Calling all the Pregnant PS''ers

[Krissie]

Hi everyone! I have a lot of catching up to do - for some reason DH's laptop has not allowed me to access PS - every time I try to scroll down on the boards the site crashes Anyhow, I hope that you are all doing well. I'm hanging in there, 22w5d, the boys (did I mention I'm having boys??) seem to be doing well as of last week. I went to L&D on Thursday night with frequent contractions and was monitored for a while; they were coming around every 8 minutes or so, but there's been no change in my cervix so I'm just to take it easy for a while. I've been trying to leave the house only briefly once a day (I work from home, so it's not an issue), and the rest of the time I'm either in our big leather lounge chair or in bed. DH got me a Snoogle for our anniversary so I've been a lot more comfortable laying down than I had been. Just praying that the contractions don't turn into anything productive! I'll feel a little more at ease at 24 weeks, and a lot more at ease at 28 weeks. Nothing to do but wait and relax!

Parrot Tulips, I wanted to let you know how sorry I am for your loss; I have been thinking about you and wishing you and your family well. It sounds like Ava is a little fighter and I pray you can keep her baking for as long as possible! I am just outside San Francisco but my dr and hospital are in the city (CPMC). There are some great doctors and hospitals there so I trust you are receiving the best care possible. Hugs to you.

 

[SB621]

Jumping in late.

PT I'm so sorry for the loss of you son, but am relieved to hear you seem to be doing much better in the hospital. I will keep you and your little girl in my T&P.

AFM- we finally finished L's nursery this weekend. Everything is up. We have a full bed in there right now which means most of the other furiture is pushed up against the wall for the time being. As soon as we bring L home she will sleep in her crib and I will sleep on the full bed for the first few nights (we did this with DS), then we will move the mattress out and it will be her full time nursery. I'm currently 35 weeks and change. It is bizarre to think that if I give birth to L the same time I did with DS that I have less then 2 weeks to go. Still keeping my fingers crossed that I get my October baby.

 

[parrot tulips]

Krissie - Congratulations on twin boys! How exciting! You must have had quite a scare with the contractions. Hope they've quieted down. I had them coming every 2-3 minutes last Tuesday, and they only come a few times a day now. I know exactly how you feel about feeling more relaxed after reaching key pregnancy milestones - I am exactly 27 weeks today. Even though I'm not as concerned as I was, I'll be much more comfortable a week from now. I live just outside of San Francisco too, but am in the city for my hospital stay. Keeping my fingers crossed that the remainder of your pregnancy remains boring and uneventful.

 

[lliang_chi]

Hello friends! Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Chicago had an AMAZING Indian Summer the past week. Couldn't have asked for better weather. Sounds like a few of us had equally nice weather around the country.

SarahB, That's a great idea to have a full bed in the nursery the first few weeks/months with the baby. We have a futon in the nursery. At first I wanted to get rid of it, but my friend said she used it to crash when she was feeding her baby non-stop when it was newly home. I really hope you get your October baby.

Krissie! Congrats on Team Blue! So glad things are going well. Hope the babies keep truckin' along in there and stop giving mama any worrisome contractions. Are you all settled in after the move? it must be nice to be with your DH again.

Freke, you made some awesome progress on your nursery. Even your "not-done half" looks pretty well put together. Go you! LOVE the color scheme etc. What did your husband think of the classes? I think I'll be on the "we'll cross that bridge when we get there" mentality too. I'd like to have a vaginal birth, but who knows what will happen, y'know?

NEL, was your BuyBuyBaby trip for registering, research or buying stuff on your own? I think I'm going to need to start a registry soon, Gah, I really don't want to. I'll make DH go with me though. how was the wedding? Sounds like it was a great time.

Pancake, sounds like you have a good plan for your nursery. I know a few mamas in the Newborn thread have a Stokke cot, Noel comes to mind. I haven't given any thought to furniture yet, that's pretty terrible... I still need to clean out the closet in the nursery. It's full of all sorts of crap we hardly use. My plan is to use a dresser for a changing table. But I like the idea of using open shelves. Why do you stop using changing tables when babies are crawling?

Parrot, I'm glad things are stable for you and baby A. Being free of monitors & IVs is great. How were the Blue Angels? I love love love air shows. DH does too, but he can recognize all those airplanes etc. He works in the defense industry so it's 2nd nature to him. Sorry about the restrictive diet in the hospital. Now that you're doing better can your DH "supplement" the hospital food with stuff from home? Fruits/veggies etc? Hopefully that'll help.

Today is NOT a starving day for me, thank goodness. Not much to report. Had a great time with DH's friends at his college's tailgate. Saw all of them, and some of the moms were asking how I was doing. I left early since I wanted to see everyone, not really hang out for the game. DH came home at 1:45AM ROARING DRUNK! To the point that I had to get out of bed, get dressed, go down stairs and collect him from his friends. Then he proceeded to refuse to get into bed, finally did at 2:30. Then his snoring totally woke me up at 5:30, I tried to sleep on the couch but of course couldn't. Got back into bed after he stopped snoring, but woke up again because he had the hiccups at 7:30 and the whole bed was shaking. First I thought of how to make them stop, I thought of spooking him, but didn't think that would be a good idea. So I got him some water and managed to snooze for another 45 mins. Finally got up and hung out with my sis all day. DH was in and out of bed until 6PM on Sunday. Then went back to bed at 10PM. Luckily I spent most of my day with my sister so we hung out and kept each other company. That was good. Tonight and tomorrow I have dinner with friends. DH is on his own.

I"ll post my 20wk belly pic when I get home today

~LC (20W, 4D)

 

[pancake]

LC - ohhhh I would be so cross at DH! But then again I can be a somewhat princessy wife... you were very patient and I think you deserve the night out without him!!

PT - 27 weeks is good! A lot better than 26 weeks... and a lot better than a few weeks ago where everything was counted by the day. Ava is a little toughie, hopefully she's decided to stay put now. Are you on antibiotics etc still?

Sarah - ooooh not long to go! I am so envious of all you ladies who are further ahead with the nursery than we are (although I do realise there is a trimester's difference in our respective gestations!). Put up photos when you can!

Krissie - long time no see! And two boys, eh? There's a handful... but then again, two of anything is a handful

Freke - your nursery looks great! The walls look to be a similar colour to Dot's room - very pale blue? I think you are wise to wait and see re a birth plan, although remember that if you decide you want eg. an epidural then there can often be a delay from when you decide until the anaesthetist is available. Just make sure your signals are clear!

NEL - re the reflux triggers - well, FOOD causes it Unfortunately I can't identify anything more specific than that!! It has been a little better for the last 24 hours, so I think it's a waxing and waning thing.

So I floated the Stokke Sleepi cot past DH... and he hates it! I then floated the Leander cot... and he hated that too. Basically I love modern, flowy things, and his tastes are much more classic. So then I have been looking for a classic cot that I didn't find deathly boring... think we are going to go with the Mothercare Summer Oak cot, it is white with oak trim and very simple. Should fit in nicely with the room once we have painted the skirting boards white and polished the floorboards. Hoping to get the matching dresser too (white with oak knobs and top) to double up as a change table but it doesn't seem to have appeared in Australian Mothercare stores yet.

Dot is getting flippier and flippier in there. I can now SEE some of her movements, which is pretty funny to watch! My next appointment is in a fortnight, nothing eventful on the horizon until the OGTT at 28 weeks (all being well).

 

[pancake]

Thought I would post a pic of the cot:


I thought that with the pale blue walls, white skirting boards and polished floorboards it would look quite nice, and I like it more than a plain white cot.

Also (can you tell it's a quiet afternoon at work??) I just weighed myself for the first time since I was about 8 or 9 weeks pregnant. My obstetrician hasn't done it yet (not sure why) and I keep forgetting. I have gained 5kg exactly (so ~11 pounds) on my pre-preg weight; wasn't sure what this meant so I had a look at one of those pregnancy weight calculators and it is spot on, phew! I wasn't too worried actually as I have been told by several people "You look the same as before from the back!" but it is nice to know that it's a healthy thing.

(22w1d)

 

[lliang_chi]

Fly by for a late belly pic post. Not the best one, but it'll have to do.

Pancake, what a fantastic looking crib! Glad you and your DH were able to agree on one. I think it'd look great with barely blue walls and white.

 

[Lauren8211]

Hello mamas-to-be!

SO. FAR. BEHIND. This is me trying to catch up, and please forgive me if I've missed anyone! I'm only going back two pages! Haha!

PT - Glad things have calmed down in the labor department! I think about you and your little girl everyday, and I continue to send positive thoughts your way that she stays put for as long as she possibly can!

Freke - Nursery is looking great! Can you believe how fast this is all coming? We're both going to have babies in just a handful of WEEKS! Craziness! Seems like just yesterday you, me, and Jcar were LsIW together! Now we're all having babies just days apart! Also, that little blue-green dress is ADORABLE! Love it!!

Katy - Feeling any significant movement yet? I swear mine just started one day out of the blue! It was around 21 weeks, and then it never stopped. Ha! I hope you can manage to get the 4 day work week set for you! That would be really nice. Yay for your mama coming!!! How exciting!! Hope you continue to post in here... even though I can stalk you on the unnamed site! Mwahahha!

Pancake - I'm sure you look fantastic for 21 weeks! I am beginning to believe no one knows what the heck they are talking about, so try to ignore the "you're huge!" or "you're tiny" comments. People should keep their mouths shut! Congrats on making it past the half way mark! The cot is super cute!!

Jcar - Glad you can relate to my blog! I wish I could post it here for everyone else to see, but no links to personal blogs on FB. Although, if they wanted to, I'm sure they could find my tiny baby human on the internet. Ya know, if they tried! Glad DH is digging his new job! That's awesome! It is a bummer that he can't be off for Em's birth, but a great job is awesome, and he'll have plenty of time with her regardless! Want moar belly shots!!!

NEL - I love the name Katie! Hopefully you can get DH to come around and let you choose Caitlin! I love Buy Buy Baby! Hope you had fun shopping with your mom!

LC - I hear you on the crazy up and down appetite! Pregnancy is so bizarre! Congratulations on half-baked! Enjoy the rest of the second trimester, its the best you'll feel and it goes SO FAST! Can't wait to hear about your 20 wk U/S! I kinda laughed and your drunk DH story, although if it was me, I'd have been SUPER annoyed!! Heehee. Glad you had a good day with your sister though! You look fantastic in your belly shot! I miss my cute little 20 week belly. Enjoy it! : )

Krissie - Congratulations on the little boys! Glad there was no change in your cervix - keep those boys IN! 28 weeks will be here before you know it, and you can breathe a little easier!

Sarahbear - 35 weeks! So close!! Good thing the nursery is done, because you're in the home stretch!

AFM - Ok I'm just whiny. DH and I had our 2 year wedding anny yesterday, and I was trying to be a good sport. We went out to dinner, but I was SO uncomfortable. I had a bad day yesterday, pain wise. Everything just aches. I'm at the point where I'm ready to be done. Scary that there is still 7 more weeks... sigh. Nursery didn't get done (AGAIN!) but it WILL get done this weekend or DH is grounded. Other than that, just hanging in there, trying to survive!

33 week belly pic. Yes, I'm huge. I know you'll all be sweet and tell me I look great, but ZOMG. I. AM. SO. BIG. I don't know how I can do 7 more weeks.

 

[janinegirly]

Hi everyone, still here.

Elledizzy, you do look great! OF course this is coming from me at 39 wks with a belly that is now obscene. I will never post a photo, lol.

Freke: love the nursery, can't wait to see it complete! Ours is done except for the valance, I'll probably post photos on FB soon and here if I can figure it out!

LC: you look great, I miss the cute 20wk belly stage. Love the description of your roaring drunk DH - I had just established my image of him as nerd from your previous posts but now I've got the roaring snoring image in there too. When is your big reveal U/S again? I'm predicting girl for same reasons you are...

NEL: sounds like things are plugging along, when is your follow up u/s? Have you decided on nursery colors or keeping it green? I like your name choice btw. It took us so long to come up with one..not so much with #1, but definitely with #2.

Pancake, love the crib - what color schemes are you doing?

PT: so happy to hear Ava is doing well. Do you have to stay in the hospital indefinitely? You are such a trooper and please kee p us posted.

AFM, almost 39 wks and just feeling gross and huge. Sweaty and can't keep this belly in maternity clothes anymore..popping out of my work pants (panel rolls down) but I refuse to buy anymore clothes at this point. It's easier at home, but this work thing + commute is getting OLD. Also had to do a presentation today - I mean really - I feel like I should be hidden from society until this baby emerges! The good news is after tomorrow I start working from home. thank goodness. The dr. has this baby at 8lbs right now which is crazy, but I am banking on the margin of error going in my favor (+/- 1lb). Everything is done though except for a few photos that need to go up on the wall, and boiling of bottles, setting up swing...and packing of the bag. Washed all the baby clothes last weekend and moved in some supply items/baby toys into the shelves. DD#1 is excited but also trying to reaffirm her role. She found a baby toy (one of her old ones) and said "Oh this is JUST like mine". Then dug around her room looking for "hers." Had to unwind that little white lie and explain that ok, that was actually hers but she can have it back until the baby is here, hehe. Of course now she sleeps with it every night.

 

[Sha]

PT - delurking to say yayyy for making it to 27 weeks! I had missed your earlier post about the loss. So sorry to hear . I pray that everything stablizes and that little Ava is born healthy.

 

[pancake]

Janine - you sound like you are all set - you must be first in line of the ladies in this thread! Argh! Exciting!!! Your daughter's reaction sounds totally normal, it's a hard time for a little one trying to grapple with sharing the most important people in her life.

LC - I knew DH wouldn't like futuristic pod cots (boohoo... I wanted a Leander! With the Stokke as a 2nd choice) but I tried to sell it to him anyway Anyway, this one cost a LOT less (like 70% less) than the Stokke, and even less compared to the Leander, plus there is a special offer at the moment for a free good-quality mattress with it, so overall I think the compromise works! Your belly looks great - I liked the 20 week mark as by then I was looking "properly pregnant" all the time - as do you

Elle - I know I'm not that big, I think it's just getting used to having that sort of...bulk out the front, you know? I've always been pretty small in build so suddenly things are protruding in ways I couldn't imagine!! You look terrific by the way, but I can imagine that you must feel massive. Heck, I feel big now and I am almost a full trimester behind you!

Re the nursery... The walls are very pale blue, skirting boards and window frames will be white, we'll have blonde-ish polished floorboards, and then I think the colour scheme will be pretty simple - natural wood, white, light yellow, light green and then maybe some splashes of brighter colour around the place (because I think a nursery should have bright things in it!). We have a beige velour armchair which we'll probably put in there as well, and the cot has a matching dresser which - if it is ever in stock! - we will use doubled up as a change table. Thinking animals, owls, birds... not sure yet!

One of my best friends just called and was asking what stuff we still need - she's offered us their Baby Bjorn, bath, Hugabub sling, bouncer (although evil Scandinavian design fiend me is thinking of buying a 2nd-hand Bloom bouncer on the sly... haha, take that, DH!), playmats, swing, jumping chair - so I don't think we'll need to buy much at all! Good friends are such gems!

Any of you ladies thought about disposable vs cloth nappies? We are thinking seriously about going ~50-50 - so mostly cloth at home, disposables when out (or when weather too awful to hang out washing). I don't think I'd buy the fancy ones, just the traditional ones that you fold, and then use Y clips to fasten. Not sure yet.

Edit: Here's a pic of the type of colour scheme I am thinking about. Obviously Dot's room is about a third of the size, and is a nursery rather than a living room, but I love how this room is calm whilst still having a pop of colour

 

[lliang_chi]

Pancake, I found this inspiration nursery in the same blue/yellow color scheme. Thought I'd share with you. Well, having a good compromise on the crib that's cheaper isn't such a bad thing. And now you have money left over for other baby stuff I agree I'm starting to feel "properly pregnant" now. Wow, so awesome you're able to get so much stuff from your friend! That's fantastic!! Great friends are the best!

Janine, I know you feel gigantic but I'm sure you look absolutely amazing. So great you can work from home after this week. Go you. WAY more comfortable than having to get dressed and look respectable at work, when all you want to do is hang out in comfy clothes. Plus I think I'm WAY more productive when I'm actually *comfortable.* Sounds like your daughter will go through some adjustment, but it's great that she seems kind of independent. I'm sure it's a big change for her, but she's got her big girl room and bed in those pretty sheets she likes. I hope she's looking forward to being a big sister.

Elle, wow, you really look stunning at 33 wks. I mean, really you do! Yeah DH's drunk story was... a story. I was a little annoyed but there's nothing I could do about it so I just told myself not to get mad. Plus it helped that I could hang out with SIs all day Sunday and not feel bad. DH said he did NOT want to do that ever again, and I say GOOD! I told him I didn't want him to do that ever again either, so it's agreed. He fell on his left side and now his whole left arm is all jacked up, so he has a doctor appt tomorrow. Random Q, but are you wearing maternity jeans or you regular jeans and some bella bands or something? I still don't have any mat pants yet, and have been getting by using bella bands.

AFM, gender & anatomy scan tomorrow! Woot! I've been SOOOO unproductive at work because this is ALL I can think about... pretty bad huh? And one other thing I'm kinda noticing, I'm getting car sick easier? I dunno what that's all about but if I'm riding in a car for too long, I start feelign a tad nauseous. I made a mental note never to ride with Sis's BF in her car, he drives SUPER aggressively since Sis's Rabbit has a lot of torque and he LOVES it. Ha ha.

 

[SB621]

Pancake -I love that color scheme!!!!! If I had seen something like that earlier I definitely would have considered it! I think the calming affect is wonderful and I love the color of the walls- I hope you do them a similar color.

Freke- your nursery is adorable! I will try to take picture's of L's room later today and get them up.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I love seeing all of these nursery inspiration pics!! It's making me rethink my own theme!

LC, anatomy scan tomorrow!! Woohoo!! Are you going to find out during the scan? Our u/s tech said she never reveals anything until the end of the scan (patients might cry through the whole thing), but I think it would have been nice to find out during because I was afraid to look at the screen sometimes. And because they take 1,000 measurements of everything, the scan takes a long time, so I must have asked 10 times if it was okay to look. Anyway, I'm super excited for you and will be checking in often. Is it in the morning?

By the way, you asked about my Buy Buy Baby trip and it wasn't to register--my mom just wanted to see all the things on my list. She made it through about half and then said "This is nuts!".

Pancake, how great that your friend is offering so much of her baby stuff! That will help a great deal, even if you don't take all of it. I brought up disposable vs. cloth diapers with D last week and we were both a little overwhelmed with the thought of going cloth. Still, cloth diapers are on my list of things to get because they make for absorbant burp cloths. My only delimma with diapers at the moment are how many to get. Baby Bargains suggest starting with 100 newborn and 500 size 1 diapers, but I don't know if one brand is going to work better than another...not sure what to do. Anyway, I'm sure it's no different with cloth--trying to figure out what style (even if you have one in mind) and how many to get.

I love the front-runner crib!! I like that the top rail is wood--that would be the part that is most likely to be dinged/chewed on, anyway.

Janine, is this officially your first day of working from home?? I do think that not being in work clothes + not commuting (ESPECIALLY not commuting!!) is going to help a ton. I have no doubt that you are still stunning at 39 weeks pregnant, but I also understand that you feel huge. Even if we don't agree that you are huge. And if you feel huge, better to feel huge at home and not have to get gussied up for presentations. I'm jealous that you are in the final, final stretch!!

Oh, and my follow up u/s is next Friday (10/21). Still not sure about the green. I'll probably keep it because I don't hate it and I just don't want to have to nag D to paint (and I hate to tape everything off again). I admit I probably wouldn't have gone with green had I known it was a girl, but it is what it is.

Elle, you do not look huge, you look fantastic. I feel awful that you are in pain, though. Good for you for TRYING to be a trooper through the anniversary dinner. I know you're not keen on seeing a chiropractor, but what about a massage? If you could get one every couple of weeks, it might help you through these last several weeks. Seven weeks is close, but when you're in pain, I know it feels like FOREVER. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

PT, Still thinking about you all the time. You're so close to the 28-week mark!

Sarahbear, you're getting so close! I think the nursery/sleeping plan is a good one and am hoping you get your October baby. I've always, always wanted a halloween baby

Krissie, I'm sure that going to L&D with contractions was very scary, but I'm so glad they subsided and there is no change to your cervix. I'm so excited that you're having twin boys I sort of love the idea of having twin boys!

Freke, I think your birthing plan is a good one. I'm a planner, but it's one of those things that I know will require flexibility. I also had meningitis and spinal taps (along with some other issues) and all of that just throws some uncertainty into the mix that is out of our control. I think if you just focus on doing what's best for you and the baby from the beginning, it means you won't be disappointed regardless of what happens.

And your nursery is looking fantastic!! All of the big things are done, so you should feel good about that! And I love that trunk, I have a very, very similar trunk that my grandmother gave to me (from the '40's) that I plan to use in the playroom. I love mixing new items with old. It's coming together beautifully!

AFM, I'm 20 weeks today, so officially at the half-way point!

I just got back from MO last night and am ready to take on a few big tasks. Hoping to have a lot of "big" items ordered by the end of the week. Sofa, crib, carrier, etc.

Still don't have my blood results back from the hospital and it's been over a week. I might give them a call if I don't hear back by today.

I'm not really feeling Katie move (still!) and I've decided she's just very laid back This is how I make myself feel better.

 

[jcarlylew]

hello lovely ladies! time for my semi-weekly check-in

LC - i love that color scheme! If that was your nursery, i might actually have to move in. I know what you mean about getting car sick - for a while (mostly late 1st through mid 2nd tri) I hated riding in the car, on the bus (my mode of transport to work) and anything that involved moving. I even didnt care for sailing (which i love). It'll get better though!! Have a good time today at your gender scan! My advice - right afterwards, go and buy something for the baby!! (ps, you are awesome with your belly shots. and too cute!)

Pancake - We went with a dresser to be used as a changing table idea, instead of buying a seperate changing table. With limited room to begin with (yay apartments!) we both decided we wanted furniture that would last longer than diapers. Plus, it'll help us both not load crap onto the dresser, to save room for the changing pad! We also reserved the first drawer for diaper supplies, and will keep the rest in the closet. hopefully this will work out!

NEL - how did you like BBbaby? I don't have any of their stores close to me, but i did order Emily's bedset from there. I just wished i could have used the 20% BBB coupon (aparently you can only do that in store).

Freke - Thanks for the advice! I am hoping Emily will be okay with all the noise, but i plan on putting myself out of harms way. Next to the bar should be okay, right? DH still has no idea what we are doing, and as far as the rest of us wives know, the guys (3 couples) think they are going to a Sounders match (soccer). muahahha.
I love the color of your room! That blue is just perfect. It's looking great! Our nursery went from moments of pure organization, to a disaster zone, and now it is back to mostly put together. So don't worry about it not being done yet.

Krissie - congrats on having two boys! Do you know (if now, or when) if they are identical or not? Also, glad you are taking it easy! I kept on wanting to get a snoogle, but i had a feeling if i did, DH would have no where to sleep.

Elle - pppsssh. your fab and you know it. Sorry your anniversary did not go as well as planned. Our one year was back in may, and i was pretty pissed i couldnt drink or eat what i wanted. I'll be honest, thank goodness emily will be born by my birthday!

Janine - 39 weeks! and here i was going to complain about 34 weeks. But yay for working from home! I wish i could do that with my job.

AFM - nothing much has changed. Emily seems to like to press her foot/butt/hand/something right next to my sternum, so that feels awesome. yay for internal brusing! She was not active at all throughout the night, which kind of gave me the creeps this morning. And then of course as soon as i drank some coffee she started wiggling around again.
I've been trying REALLY hard not to buy to many maternity clothes, soley for the fact that i hate paying full price for anything, and that i know i won't get much use out of the same clothes after pregnancy. I do have a couple dresses and sweaters that i can wear afterwards, which is good. But yesterday i broke down and bought a pair of maternity work pants. Fortunately they look rather normal, and ohmygod they are so much more comfortable than trying to make my non maternity pants work. So now i have 2 pairs of work pants, 1 pair of jeans, 4 shirts and 4 dresses that are suitable for maternity wear. Now to make thoses last one more month!

As requested, a belly shot. DH will be getting a new camera this weekend (for his bday) so hopefully we'll go out and get some semi-decent maternity shots in, before i ban cameras all together.
oh, and forgive the dirty mirror and pajama look. it was the best shot i could get!

 

[jcarlylew]

hello lovely ladies! time for my semi-weekly check-in

LC - i love that color scheme! If that was your nursery, i might actually have to move in. I know what you mean about getting car sick - for a while (mostly late 1st through mid 2nd tri) I hated riding in the car, on the bus (my mode of transport to work) and anything that involved moving. I even didnt care for sailing (which i love). It'll get better though!! Have a good time today at your gender scan! My advice - right afterwards, go and buy something for the baby!! (ps, you are awesome with your belly shots. and too cute!)

Pancake - We went with a dresser to be used as a changing table idea, instead of buying a seperate changing table. With limited room to begin with (yay apartments!) we both decided we wanted furniture that would last longer than diapers. Plus, it'll help us both not load crap onto the dresser, to save room for the changing pad! We also reserved the first drawer for diaper supplies, and will keep the rest in the closet. hopefully this will work out!

NEL - how did you like BBbaby? I don't have any of their stores close to me, but i did order Emily's bedset from there. I just wished i could have used the 20% BBB coupon (aparently you can only do that in store).

Freke - Thanks for the advice! I am hoping Emily will be okay with all the noise, but i plan on putting myself out of harms way. Next to the bar should be okay, right? DH still has no idea what we are doing, and as far as the rest of us wives know, the guys (3 couples) think they are going to a Sounders match (soccer). muahahha.
I love the color of your room! That blue is just perfect. It's looking great! Our nursery went from moments of pure organization, to a disaster zone, and now it is back to mostly put together. So don't worry about it not being done yet.

Krissie - congrats on having two boys! Do you know (if now, or when) if they are identical or not? Also, glad you are taking it easy! I kept on wanting to get a snoogle, but i had a feeling if i did, DH would have no where to sleep.

Elle - pppsssh. your fab and you know it. Sorry your anniversary did not go as well as planned. Our one year was back in may, and i was pretty pissed i couldnt drink or eat what i wanted. I'll be honest, thank goodness emily will be born by my birthday!

Janine - 39 weeks! and here i was going to complain about 34 weeks. But yay for working from home! I wish i could do that with my job.

AFM - nothing much has changed. Emily seems to like to press her foot/butt/hand/something right next to my sternum, so that feels awesome. yay for internal brusing! She was not active at all throughout the night, which kind of gave me the creeps this morning. And then of course as soon as i drank some coffee she started wiggling around again.
I've been trying REALLY hard not to buy to many maternity clothes, soley for the fact that i hate paying full price for anything, and that i know i won't get much use out of the same clothes after pregnancy. I do have a couple dresses and sweaters that i can wear afterwards, which is good. But yesterday i broke down and bought a pair of maternity work pants. Fortunately they look rather normal, and ohmygod they are so much more comfortable than trying to make my non maternity pants work. So now i have 2 pairs of work pants, 1 pair of jeans, 4 shirts and 4 dresses that are suitable for maternity wear. Now to make thoses last one more month!

As requested, a belly shot. DH will be getting a new camera this weekend (for his bday) so hopefully we'll go out and get some semi-decent maternity shots in, before i ban cameras all together.
oh, and forgive the dirty mirror and pajama look. it was the best shot i could get!

 

[pancake]

LC - omg, that nursery is AWESOME!!! A little different from what we will do (mostly because we are no interior designers, lol) but it is fantastic to see an example in the types of colours we're going for! The walls in ours are paler and more blue/less green, but I LOVE the combination and it's nice to validate my tastes HOW WAS YOUR SCAAAAAN?

JCarly - you look fab!! I would never notice your PJs or mirror and barely did even after you pointed them out. You have done very well to buy so little maternity wear! I have bought a 2 pairs of jeans, a pair of trousers, a dress and a couple of blouses - the rest is either drapey stuff I already had or stuff that I just bought a size up from usual. But I don't have anywhere near your restraint!

NEL - re nappy/diaper sizes and quantities, I was told by a few friends just to get one box of newborn ones and then see how I go, as it all depends on how big the baby is and how fast she grows. We will probably get about 10 or so cloth ones and try them out. As you say, they make for great spill cloths even if we don't use them for their intended purpose. Try not to stress about not feeling Katie move just yet. Apparently it is "normal" (whatever THAT means!) for first-time mums not to feel anything up to about 22 weeks, esp if the placenta is at the front! I think I just felt things early because the placenta is at the back and also because I have no abdominal muscles to speak of, ha. I think green is a lovely nursery colour. If you're keen on a bit more girly colour, there are lots of lovely pinks that would work back beautifully with green. Did you get your bloods back? Have had my fingers crossed for you.

Sarah - I am too lazy now to repaint that I have figured that the existing wall colour will work, but fortunately it is pretty similar to the living room picture, just a little paler. I think that will work well as the room is not quite as naturally bright as that living room example, so it will look more pigmented - plus the room is much smaller. We'll see how it goes!!

AFM, I ordered a heap of baby things (newborn up to ~12m sizes) from www.pumpkinpatch.com.au last week as they were having a huge sale with free shipping. 2/3 of it arrived today and OMG it is so freaking CUTE! I bought mostly onesies and jumpsuits in fairly neutral colours and bright prints. There is a little polar fleece jacket with a hood with EARS ON IT. Gah. Getting so clucky, but I suppose with Dot on board I'm allowed to be, right?

 

[Puppmom]

re: diapers. I use cloth and it's easy. I thought about it when I was pregnant and was too overwhelmed and confused and didn't have the time to research so we started with sposies with the intention of switching. Friends and family were so generous that we didn't even have to buy diapers for a few months. All kids are different but N grew out of newborn diapers in the first few weeks. You probably won't have a brand preference in the beginning if your kiddo isn't super sensitive but as time goes on you'll definitely have your favs - same goes for cloth. I definitely have those dipeys that I keep passing over until there aren't any other clean ones left! If you're strongly considering cloth and plan to use daycare just do your research. I haven't had any issues as all but 1 of the daycares we interviewed will take them but I've heard some people have had issues.

 

[lliang_chi]

Morning ladies!!!

I'm at work bright and early today, I'm ducking out a for a few hours for the anatomy scan, so this way I don't have to take PTO. I actually don't have a lot, unfortunately. DH gets 1 day every other week if he works 80 hours in 9 days, so he's got today off. I was thinking about taking the whole day PTO, but decided against it. And can I just say, I totally work 9 hr days, and I don't get every other Friday off! Boo! Not fair! Brat, brat, brat!

Today's the anatomy scan it's at 10AM! Woo hoo! We plan to find out what we're having during the scan. But DH still doesn't want to tell anyone. Everyone I know have been asking, "When's your U/S? Are you going to find out?" And I feel stupid saying "Yes we will" because it's logical that they'll ask me what we're having then I'll say, "I can't tell you? So I've been telling everyone, "We'd like to try to find out." Then lie and tell everyone the baby was hiding. And who knows, he/she might be shy anyway.

NEL, So funny your mom was overwhelmed with the amount of baby stuff nowadays. I feel the same way. Have you registered and everything? Wow! I'm so impressed! I have a baby shower (family) on Thanksgiving so I totally need to register but totally haven't yet. Is it bad that I don't WANT all this stuff? Hooray for half baked!!!! It's a pretty cool milestone Have you heard back from the hospital on the blood work? I'm not feeling any baby movement either. I only feel it when I'm leaning forward, but not when I'm on my tummy. Weird... But my belly's getting bigger so it makes me feel like the baby's still healthy.

Janine, whew! I'm glad I'm not the only one with the whole car-sickness thing. OMG the bus is the worst! That's how I normally get to work too. I'm too lazy to walk even though it's just a mile, so I take the bus. I can take ZERO credit for that nursery I found it online and posted it for Pancake since that's the color scheme she was thinking about. Doesn't it look amazing thought. Some of our PS mamas also have some swanky looking nurseries. I'm TOTALLY not the home design type, so mine will never look anywhere close to as awesome. Sounds like you have a pretty good collection of mat stuff now. I'm still trying to make the regular pants work for me too. The bella bands etc help me keep my trousers up, but jeans are a completely different story.

Pancake, yes, I was pretty sure the wall color was a little too green but the yellow accent and the white + blond wood I thought would evoke the same idea you were going for. Wow, that polar fleece jacket sounds super cute! I haven't bought anything for the baby yet, but i think I might follow Janine's advice and get my first baby outfit today. You're totally allowed to be all mushy with the baby now

PuppMom, thanks for dropping in about the dipes.

Speaking of diapers, I'm also thinking of going the cloth diaper route. I spoke to my only friend who is doing them and she said it's pretty easy. She did prefolds and diaper covers. I think I'll see if DH is open to doing cloth, he didn't say No when I first mentioned it when we were 6wks, so I wonder if he'll object 14 wks later. Maybe he can talk to my friend's husband (works with DH) and get his opinion. And as Pupp said, some day cares won't do cloth, so something to think about too.

 

[jcarlylew]

LC- good luck in your scan today! While little Emily was all about showing the goods, she was NOT about showing her face. dang child of mine! In fact, every U/S she does not like showing her face. which means she is going to come out model ready.

I am also going to give CD a try! The easiest way to convince dh was just to tell him we'd save $1000 a year if we do (so not true, with my spending habit). Plus we have another close friend who told him within the first month, they spent well over $100-200 on disp. diapers. The advice i have gotten from other mommas is do not stress out to much when the little one is still a newborn and going through a ton of diapers - they actually recommended using disposable until you are not changing so many times a day. I think for myself, i will try to use CD at home, and have disposables with me while out and about until i get CD down to an art. Right now we have 2 sized bumgenius, 2 small g-babies, and 2 4.0 bumgenius (one size fits all) on the way. We'll definately need a ton more, but i want to see how i like the different styles before i get to crazy into purchasing everything!

eta - pancake - thank you! I live in tank tops (for under shirts) and sweaters/big shirts. I did have a couple friends drop off a few maternity shirts, and some shirts they felt they looked preggo in (which is perfect, for a preggo!). I guess i would rather spend money on shoes

AFM - today is my 34 week (and a few days) appointment, so i will hopefully find out if i am on track for 11/21 delivery or not. I am taking a half day today, but i feel like poop, and wish i took the whole day off. There is practically no one in my dept today, so it is SLOW. I also had wicked acid reflux last night (to the point of almost throwing up) so i feel like i am hung over. And i didn't even get to drink!
Oh, forgot to mention on my last post, i had a dream about breastfeeding. It was weird, and calming at the same time. I feel like my ladies are still about the same size as usual (okay, a little bigger) but i keep on worrying that my milk will never come in.

 

[lliang_chi]

Jcarley, Hope your appt goes well. Keeping my fingers crossed you're on track for your delivery date. I also think telling DH that cloth will be much cheaper than sposie dipes would be a pretty good way to frame the debate. I think he'd be most worried about the amount of work it'll take.

So back from my "20" week anatomy scan! The midwife said everything is looking normal and healthy. The baby's about 1 lb and is between 50th-70th percentile in size/growth. So they're happy with everything. No shy baby, they were able to get all the pictures they needed, well, maybe just a little bit of prodding on my belly. It reminded me of when DH and I went on safari, the lions were just lying around sleeping, we joked that we were going to poke it with a stick and say "Do something!!! <poke, poke, poke>"

And we got to find out what we're having!!!!!

Just wanna say to NEL, I wouldn't put too much stock into Shettle because.....

TEAM BLUE!!!!

I was PRETTY surprised because like I said, we had sex 5 days before ovulating and only after ovulating. So this Y-sperm was 1) totally ninja and 2) hella scrappy to last for *five days!*

DH was cute, the said he's happy either way, but girls' names are more fun and boys names are so boring. He also said that he doesn't have to buy a shotgun now. ha ha!

That's all for me! OK I'm going to pretend that I can do some work now Ha ha! That's a good one.

~LC (21 wks today!)

 

[monkeyprincess]

LC, congrats! I was worried you weren't going to tell us if you found out the sex. Very interesting about the Shettles method. Your DH must just have some super sperm! Glad that the little guy looks healthy. Congrats again!

 

[Missy0483]

Yay for boys LC! We're secretly hoping for a boy! Glad your appointment went well!

Ok, back to JBP for me!!

 

[lliang_chi]

Monkey, I'll totally tell you guys because my PS friends are totally safe to tell. And besides, if I didn't tell you guys, then I'd totally cave and tell everyone.

Can you believe DH said he's going to tell people we found out and we're not going to tell anyone? That's like totally teasing and needling people, "I know something you don't know!!"

Thanks Missy, checking on you ladies in JBP too! I think there will be a few of you getting ready to make the jump soon!

~LC

 

[NewEnglandLady]

LC!!!! Team BLUE!!!!! Oh my gosh, I am seriously laughing out loud in my cube right now because I can't believe the irony!! If somebody had told me that one of us was going to have a girl and one of us was going to have a boy, I would have bet dollars to doughnuts that I'd be on team blue and you'd be on team pink. I keep going back to our TTC days when you were convinced you couldn't be pregnant with an O-5 BD schedule and I woke my poor hubby up and essentially forced him to BD on O day just to increase my boy chances. And now you're having a boy and me a girl. So funny! A huge congrats to you and good luck keeping it a secret I'm terrible with secrets!

JCarly, our girl is the same way about hiding her face. It took us FOREVER to get the NT scan measurements and then at our 18-week scan, they gave up trying to get the cranial measurements (which is why we're going back next week). I hope she's this shy when she's 13!

Oh, and I did really like BBBaby, though I went to one that is 1,500 miles away from my house and it was the middle of a weekday (nice and quiet)--I have yet to venture to the one near my own house. I'm hoping I like it as much.

Pancake, woohoo for posterior placenta and no abs And how cute that you bought a bunch of onesies. I figure you can't have too many, right? I only have a couple, but I'm already looking forward to the day when I can start to fill up the not-yet-purchased dresser. If only the nursery could be completely done and stocked, right?

ETA: No bloodwork results yet--I left a message with the genetic counselor this morning asking her to get back to me if she had results.

 

[janinegirly]

Congrats LC! And it is ironic - I guess Shettles is just a crap shoot. We also BD'd 5 days prior and that's it so I thought for sure I'd inadvertently swayed things. So it's kind of nice to hear it's all most likely 50/50 so nothing to analyze! I also remember waking DH up on O'day like NEL (not to sway but just to be sure we got another session in) and he was like "now? are you kidding" so didn't happen...and I always thought maybe that was the boy that got away, lol. Anyway, now you get to start thinking nursery colors and clothes yipee!!

AFM, had my weekly visit and she offered induction on Monday. The baby is big (or huge) and I'm 3cm but no contractions. She said to think it over. I don't know...while I don't want to think about a 9lb baby, they could be off a pound and I'd like to see how things progress naturally first.

 

[ChinaCat]

JanineGirly- So close!!!! Hmmm, that's a tough call. I so didn't want to be induced first go round, but as O was 10 days late and my fluids dropped, I ended up not having a choice. The induction wasn't bad. OTOH, I feel like they are always off on the measurements. Maybe schedule an induction for as late as you want to go? Often just scheduling the induction gets things moving! Either way, she's almost here. Very excited for you. Will you share the name? If not here, perhaps somewhere else where I might find it?

 

[Loves Vintage]

LC - Congrats on Team Blue!

Janine - How big was your first baby? Yay for 3 cm!!! Hopefully, baby will come on her own. When's your due date again?

 

[lucy.lucy.80]

Hi ladies- Unfortulaty i do not post or check in that often but just wanted to say hi and hope you are all feeling well!

NEL- I am sorry if i am a bit late, but totally understand what you are going through- to make a long story short at my 12wk US i was told our little boy came back screen positive for nuchal translucency-it was 3.7mm (2.8 was normal)- my DH and I were so upset and we were told by the genetic counselor we had a 30% chance of having a baby with a gentic, chromosonal, or heart defect and odds for DS was 1:96. We already have a healthy 1 yr old daughter and have no family history of anything so we were in shock. To make a long story short- after a CVS and 8 weeks of testing the baby for everything in the book and 3 level II/heart ultrasounds, our doctors told us our baby is perfectly healthy- i am having 1 more 32 wk ultrasound just for piece of mind- I felt kind of alone during the 8 week waiting period and i just want u to know this issues are quite common and usually eveything turns out fine. The odds are in your favor. I wish you all the best!

 

[S&I]

Just wanted to stop by and say yay for TEAM BLUE, LC!!! I can't wait to see how you do your nursery!