I Won!!!

I am so excited!!! I finally won something... and it's an excellent prize! Rockabye Baby had a contest on their blog and I entered thinking there was no chance I'd win. But, this morning I received a Congratulations email! I am getting the new Beatles album and three others of my choice. I chose Nine Inch Nails, Rolling Stones and Metallica (for Kevin). We already have the Pixies (thanks to my Mom) and I really love it. These albums are fabulous! You must check them out. Here's just a small list of what they have:

Smashing Pumpkins

Queen

Radiohead

The Ramones

The Eagles

Nirvana

No Doubt

Pink Floyd

Bjork

AC/DC

And, they are always adding new stuff.

Thanks for choosing me for this fabulous gift package, Rockaby Baby!!!

Bowling when almost 6 mo. pregnant???

Not such a good idea after all!

Wednesday we had our company quarterly meeting at work and afterward we all went bowling. I knew it wouldn't be a good idea for me to bowl 'regularly' so I decided to bowl 'granny style'. Turns out, that probably wasn't the best idea, either. Squatting and tossing an 8 pound ball over and over again put a little stress on my growing uterus! I have been cramping since Thursday morning... called a nurse yesterday after leaving work early and went to see the doctor this morning. Baby girl is fine and all my symptoms sound normal (to everyone that would listen to me explain!).

So, lesson learned: no bowling when pregnant!

23 Weeks!

Yesterday marked the 23rd week of my pregnancy. Only about 17 weeks left!!! We still have lots to do, too. Gotta get a crib and changing table, need to have the chaise re-upholstered and we need to get new flooring on the first floor.

Baby girl now has a well developed sense of movement. She weighs over a pound and can hear almost everything now... Bailey barking, Mom & Dad talking, the vacuum, etc.


A week from today I begin my AquaMoms class (prenatal water aerobics). I am looking forward to it! It will be every Tuesday night for 12 weeks... taking me through to the end of August. Perfect timing with my pregnancy and the summer months. Right now, we are gearing up for my brother's wedding (next weekend). I am a bridesmaid so getting a dress was a little bit tricky. We found one that matches the color and neckline of the other girls dresses and I got it a size too big for me at the time. It almost fits perfectly now... just need to get the shoulder straps taken in a bit. I am looking forward to the wedding, seeing my brother and sister-in-law and getting to spend another couple days at the beach!

Strawberries and the Beach

Saturday morning, Kevin and I went to pick strawberries with my neices and nephew. We had a lot of fun!

Then, we headed to Atlantic Beach for the Memorial Day weekend. The weather was perfect and we spent the majority of the day Sunday on the beach. Well, since I am almost 6 months pregnant, I can't lay on my stomach anymore. In fact, it has been months since I have been able to! My wonderful husband had a fantastic idea and dug a "belly hole" for me in the sand...

It was perfect!!!!

Unfortunatley, I burn very easily these days so I didn't get to lay on my stomach for very long. It was wonderful while it lasted, though!!!

Belly pic!

18 weeks compared to 22 weeks... I think there's a baby in there!

Birth Plan?

So, I keep hearing things about a "birth plan". Apparently, some women write out a lengthy plan describing everything from music they want playing during their labor to what they want to eat after they give birth! While I am a planner... for some reason, this is different to me. I understand that this is something very hard to "plan" as you really have no idea what will happen. So, I think I will just make a list... a nice, short, bulleted list of the top 6 or 8 most important things to Kevin and I when we enter that hospital.

To start... one of the most important things for me is medication. I have always felt very strongly about unnecessary medications. I have never been one to grab a bottle of Tylenol at the first sign of a headache. So, why should my childbirth be any different? I find it amazing when I get a crazy look after I tell someone that I want to avoid pain medication (for various, multiple reasons). Everyone is completely different so if an epidural is right for one person, why should it be right for someone else? (and NO, one of my reasons is not because I am afraid of needles!!!). It seems to me a much better reaction to such news would be praise and encouragement. I know it is not going to be easy... I know I will probably scream for drugs at some point... however, I really want my doctor and my husband to stand behind my decision and help me get through it without medicine (if at all possible). I also know that something could go wrong and/or that I might seriously underestimate my high pain threshold!

So, until the time comes, I won't be able to make a final decision. But right now, my decision is to avoid any unnecessary medications.

22 Weeks!

Today I am 22 weeks pregnant. People keep telling me that time will creep by when I am pregnant, but Kevin and I both feel that it is flying by! Perhaps that will change when I am, say, 32 weeks pregnant, but right now I am shocked when each Monday rolls around and I am another week pregnant!

Baby girl is getting bigger (as to be expected). It's estimated that she is now 11 inches long (almost a entire foot) and weighs close to a pound. I can tell she weighing more, not only because her kicks, punches and rolls are way more noticeable, but also because I am starting to have lower back pain. She is now developing tiny tooth buds under her gums and now has fully formed eyes (even though they still lack pigment). While her organs are finishing up developing, I guess she now just has to work on getting some fat on her! Here's her size comparison picture for the week:
Kevin and I had a nice weekend. We looked into flooring options (I think we'll go with Pergo) and spoke with a rep at Home Depot and Lowes about their installation details. Now, we just have to make a decision and schedule a home visit for the quote. I can't wait to have this done! We also finished painting the toy chest (white) and now I need to paint the stencils on it to match the bedding in the nursery. Yesterday we spent some time at Jill's for Ross' 6th birthday. I can't believe he is SIX! The first time I met him was at his 1st birthday party. :) It was a nice weekend, despite all the rain.

Baby! Baby! Expo

When I find a baby/children expo in our area, I get really excited. There just doesn't seem to be many around here! In March, mom and I went to Wilmington for the Cape Fear Baby Expo.... and I just found another one coming this August: the Baby! Baby! Expo in Greensboro.

These shows are a lot of fun and a great way to learn about new products. At the Cape Fear Expo, mom and I learned a lot about cloth diapers and now I am planning on trying them with our baby girl. You also usually get lots of handouts and freebies, so that's incentive to go, too.

Here's some info. on the Baby! Baby! Expo:

August 23, 2009; 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Tickets: $5 or a donation to the Mother Baby Foundation of a package of diapers or gently used infant/children's clothing.

Embassy Suites Hotel 204 Centreport Drive Greensboro, NC 27409

TriadMommies.com presents Baby!Baby! which is sure to be THE event for new and expecting parents in the Triad area. Join us for a day of education as we support The Mother Baby Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide a comprehensive prenatal and postpartum support network for babies and their families. In addition to exhibits, the event will also feature goody bags for the first 200 families, educational workshops, a fashion show, and a chance to win raffle prizes.

Hope to see you there!

21 weeks!

So, we know that baby girl Thomas weighs at least 14 ounces (from our 20 week checkup). She should now also be at least 10 1/2 inches long. Wow... almost a pound and almost a foot long! I can certainly feel her moving more. Instead of tiny little 'thumps', it's harder kicks and punches now! If I lay or sit still, you can actually SEE the big kicks, too!!!
We had a great weekend and a great Mother's Day yesterday. Saturday we were busy finally finishing all the painting in the nursery. It looks fantastic! Then, we started painting an old toy chest that we have. It will be white and I plan to add stencils and paint the nursery design on it. It will be adorable! After cleaning around the house for a couple hours, my parents came over and we grilled out. It was a fabulous dinner: prime rib steaks, sweet cooked carrots, baked beans, Cesar salad and home made crab dip!

Sunday we slept in a little... Kevin went out and got me donuts for breakfast and surprised me with a sweet card (he said I actually have a gift on the way, too!)... then, we ran some errands. That afternoon we headed down to Broadway for dinner with Kevin's parents. We went to La Dolce Vita (the BEST pizza and salads ever!) and then to Yarborough's for ice cream. I was stuffed and today I think my belly has gotten bigger overnight!

20 wk Belly Pics!

It has been requested (Amy) that I add another belly pic. So, here it is in all it's glory!

And, here's a cute pic from yesterday while I was waiting for the doctor.

20 week ultrasound!

Here's our 20 week ultrasound... It's still a girl!!!

Fun Thursday!

What a great day! I had my 20 week check up this afternoon and my doctor said Baby girl Thomas looks beautiful. She is 14 ounces and everything is measuring perfectly. Every ultrasound I have had, she is facing out... so no cool profile pictures.

I know this looks like it could be a profile, but it's not! You can see her ribs really well and her spine, though.

And this is her beautiful face... looking right at you! (the dark 'round' spots are her eye sockets.)

So, after all that good news, I met Erin downtown Apex for National Mom's Night Out. I am so glad we went! We had fun (and I am exhausted!). We met a lot of local moms, had lots of cookies and snacks, got free manicures and lots of little free handouts, too. Here's a picture of Erin and I with Krista (the owner of GreenPea Nursery)...

This her adorable shop (one of the four rooms!).

National Mom's Nite Out

This Thursday night is National Mom's Nite Out! There will be events across the country and one of the best will be right here in downtown Apex. Sponsored by GreenPea Nursery (a fabulous retailer) and Go Mom! this event will feature loads of local store & restaurant discounts and even some giveaways. To find out more, visit the Facebook invite.

I hope to see you there!

20 Weeks!

I am halfway through my pregnancy! Baby girl Thomas is getting big, too. It's estimated that she now weighs 10 or more ounces. Up until this point, her length has been measured from head to rump because her legs have been curled up tight. But now, she will be measured from head to heel... she is probably about 10 inches from head to heel!

I am feeling great! We had a busy weekend... Kevin was home most of the time finishing a project for school (Spring semester is almost over!) and I spent time with some girlfriends. Yesterday, we started painting the wood trim and doors in the nursery. It's amazing how much "cleaner" it looks in there now! All that's left is the baseboards. I ordered the adorable window valances last week so those should be coming soon. I can't wait to get them up!

My next doctor's appointment is this Thursday. I will probably get another ultrasound since it's my 20 week check up. I am so anxious to see what my baby girl looks like now! She is still just as active as always. It will be interesting when she is kicking and punching hard enough to keep me awake at night.