Week 34

Ok, so this is going to be another 'random' post. I guess I don't have any major updates, other than the inner ramblings of my mind. However, I do have another doctors appointment tomorrow, so perhaps I will have another update. Although, I suspect that I am going to get another 'pat on the back', and told that I am measuring just right, baby's heart sounds good, and that will be about it. I have already been told that I am not getting another ultrasound, so I don't suspect that I will be getting a lot more 'Eli updates'. Unfortunately.

So...I have 6 weeks to go! So close, yet so far away. I have been thinking lately, how far away it truly sounds, and I think I have figured out why. I am officially in the home stretch, so everything is 'technically' close to the end. However, to be so close to the end and still have 6 weeks just doesn't seem to make since, you know? Of course, this is all assuming that he comes on time, but no one knows at this point.

Pregnancy updates? I have a few for you. My belly has continued to expand, and I am loving it. :) It is the 'officialness of pregnancy'. My belly button has still yet to 'pop', although Keith is anxiously waiting for that to happen so he can follow it up with a big fat 'I told you so!'. I need to snap a photo of it, just so you can see how impressive it is that it has hung in there for so long. Again,....'worlds deepest belly button', right here.

'Official baby brain': Yes, this is the one where you feel stupid, and I do feel stupid. I will be having conversations with people when I realize that I am either speaking 100 mph or without any logic behind my rant. I constantly search for vocabulary words that I once knew, and then end up going with something from a third grade level. I will even go so far as to stop myself mid conversation (possibly explain my situation to the person I am speaking with), and start over. Unfortunately, I have been told that this never gets better. I guess that a former more intelligent Leigh will forever be trapped in this blabbering/nonsensical body.

'Nesting": Yes, I think I am into my nesting phase. And for those of you that don't know what that feels like....imagine taking Ritalin. Yep! You find yourself completing tasks that might formally have taken a back burner. You surprise yourself as you power through chores that suddenly seem so important to complete. The most mundane task for Eli's room suddenly becomes the most important thing for me in a day. Don't ask me...

'Cravings': They are back! I was told they go away after the first trimester, and they did. However, no one mentioned them coming back. They are not really motivated by hunger as much as just random stuff that 'suddenly sounds good'. A lot of times it is stuff that I see on TV and then becomes irresistible. Today I successfully went to the grocery store for Twinkies and clementines, and decided to add on some last minute tamales and cheese/crackers to my list. I should probably apologize to my stomach and Eli now, as I did manage to eat one of everything that I bought for lunch.

Oh....and one last thing! I can't believe that I almost forgot this. The nursery! It is complete, yay! My mom finished the bedding and curtains, and the room is put together. Since the last pictures, we hung all the artwork and shelves. Additionally, we added a few other little touches. Here are the pictures!

3rd Trimester!

I know, I know...I am behind! I actually have two blog posts that I have been needing to post. One is called 'The Babymoon" and the one is "A working girl's guide to pregnancy'. Naturally, one of them is about our trip to San Francisco/Carmel. The other post is pretty much about all of the things that I have encountered in the work world that has been interesting and funny.

However, I can't let either of those derail me from the all important 'THIRD

TRIMESTER"....absolutely it deserves to be in all caps. At least, that is how those two words look inside my brain. Actually, go ahead and enlarge them about 50 times and give them a spinning motion, and you will get the idea. I just can't believe it is here. Where did the time go!?! I kept talking about how slow pregnancy was moving, now it doesn't seem to be moving slow enough. I have a few conclusions that have come to me in the last few days regarding this time period.

A) I feel like I just got pregnant! Ok, I know that is not possible...nor is that how it 'went down'. But, I suppose since I just started to show a belly between 23-25 weeks, it just started getting real. Also, Keith and I are now registered and awaiting our first baby shower. I suppose 'reality' just kicked in the last few weeks...so naturally it feels like the pregnancy did too.

B) I am so thankful to have friends that are going through this at the same time! For those of you that do not know, I have quite a few friends that are pregnant, or have been during the time of my pregnancy. Not only is this the case, but I have managed to get sandwiched into the mass of ladies with my February due date. So, that means that I have a nice group of girl friends that are preceding me with advice, and a nice group of ladies that will be behind me to impart my wisdom on (yeah, right...haha). Regardless, I don't feel 'alone', and when I start to get scared, I just think about all of my wonderful friends that I am in this with (well, kind of).

C) I think having a boy will be the best thing for Keith and I. This is not to say 'they are better', but I just think Eli is best for us, right now. It excites me to see how excited Keith is to be a dad to Eli. In addition to this, I think he has more confidence in himself, which has given me more confidence. I know it sounds crazy, and we would be just as great with a little girl. However, I think the Eli has given us a little bit of a safety net.

D) I suddenly feel like I am back in college. Ok, not really at all..... because there is no similarity. However! I had an internship in between my junior and senior year of school. I had a very official corporate marketing position, to which I worked 8 to 5 day in and day out. Well, despite how much fun I had during my internship, it taught me to appreciate my life as a student. So, when I returned to school in the fall, I took advantage of every fun event, every afternoon nap, and college party that I could enjoy before I had to 'grow up'. So, I feel like this last trimester is my senior year. I have a few more weeks to enjoy sleeping in, have some personal time with Keith, and get prepared 'to grow up'.

Well, I think that is is for my 'epiphany's' for now. So, I will leave you with a few more updates.

Nursery: All of the nursery artwork is completed! Also, we got a great shelf that matches the rest of our furniture. It looks great, and is a perfect home for monkeys, books, and toys. I put in a pictures, but just know it is only a 'mock up'. I will take official pictures when it is all said and done.

Also, Keith and I ordered our glider the other day (like the picture with no cording). We were told it can take between 6-12 weeks...so we are hoping it will be close to 6, than 12.

Belly: Yes, it is still there! I still can't get over where it came from?? I look at 23 week pictures, and no belly. Then I look at 25 week pictures, and belly! I think I picked it up in California, because I know that I didn't have one when I went their. I can actually still remember the moment when I saw it for the first time. Keith and I were in our Carmel bed and breakfast when I caught my profile in the mirror. I took a moment and realized "holy crap, where did this come from!"

Big things to come: I take my gestational diabetes test tomorrow (11/24), which I am very nervous about. Also, our big 3D/4D ultrasound is this weekend! So, we will get our first peak at baby Eli!

Here it is at week 27:

25 Weeks (updates and lots of pictures)

Hey hey! I feel like it has been forever since I posted a blog, sorry. I am sure most of you know that Keith and I went on our official 'Baby Moon' last week to San Francisco and Carmel. In addition to the baby moon, it was a birthday celebration of my big 2-9. Don't worry, the next blog post I publish will have details and pictures from our trip. But, I can say that it was really wonderful! This post is really to play catch up with everything we have had going on.

Movements:

Eli is in full swing right now, literally. I am going to assume that he has set up some swing apparatus in my belly and practices his Cirque Du Soleil around the clock. Ok, well, not 'seriously', but he is moving all the time. I hear that they are most 'active' during this time because they have the most room to move around (due to the expanded uterus), not to mention we have the ability to now feel all of those movements. However, in a few more weeks it is going to start becoming a little cramped and less roomy for him to practice his karate in.

Like usual, I feel him mostly when I am laying down or a little bit more spread out. I don't know why, but when I am sitting upright it is a little more difficult to feel him. However, that certainly isn't the case all of the time.

Every single time he moves it makes me happy. I usually smile or just take a moment to appreciate the 'action'. The only shame in the situation, is there is no way possible to 'capture' the feeling. You can't take a picture, video tape, or DVR the moment...you know? Wouldn't that be great if we had a permanent DVR/TiVo that we could record and replay some of our favorite moments? This would certainly be one of them. Not to mention, it is pretty difficult to describe, as well. I suppose down the road when I am trying my hardest to remember the feeling, I will just have to imagine my stomach or bladder growing legs and moving around.

The Nursery:

Things are really starting to pick up on the nursery front, yay!! My mom is all ready to go on the bedding, and all of the fabrics have been picked out. I think she is going to get started soon, and we will have pictures posted shortly after that. There still isn't a huge rush, as she has a few more months to be on the safe side. But, I am really excited, and can't wait to show everyone the finished product!

Also, before we left for California I had got started on some artwork for Eli's room, and just finished it last night. I had designed some pieces that went with the bedding and 'offical monkey' theme of his room. If you didn't know, I have been collecting monkeys for years, and have more than an ample amount to decorate a room (or a castle). Here are the pictures of what I have done, and keep in mind that I still am working on three pieces that will spell out his name to go over the crib. I also went ahead and threw in a few more photos for you. One of them is a great shelf that we got from my mom, and Keith painted to match the color scheme. There is also a picture included of a cute little sock monkey jack-in-the-box we picked up (too freaking cute, and matches perfectly!)

And...one more visual treat, of my monkeys....can you tell what is strange in the picture? It is like the scene out of E.T., is it not? And yes, this is how I found her one night when I couldn't find her around the house.

The Belly, or should I say 'Whoa Nelly'?!?

I have no clue what happened! Seriously, I must have 'popped'! Check out the 'Pregnant Ladybug' pictures, and I was 23 weeks, and suddenly in 2 weeks Eli has made himself known! I could tell in Cali that I was starting to have a more pronounced 'shape', but not like this...geez! I am still getting used to the idea, ha ha. Also, my belly button (World Record holder for deepest belly button in the continental United States), has still maintained it's depth and glory. Yes, I have this obnoxious canyon in the middle of my growing belly just to become enough of an eye sore to prevent a nice 'rounded look'. Oh, well....I have still got several more months, so we will see how things go from here.

Pregnant Ladybug

So, you like the new format? Every time I would check out Eli's blog I thought it looked a little girlie. So, I went with a small change. I also think the new background is cooler looking and a bit more 'Leigh'.

Well, Eli and I had quite an eventful weekend...exhausting really. Saturday was our 4th Annual Halloween party, and I went as a pregnant lady bug. Well, technically that wasn't what the package said, but the ladybug got pregnant. I didn't intend to wear a 'skimpy' outfit exactly, just something to show off my belly. See, I have a belly, but it still isn't huge, so I have to give myself any extra little 'umph' that I can (so that I don't just look fat). Here is a picture, below. We had a total of 5 pregnant attendants at the party. We were all costumed as: a ladybug, a Harlem Globe Trotter (complete with pregnant basketball belly), Juno, a pregnant nun, and a Snuggie. Well done ladies!

Also, Sunday was Eli's first Cowboys game (in the new stadium), and we won!!! Go Cowboys! So, Eli has officially (actually, unofficially) been to a Red Sox game and Cowboys game. Not to bad for a little guy, huh? Something else that happened at the Cowboys game? I managed to waddle out of 'Jerry World'. Yes, that is right....WADDLE! I don't know if it is necessary that I walk like that, or it just comes with the territory. (I think there are a few pregnancy rules. 1. You must grab or hold your belly when you are standing around. 2. You must waddle when you walk). I just can't imagine that my body needs to waddle to be in a forward motion, but whatever! I suppose I need to get used to it, because I still have 3 more months of it.

Yes, I know....only 3 more months!?! The craziest part is that it is going to FLY. We had our party, then onto Halloween, then my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and then Eli! That seems like a lot of stuff to happen between now and then. However, time seems to go in fast forward around the holidays for everyone. So, I imagine it will only get faster this year.

Last thing. I got started on Eli's nursery artwork! I am so excited and can't wait to start painting it. I will keep you updated on the progression of it. I worked on it this evening, and it is going according to plan. Yes, it has monkeys on it. :)

To come: Keith and I are traveling to San Francisco for my birthday (the big 2-9, yikes!). The trip will also be our 'baby moon'. So, I will be sure let you know how that goes, plus show you some pictures.

Updates (names, cravings, shopping)

Ok, so I totally need to type about Eli's movements and stuff, but I also have some other 'odd assortment' updates to fill you in on. I don't know if any are worthy of their own thread, so let's throw them all together.

Names:

Well, we are still sticking with Eli (so no changes there). However, a few new discussions have come up regarding the middle name and the 'proper' first name. Technically, Eli is short for 'Elijah'. While we first fell in love with 'just Eli'...the name Elijah is pretty cool, as well. So, it is something that we are at least considering. I think it is pretty and looks really cool. However, Eli was the original name of choice, so we might just stick with that.

Also, the middle name 'Grey' is back in the running, yay! I really have loved that name from the beginning, and I think it works great with Eli (or Elijah). I kind of kicked it out of the 'name pool' when we realized his initials would be E.G.G. Keith said that he didn't care about those initials, and I didn't either...so 'game on'. I actually think it is kind of cute! Keith and I also laughed about how technically Eli started out as an 'egg', so why not stay one (ok, lame joke...).

Eating/Cravings:

Well, I have officially resorted to the appetite of a 5 year old. Throw class and sophistication out the window, and bring on the mac and cheese! Seriously, that is how I eat now a days. For instance, my meals usually consist hot dogs, mac and cheese, pickles, chicken fingers, or chips.

Yesterday morning I was craving pancakes from IHOP, and this morning I ate grapes and goldfish (I'm not joking people). I even went so far as to hunt down the ice cream man in my neighborhood. I am not exaggerating when I use the word 'hunt'.

Keith and I were getting out of the car and I saw the neighborhood kids munching on their new ice cream treats from the ice cream truck, when I couldn't stand it any longer (ice cream truck ice cream is a delicacy..not to be found just anywhere). Keith went in the house and I jumped back in the car and took off. I stopped on corners with kids eating ice cream and asked them 'where did he go?' They simply pointed in a direction and made a few of their favorite recommendations (snow cone was the most popular). Finally, with my windows rolled down I hear the sweet cry of the ice cream song, turned a corner and found him. After tailing him and flashing my lights...he pulled over. Of course, I went with the kids recommendation of snow cone and threw in a Pink Panther pop for the extra hard work.

Shopping/Registry:

So, after Keith gave into my desire to go to IHOP and eat a wonderful breakfast, we were headed home. We had a little extra time and decided to stop at a baby store I had heard good things about. Keep in mind Keith and I had not been to one of these store before. After we walked in I realized how difficult crutches can be with a shopping experience.

We breezed through the isles quickly, and were projected to be out of there in about 5-10 minutes....when we ran into our friends. The thing that is so funny about this, is their frequency in baby store shopping trips. Keith and I pretty much assumed they spent all of their free time in baby stores, and this 'chance run in' just helped to conclude our reasoning.

Well, once we ran into them the trip took on a whole new light. Suddenly we were testing mattresses together, looking at strollers, travel systems, highchairs, ect, ect. It was surprisingly really fun. I will also add that Keith seemed to be enjoying himself too! He really liked the strollers and things! So, we are excited to get stuff picked out for the registry and 'test drive it'. :)

The one down side to this, is my obsession. I have probably already logged about 3-5 hours of computer time since our baby store trip researching brands, prices, locations, ect...ect. I have a very nice 'handy-dandy' spreadsheet that is helping me to keep my thoughs organized. But, needless to say it has become a 'fun' new obsession. I will be sure to update you on the items that I select later on, if you are interested.

Nursery:

No 'big update' for now. Except that we have chair rail up and paint colors picked out. We were originally going to be 'do it yourselfers', but then Keith had his ankle surgery. That put a small dent in the plan. So, we have a paint crew that is coming to paint the nursery this Wednesday! I will post pictures after it is done. When they came to give us a quote, they recommended a 'chair rail' guy. He arrived at our house a few days later at 1:30 to give us a quote, and by 2:30 he was packing up his truck with the job completed! Woo hoo, gotta love that!

Sleeping:

This is brief, because I can't sleep. Well, I take that back. I can sleep until about 4-5am, and then wake up. After that, I lay in bed for an hour or except my fate to just wake up. So, this has become a new problem that I am hoping will go away. Otherwise, I am going to be a very cranky individual. (I know, I know...you are all thinking "Well, when the baby gets here you won't be sleeping at all". I know, that is exactly why it is so important for me to sleep now. :) )

The Nursery!

Well, we finally did it!  Keith and I started making preparations around the house for Lil' Eli's bedroom.  We live in a spacious house, but it only has 3 actual bedrooms...of which two have been occupied as a guest bedroom and office.  Hmmm....how do we make this work?  We need a guest bedroom (just in case), not to mention we have a queen bed that we can't exactly put in the closet.  Additionally, I work from the house, so nixing the office isn't exactly possible either.  So, we had to figure out how to make this whole thing work, so that Eli wasn't going to sleep in the bathroom. :) 

Thank God for Ikea!  Yes, Ikea ultimately helped us bring our problem to a quick resolution.  We needed to combine our guestroom and office into one.  Well, thanks to Ikea we were able to get matching furniture that combines all of the rooms!  Our original apartment furniture (now guest bedroom furniture) is from Ikea, and comes in birch.  Well, they also make a small desk in birch, as well.   In addition to this, Ikea also makes a baby crib in the same material.  (Don't worry...!  This crib got an 'A' in consumer ratings for baby cribs).  So, now we have managed to combine the office and guest bedroom, and done so with matching furniture!  Additionally, we also have a fully furnished nursery with crib and dressers (the dressers used to be our 'guest bedroom' dressers).  We are pleased with the way everything turned out.  This worked out exceptionally well for two reasons A) a huge cost saver B) helps us avoid having to find storage for a bed and two dressers!

So, what does it look  like?  (The first photo is before, and the second is after)

What does Eli's room look like?  Well, so far, this......

So, we have to have an 'ultimate vision' for this room.  Don't worry, it won't stay white and birch.  My mom has been very excited to help with the nursery bedding.  Our hope is to have some really neat custom bedding that she will sew together.  She and I spent an entire day (in the rain) running from fabric store to fabric store to find 'the ultimate' bedding for Eli. 

Can I just point out how few options there are for little boys!  If I was having a girl, I would be running through miles of fabrics and options trying desperately to pick 'the perfect ones'.  On the other hand, mom and I drove miles and miles just to find a few good options.  We would find great fabrics that had pinks in them or stuff like that.  Or, we would find beautiful fabrics in blues, greens, and browns...but the pattern was flowers...(Argh, the frustration).  Of course, we could always fall back on 'airplanes', 'trucks', or 'clowns', but that is not our style.  So, after a full day we found the perfect fabric that lends itself to plenty of options.  

Here is the picture....you will have to imagine the rest.  Also, the wall color will be a two-tone version of the blue green that you seen in the dots and solid fabric.  We will be doing a lighter blue green on top, an antique white chair rail, and a darker blue green on bottom.  

FYI...this is going to take awhile to piece together, so be patient with us.  But, I will have pictures as the project progresses.

Enjoy!