered a few cases-- thrilled to be jumping further on the gBandwagon. After a quick e-mail to customer support (who are awesome, I might add), I have learned that while these are advertised as "Biodegradable", they are not labeled as "Flushable." How a company can make an entire diaper that can be flushed, but not a wipe that goes with it baffles me a little bit. It's a little disappointing.

However, these wipes cost no more than a package of Huggies wipes at the grocery store, and they're better for the environment. I don't regret my purchase at all & I'm happy to give them a shot. But in the meantime, let's work on a flushable wipe, and keep the poop out of my kid's nursery and in the bathroom where it belongs.

Ok, G?

26 Weeks: 98 days!

We're into the double digits-- 98 days to go and lots to do!!

We started our "Preparing for Parenthood" class last night at the hospital where I will deliver--- it's four weeks of birthing, breastfeeding and infant care info. I think it will be good for us to get an overview of all of these things. I've done a lot of reading about our options and it's good for Rob to get a crash course before delivery day. We'll also take another breastfeeding class in July. With less than 100 days to go, it feels good to get stuff done!

This week, baby is the size of a burp cloth:

And looks like this:

Baking Baby Blakely

"Deep breath! Air sacks are developing in your baby's lungs, which means it just might be possible for your baby to take a breath at the end of this week. The air sacks (technically called alveoli) will continue to grow for the next nine years. The membrane that keeps the alveoli separate from the blood vessels is now thin enough to allow for that oxygen–carbon dioxide exchange we call breathing.

Other highlights this week:

The retina completes the development of its normal layers this week—all the better to see you with. Well not you, per se, because his eyes are still sealed shut and it's really dark in there, but your baby's eyes are now fully developed. Brainwaves for the auditory and visual systems are detectable in baby's noggin this week. That means baby's brain is registering things like sound and light. He can't understand what any of it means yet, but he's on track to comprehend an entire episode of Blue's Clues in no time!

As hearing continues to develop, your baby will start to recognize your voice. One hint that your karaoke rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" is not the best would be when the baby starts banging on your gut. Your bambino will also start to recognize your partner's voice. He may feel silly talking to your stomach, but assure him that somebody other than you is definitely listening. Research has shown that newborns actually recognize familiar sounds after birth. Proof that your baby has been paying attention all along.

Break out the sparkling apple juice—baby has now completed two-thirds of his stay in Hotel Womb. Your baby is about 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth (otherwise known as your primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months). "

26 Week Belly Pic

We had our 26 week appointment this morning and everything looked great! I'm measuring a little small (around 25 weeks) , but it's nothing to be concerned about. My doctor doesn't worry about the measurements being off unless you are measuring more than 3 weeks +/-.

I'm up one pound since my last appointment four weeks ago. I sneaked a peek at my chart this morning and saw that I have gained 1lb every appointment (I go every four weeks) since I graduated from seeing the RE and started seeing my OB. So, 4lbs up from my lowest point during this pregnancy, but still 2 lbs under my starting weight.

It feels good-- I can't say that I've been making healthy choices all of the time (Hello chicken nuggets for lunch yesterday!) but I am trying to drink tons of water, eat lots of fruit and swim twice a week. I've been terrified throughout my pregnancy that I would gain an obscene amount of weight-- I was concerned about what risks it could pose to me and the baby. But at this point, I really feel like it's time to relax about it. Do I wish I had been a healthier weight to begin with? Of course! But I can't change that-- Now is the time to focus on the healthy baby growing inside of me and do the best I can. Once Liam gets here, I'll make a plan to work towards the weight I wish I had been when we got pregnant. I don't have unreasonable goals-- I want to maintain my curvy figure at a healthy weight and I know I can do it.

Other updates: I'm not sleeping well at night. My back often hurts and even with a pregnancy pillow, I'm constantly switching from my right side to my left, then back again, trying to relieve whatever appendage is asleep, cramping, etc. The heartburn & acid reflux is killing me-- 3-4 doses of Tums a day. We're trying a 24hr over-the-counter pill & if that doesn't work, I'll move on to a prescription.

I had my glucose tolerance test today and I hate to be a baby about it, but the glucose drink was really gross-- it was like drinking a bottle of snow cone syrup. I've felt queasy and gross all day and I think that, like a hangover, I just need to sleep it off. I'll get the results in 3-4 days. Fingers crossed that I pass-- I feel sick just thinking about the three hour test.

Otherwise, I'm hanging in there!!

I have to apologize for being such a bad blogger-- I know that it gets boring when all someone does is post once a week about their pregnancy updates. I have things to say... actually, I have a lot of things to say, but it's going to have to wait a few more weeks. I only have two and half more weeks of work and then I will have more time to post and more to post about! So, thanks for tolerating my boring phase, friends.

In the meantime, look for another nursery update soon-- We decided to have my uncle help install the beadboard and it's almost done. I think it's going to look great! Will put up pictures as soon as I can.

25 Weeks!

The biggest news this week is that we've passed Viability Day! Every day that passes is a day closer to having a healthy baby. If Liam was born now, it would be a struggle, but his chances of survival are very good. They sky-rocket after 28 Weeks.

This week, baby is the size of a recorder:

And looks like this:

Baking Baby Blakey

"Get ready for pat-a-cake! Baby's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness of your uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that your baby can feel the sensation of touch. That doesn't mean he can feel it when his father pokes your stomach, however, so tell him to knock it off.

Other highlights include:

Your baby's arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short. So don't be alarmed when your newborn's arms barely clear his waist. Baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, clear out (like he's taken a super-dose of Sudafed) and he can practice breathing through the nose.

The structures of your baby's spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. Can you believe you're growing something that complicated inside of you?The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in your baby's body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. You'll see how well that worked out when your baby gives those lungs a workout while you're on line at the bank in a few months.

Your baby weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13½ inches long—roughly the length of one of those recorders you played in elementary school music class. Who's up for a round of "Hot Cross Buns?"

The 25 Week Belly Pic

Feeling good!

The Nursery: Progress

Disclaimer: It's mortifying to post some of these pics, but you won't know how far we've come, unless you see where we've been!

BEFORE

Here are pictures of the room that will be the nursery-- it has been my sewing room/craft room/junk room/room with the door always shut and it's only gotten worse over the past few months, because baby stuff has been added into the mess. The more stuff that we tossed into this room, the more overwhelmed I felt about tackling it. (Please know that the rest of our house, while messy at times, never looks this bad!!)

Wow. It's horrible, I know.

So now, the AFTER-- Cleaned, scrubbed, painted, swept, rearranged and so much better. We have quite a bit more to do, but we're on our way--and even though we had to give up the whole holiday weekend, it was worth it.

We went with a light sage-ish green paint-- soothing.

Don't let this pic fool you-- the room is tiny.

Big empty wall, waiting for the crib-- picking up next weekend!

A small round nightstand will sit to the right of the chair & ottoman (which need to be cleaned).

Still needs a fresh coat of paint, but stocked changing table! Bottles, Tiny Gdiapers, Small Gdiapers, 400 inserts and a breastpump. Will eventually replace the clear boxes with cute storage containers-- baskets or canvas boxes.

One of our favorite little touches.

To Do

So, there's a lot left to do, but the rest of it feels fun-- getting the room cleaned and painted was the overwhelming part. Here are our remaining projects:

We're picking up our crib next weekend & putting it together on Father's Day weekend.


I need to sew our crib bedding. I picked out this rocket fabric that I love and will make our crib skirt and crib bumpers out of it. Planning on making a quilt to throw over the chair and if I get really ambitious, I'll attempt a fitted sheet. Otherwise, we'll just use green or white crib sheets.


We plan to install beadboard around the bottom half of the walls-- my dad has agreed to help with this when they move here later this summer. The wainscoting will be tall-- 4 feet high on top of our 5" baseboards, so it will be tall enough to come up behind the crib. (This is taller than your standard chair rail, of course.)


We need to install plantation shutters on the windows-- these are more expensive than blinds, but no cords = no safety hazards.


Then we'll add some fun accessories-- We bought this rocket lamp recently.
I'd like to replace the massive fan with something sleek, like this:

Still hunting for some other things-- like a mirror over the changing table, something behind the crib (monogram or wall quote) and a book rack on the wall next to the glider... but it's coming along and my hope is that it will be the perfect blend of a cute cottage style room with a few modern twists!

I'll update as things come together!

Itty Bitty Pics

I love photographs of babies. So, when it came time to try to check some things off our Before Baby To Do List, finding a good newborn photographer was one of the top things on my list.

I am so psyched that we were able to book a session with Stephanie Fisher who specializes in newborn photography and schedules her sessions 6-10 days after birth. I think her shots are precious and timeless and I can't wait to have some amazing of pictures of Liam when he's this tiny!

(All pics copyright Stephanie Fisher.)

I can't wait to use one the photos from our session on our birth announcement that we picked out from tiny*prints.

So much to look forward to!

My Latest Obsession

I had a horrendous day at work today.

But, my latest obsession is cheering me up tonight. Last week in FL, I was introduced to Gymboree for the first time. I'm in love!! Their newborn collection is not huge, but the stuff they do have is so soft and sweet, I can't resist. After getting an e-mail about a Memorial Day Sale, I picked up another 3-6 month outfit for Liam, along with a 6-12 month outfit.

Later Gator reversible jacket, reversible pants & socks.

Little Peanut onesie, pants & bib:

The dangerous part? I spent enough money (both last week & this week) to earn Gymbucks where I get either $25 off a $50 purchase or $50 off a $100 purchase in July. The the bad news is that I'll probably use them, but the good news is that I'll save quite a bit on anything that we might need.

Just looking at these sweet clothes makes me so excited to meet the little boy who will be here in a few short months!