Epic Fail

Not much to blog about today. Just doing some housework and trying to finish the nursery. My epic fail today was breakfast. I sooo wanted french toast, I so googled a french toast recipe. I made said french toast...and.then.it.was.soggy :( I have no idea how to make french toast and therefore I feel like a failure today. If anyone has any suggestions...please send them to me!

Have a good weekend.

Christmas card time..

Soon, it will be time for Penguin and I to mail out Christmas cards. This year, our Christmas cards will probably be more like New Year's cards, but none the less they will be special. See, as you know it will be the first Christmas cards with our sweet babes on it. This year I am looking at going to shutterfly to help with the Christmas cards. For example, I think this design is so precious for her first Christmas card. And with her due date being so close to Christmas, I couldn't pass up this design for her birth announcement. Or, maybe I will use a maternity photo to send out the cards in time for Christmas. If I go this route, then this is the card I would choose. Penguin and I usually send out generic cards, but this year I want it to be special. While these are just 3 of the cards that Shutterfly has to offer, I know that if I keep looking I will find the perfect card just for us. Happy choosing your greeting card!

Reflecting...

Last week, a good friend of mine from high school has volunteered her services to take maternity photos for me. Those of you that know me, know that 1- I hate photos of myself and 2- recently had photos done and hated the experience. However, I feel that this time it will be different. My friend researched ideas, and sent them all to me for approval, so now I know what to expect. I also gave her permission to use these pictures for her business portfolio and just for saying that she offered to do them for free! (Even better). So, hopefully soon I will be able to share some of those pictures with you as soon as I get them. In the meantime, I found these pictures from when I first go pregnant and thought I would share them. Trust me, I will show them again with the maternity pictures just so you can see how HUGE I am.

A work in progress...

So, our nursery for our sweet babes is a work in progress. We did however get the crib put together, the crib skirt is in place, the mattress on the bed, the sheets placed on the mattress. See, look...


All we need is the bumper pads, some final paint on the walls, some decorations, and of course the sweet babes. Stay tuned for more pictures as we continue to prepare for the babes arrival.

Breastfeeding...

Last week I attended the breastfeeding class that the hospital I will be delivering at offered. I had no idea what I was expecting, but being a nurse I thought I at least had an idea. Yes, there was definitely information shared that I already knew, but there was also information given that I didn't know. Like, I knew that colostrum is different from the "normal" milk, but I didn't know that the breast milk at 3 weeks was different than 6 months which is different than 1 year or even 2 years. Yes, 2 years. Of course they said that they recommend breastfeeding into 2 years of age. I say of course because if you ask any lactation consultant they will tell you to breastfeed for as long as possible. I also learned that even if I pump let's say now, I would still be able to breastfeed the baby in 10 minutes. Did you know that it is normal for a breastfed baby to want to feed every 20 minutes! Yes, 20 minutes. I also learned that they no longer take the baby out of the room after delivery, they let you get skin to skin with the baby as soon as he/she is delivered. They also don't take the baby out of the room unless you ask, I as of right now plan on having the baby in the room as much as possible. It was also expressed that pacifiers, and bottles shouldn't be introduced until at least 2 months of age, this way to avoid nipple confusion. I was a little floored by that because I really don't mind the idea of giving her a pacifier, but I guess I will wait and see how it all goes. I am hoping to breastfeed for as long as possible, even pumping when I go back to work. I am hoping for at least a year, maybe longer. I think they mentioned that once the child reaches 6 months old, the bottles of breast milk can be given with meals and supplemented with water and juice. Hmm...maybe that is something else I can consider. All I know is that I have a lot of learning to do, and a lot of growing up to d. Hopefully...it will all click once she is here. In the meantime, I will continue to look at the book they gave us, and try to find respectable Internet information. If anyone out there has information, it is greatly appreciated!

Saturday!

The weekend is here and what kinds of fun things are we doing? Well, the hubs is painting the nursery! Can't wait to get some pictures of it to put on here. We are trying a unique painting job, so hubs is worried it won't turn out well. I just can't wait until it is finished so that we can start putting the nursery together. While he is doing that, I am out of the apartment doing other things...like laundry. Not our laundry, but laundry for our unborn babes. I didn't even bring over everything that needs to be washed (I don't think so anyway) but, I already have 4 loads to do! 1 load is currently in the washer, 1 in the dryer, and the other 2 are separated by color waiting for their respective turns. Who would have thought that an unborn child has so much stuff to wash! Don't get me wrong, I love it...it is all hand me downs and stuff that we don't have to buy her, just a little overwhelmed with getting it all done. Actually, a little overwhelmed with everything these days...less than 60 days until our sweet baby girl will be here. WOW! That's amazing. Anyway, just wanted to stop by and let everyone know what we are doing today. Later tonight we are going to my uncle's surprise birthday party, and then I am DD for my cousin who is also celebrating her birthday. I didn't think it was cool for a pregnant person to be out at the bar celebrating with her. Tomorrow I am going to breakfast with my cousin, then one of my cousins who isn't really a cousin is having an open house for her new home. Which I think the hubs and I are going to go too if even only for an hour. Before that there is cake for my grandfather's sister, and Church. Why do the weekends only have to be 2 days? Why can't they be longer so that I can get more stuff done without feeling like I am cramming a lot into them. Until tomorrow when I post about the breastfeeding class...have a great windy Saturday!

Week 30

According to the Bump.com, I have 69 days to go! Well, less than that because being a gestational diabetic, I won't go to term. I think I just shat in my pants...
How far along? 30 weeks
Total weight gain or loss? Still under where I started by 6 pounds...down 2 pounds from my visit 3 weeks ago
Maternity clothes? Yes. My belly is too big to be covered by the shorter "normal" shirts, and well quite frankly maternity clothes and sweats are more comfortable
Stretch marks? ~ Yes, they are faint, but I am faithfully applying that cream that my sister J gave me.
Sleep?~I love my sleep!
Best moment this week? Hearing her heartbeat at the doctors
Movement? ~ Yes. Little miss loves it when I scrub in the OR. She seems to like that she can kick me and I can't rub her back.
Food cravings? ~None, haven't really had any at all so far this pregnancy. Hubs still has them, does that count?
Gender? ~ A precious little Daddy's little Girl
Labor signs? ~NO, and kinda starting to be really worried about how that all will feel
Belly button in or out? ~In....
Wedding rings on or off? ~On, although they seem to be a little big.
What I miss? ~Being able to eat whatever I want without worrying how it is going to affect the babes.
What I am looking forward too? ~Getting to meet her, although no rush, Christmas comes right after she does
Weekly wisdom? ~Stop trying to look to the end...enjoy the moment right now
Weekly milestone? ~Losing 2 pounds...
Tonight we have our breastfeeding class. Here's to an interesting night!

Getting it off my chest...

There are lots of things are my chest this early Tuesday morning, but I don't have time to air it all out now. There is one thing that I must say....please please please dress appropriately.
Dear Resident,
I know that you have lots of education, and big plans for the future however that does not mean that you can dress like a hot dog. Wearing small clothes might be acceptable outside of the OR, but wearing clothes that are too small for you is definitely not appropriate. I don't really know how you breathed in those clothes, maybe that is why you wanted your sterile gown to be tied up loosely. I am not judging what kind of physician you are or you will be, but if you were my resident and came in dressed like that I would kindly ask you to leave. Which brings me to my next point, please do not come into my delivery room. I know that I have to have residents there when I deliver since it is a teaching hospital, I just chose not to have you. Your personality was less than desirable, which actually matched they way you were dressed. I really don't know how you didn't pass out, between the tightness of your pants and the heat of the room. But, today is a new day, and I am writing this to put it behind me. Here's hoping for a better day, and looser pants.

Sincerely,
Concerned OR staff

It's Fall

Yesterday my sister R, her daughter and husband were going to Strawberry Acres to pick apples. I had never been there before, so I asked my friend Liz and her son Anthony if they wanted to join us. I don't know about you, but I don't ever remember going to a pumpkin patch, let alone one where they had animals to feed and pet and then apples to pick. I was a little disappointed by the pumpkin "patch"...

Is it just me or does it look more like a plot of land that they just put pumpkins on? I don't know, maybe this is how it has always been, I really don't remember if I ever went to a pumpkin patch before this. That aside, some of the random placements of pumpkins allowed for great pictures...

even a grasshopper paused for a photo...

Remember when I said there were animals to feed...both Shae and Anthony got to feed the goats...

These goats were tricky. If you didn't hold onto the little plastic cups tight enough, they stole the plastic cups. However there was a goat that Shae called polite because it didn't take her plastic cup. I think it liked the taste of pumpkin better...

It is this cute little farm (which is for sale) and is absolutely lovely. I didn't get to take any pictures of apple picking...I had to pick apples and carry them, so I didn't have a free hand to take pictures. I did, however manage to get to take some pictures of the decorations...
Oh, I forgot to tell you, I even managed to find a baby gourd...maybe it will be ready for next fall...

So, what did you do this weekend?

High Hopes..

We have a thing going. This thing called the NLDS games. The Phillies are in it...duh, and we won our first game. If you didn't know that...WHAT ROCK HAVE YOU BEEN UNDER?! Roy Halladay pitched a great game...a no-hitter! It was amazing, but that is not what this post is about. See, my hubs and his brother are Yankees fans. Yes, you read that right. Yes, the World Series was interesting last year in my house. However, I am starting to change things. See, when our sweet babes is born, she has a Phillie Phanatic onesie to wear home. (That is all I have picked out right now). Anyway, hub's niece is 2 months old and while neither her mother nor her really care about baseball ( I blame my obsession on my daddy), I think I have recruited the youngest fan. She technically is the youngest fan that I know because my babes can't count yet since she is still inside me. Anyway, without further ado, I present the Phillies youngest fan that I know of....

I love how she is holding onto the hat! Isn't she precious! I think so!

Aww moment

Yesterday, my good friend Liz asked me to watch her son Anthony because she had to work and because her parents went out of town. Without hesitation I said sure. Why, because I absolutely love this little kid, and because I knew my niece would be up and I love love how good she is with other little kids. Anyway, Anthony came up, and while he was a little fussy, when Shae was able to distract him, hand and hand they strolled around the yard. I wish I had a picture of it, but I have to get better with carrying my camera. To my credit, I had my camera, it was just inside while we were outside. Anyway, Anthony got a little bit more fussy and I decided that it was time to leave so that we could try to get him to sleep. Never the less, within moments, he was asleep.

When we got to our apartment, I waited for the Hubs to get there. I try not to lift heavy stuff, and I knew he would be mad if I picked up Anthony. Anyway, the hubs carried him into our apartment, and while I was changing him for bed, the hubs put together our pack-n-play. What great teamwork we have already. But wait, it gets better. Hubs was eager to hold him, and whenever he fussed he rubbed his back to calm him back down. That was my aww moment. I never doubted what kind of mother I would be, but I sometimes wondered what kind of dad he will be. See, his dad isn't close to him like I am with mine, so while I know he will be a loving father, how would he show it was sometimes wondered. Not anymore. Hubs will be the kind and gentle dad that he needs to be, yet he won't be afraid to be the stern and disciplinarian that he needs to be as well. I have to say this though...I know our precious little girl will have him wrapped around her finger, and I can't be any more excited!