We have a stroller!

As if just getting the room ready wasn't enough, a few weeks ago we also assembled the stroller, which was a gift from my parents.  Obviously a stroller doesn't need as much prep time as an entire room, but when the motivation strikes, we say go with it, so go with it we did.

DH was in charge of stroller construction, the instructions of which were written mostly in French, but fortunately easy enough to figure out.

That's right Murph, better give that a good sniff-over now - your baby brother will be in that soon!

Staying true to our decision to have Murphy test drive all baby related equipment, we promptly had him try it out. 

 We were already pretty sure that he would be super cute in it, but then he put his paws up on the top of the carseat, rested his head on them, and waited for his ride.  My heart pretty much melted.  Is this was being a parent feels like?

The stroller is the Baby Trend Expedition ELX.  We chose it after "test driving" a number of strollers at Babies R Us.  We liked it for a couple of reasons.

1. "Travel" system that came with the infant carseat and stroller - Baby H can still use the stroller once he outgrows his infant carseat
2. Bigger tires for outdoor pushing - We quite frequently take walks in the development across the street from us, but the sidewalks are bumpy and we wanted tires that would wear as easily as those plastic wheels on other strollers
3. Unlockable front tire - Makes for easy steering when you're just walking 

DH finds it easy to steer and Murph gives it an A+ for comfort

We had already more or less decided that a "jogging" style stroller was more up our alley.  When we thought about when we would use the stroller, the answer was almost always "outside."  I surveyed some people that I knew had both a traditional stroller and a jogging stroller, and the main use for the regular stroller was for shopping at the mall.  We are not mall people - I got maybe 4 times a year, and getting a stroller just for that purpose seemed silly.  The major complaints about jogging stroller users was that the front wheel on some models didn't unlock, making it hard to push around.  This stroller had a lockable/unlockable front wheel which solved that problem.

The biggest con about putting the stroller together this far in advance is that, well... now we have a full-size stroller sitting in our house.  But it's done and I'm glad for that. We just need to install the car seat bases into our vehicles (which we're NOT going to do too far in advance considering all of the traveling we're doing prior to my due date) and then I think we're pretty much ready for a baby!!!

The Hospital Wedding

Sometimes it seems like life just doesn't play fair.  And we are stuck to deal with it.  There's no one that we can "tattle" to, "he's not playing fair!" - we just have to make the most of it

We knew that DH's mom would have to have surgery a few weeks before DH's brother's wedding in Kentucky.  We were all so hopeful that she would be feeling good enough afterwards that she would be able to make the trip.  But one week and one day before the wedding, it was seemed pretty likely that this was going to be one of those "no fair" moments.

So with a day's notice, DH's brother started putting together plans to host a wedding ceremony in the hospital where his mom was staying.  We found out on a Thursday night that we would be making the trip that weekend.  I was asked to be an impromtu bridesmaid.  DH wrote a best man speech on the car ride there (with help from his clever and witty wife, of course.)  Everyone chipped in, did their own part, and somehow one of the nicest wedding ceremonies we've ever attended came as a result.

This link is to a video that DH put together of the event.  It's 8 minutes long, but if you have the time, I highly recommend watching it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sDJRKIjEso&feature=player_embedded

There was food, and even a fancy wedding cake made by one of their cousins.

Speeches by the bride and groom....

And speeches by the best men.

They take their roles as best men very seriously

There were even first dances and mother/son dances....

DH got to dance with the bride.

Mom and her three sons

Their mom looked amazing.  Seriously, would you guess from the picture above that she was a patient in a hospital?!?!?  Not a chance....

Life definitely isn't always fair.  But sometimes it takes those moments to make us realize what really matters - family.  You can have a wedding in a hospital or the fanciest venue this side of the Mississippi but what really makes it special and meaningful are the people that are there and the emotions that are flowing.  The emotions were definitely flowing at this event and although it doesn't really translate through the video, there were definitely some moist eyes during that ceremony.  It was really beautiful.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that pregnant bridesmaids in kelly green dresses are going to be all the rage for 2012.  You just wait and see.

28 Weeks

No 27 week picture.  It was too busy.  Moving on to week 28, which is quite convenient since it means that I am now "up to date" with this picture/update thing.  Phew! That was hard catching up.  Who knew skipping a week could make life so much easier?

 From 6/1/11

I am officially enormous.  I almost have to agree with my doctor who called me a fatty (although I am still holding a grudge against him for now.)

Weeks 27 and 28 brought on a whole new level of movement.  For awhile there, I was slightly worried because I usually only felt movement once or twice a day.  Starting last Friday, following a particularly (and probably too caffeinated) cappuccino, he started kicking like crazy and really hasn't stopped since (even though the caffeine has.)  Who knows, maybe he just needed a little kick start!

There's also a whole new category of lower back pain. So low, in fact, that it's basically my butt (but I guess it's probably just my tailbone.)  Some times the pain is so sharp that it takes my breath away.  The other night during a walk I yelped in pain when it literally felt like my tailbone was disconnecting from my body, and I couldn't continue walking without excruciating pain.  We stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes while I tried to bend and stretch in ways that I am sure made me looked absolutely ridiculous (DH kept looking around, I think to make sure that the neighbors weren't watching).  Eventually I realized it wasn't going to go away just standing there so I hobbled the rest of the way home, but was uncomfortable for the rest of the night.  The only thing that helped was laying down and not moving.

Foot pain has increased as well.  I have completely abandoned high heels.  I tried to wear them to a wedding two weekends ago and was in so much pain after an hour of standing that I was near tears.  I wore flip flops the rest of the night, although the damage was already done and my feet were still incredibly sore the rest of the night.  I have had to resort to wearing flats exclusively, something I'm not completely excited about since I don't have a ton of flats.  I guess it's time to go shopping soon.

Still no stretch marks (yay!!!) and my belly button is what I will call a half-sie - mostly in, but sticking out at the top enough that most people think it's an outie now when I'm wearing fitted shirts.  Oh well, at least it doesn't hurt (I've heard that popped belly buttons are fairly painful, which is probably why I am scared of my popping out!)

My Doctor Called Me a Fatty

At my 27 week appointment, my doctor more or less told me that I was a fatty.  I was simultaneously offended and worried.  First of all, of course I'm fat - I'm pregnant!  Leave a girl alone!  But of course, I did gain about 22 pounds since December, which is definitely on the high end of the "recommended" spectrum.

I think the weight issue with pregnant women is such a touchy subject.  On one hand, pregnancy should not give you a "get out of jail free" card to eat whatever you want.  On the other hand, the emotional, psychological, and physical changes associated with pregnancy are challenging and for many, eating helps them to cope. I'm somewhere in between.  I don't necessarily eat whatever the hell I want, but sometimes - particularly when I'm out with others, who are drinking or doing other things that I can't do - food is all I have.  While everyone else is holding a drink, I can hold a (high calorie) lemonade, or an appetizer.  Or perhaps something sweet.  I'm an extreme introvert, and social situations can be exhausting for me.  Drinking used to help me relax but that is gone and I am painfully aware (perhaps overly so) of my awkwardness. 

Exercise is also hard.  Up until about the 20 week mark I was still jogging at least 3 nights a week on the treadmill.  But then my skin started stretching and my belly bounced up and down in ways that made me think my skin was going to tear.  I could have gone to walking, but I'm not really a walker, and so I just didn't.  Exercise left my life while the increased eating remained, which brings me to present day, and my doctor calling me a fatty.

To be fair to myself, this particular doctor is relentless about his nagging on women regarding weight gain.  None of the other doctors that I've met with have had any concerns about my weight.  I suppose in some ways I should be thankful that he's watching out for me, and keeping my health in mind.  But on the other hand I just want him to back off, since clearly his comment has been weighing heavily on my mind. 

I know that plenty of women have gained 30, 40, 50, or even more pounds during their pregnancies, and quite successfully lost that weight after the baby was born.  I just worry that if I let myself go now, I'll never get it back.  Or that "getting it back" will be an even harder, more miserable process than I anticipate it will already be.  No one has ever said that taking care of an infant is easy, and do I really want the added stress of having to lose a ton of extra weight to those few precious months that I get to spend at home with my little one?  Right now, I have slightly more control over what I eat, what I do, what I gain.  In three months from now, the damage will already be redone, and the work will all be to undo that damage.  If I do damage control now, life will be so much easier later, but it's hard.  Finding that balance is most certainly going to be an ongoing challenge for me. 

The First and Last Time

Today was the first and last time that we'll get to see little Critter's face before August.

We had another (third) ultrasound today, to check to see if the echogenic bowel problem was still present and I'm excited to say that they have determined that it's gone!  Most likely, it was just a little swallowed blood, which is probably really normal and it just happened around the time that we had our 20 week ultrasound.

The picture above is not the best, but I can definitely tell that it's a face! If you can't tell what you're looking at, basically the mouth is right in the middle, the forehead is to the left and one of the eyes is one of those dark spots you see.  There was actually a much better image of him for a brief moment but then he moved before she could hit the print button so we didn't get that great shot. But I still like this picture regardless. 

As predicted, he has a huge forehead.

We also got a new profile image, and yes, those are arms AND legs there above his head.  He is literally bent in half, and still 100% breech.  Hopefully he'll flip soon, while there's still enough room in there to move around (although given his current position, it seems like things might already be tight.)  I asked if they could confirm that he was still a "he," but this awkward position that he's in meant that his privates were well concealed so we're just going to have to hope that the first technician was right!

So, although we're thrilled that he's gotten a clean bill of health, it's bittersweet - it's so nice getting to see your baby every few weeks, and now that he's doing well, we won't get any more ultrasounds unless something new pops up.  Obviously, we hope that's not the case. 

I have so much to write about from the past couple of weeks, and I am definitely behind.  I need to go through tons of pictures and spend some quality time with my computer - something that hasn't been possible recently because we've been so busy, but hopefully I'll have time soon!

"A Pecker Woke Me Up!"

"A pecker woke me up!" That is a direct quote, spoken by me last Saturday morning.  I was in bed, and it was still early.  7:30.  8 a.m. at the latest.  I was sleeping in, as I tend to do on Saturdays, but DH had been awake for hours, I'm sure (I don't even try to keep track of when he wakes up.)

I came out of my slumber slowly, aware of noise outside near the driveway.  I knew that DH had plans to plant some rhododendrons.  It seemed early, but sometimes he likes to make subtle noise to get me out of bed without angering me (sometimes it works.)

So after listening to noise for at least 10 minutes, I get out of bed and put on my glasses to see what he's doing.

But when I look out the window, there is no DH.  Instead I see the biggest woodpecker I have ever seen in my entire life (I've only seen a few, mind you) pecking on the tree stump right outside of our bedroom window.

He was having a field day.  This is a long dead, rotting stump, exploding with nasty bugs that are causing it to fall apart.  He barely had to work to get a feast from the thing. 

So I go out into the hallway, to find DH quietly folding his laundry in the office.  I can't believe I was accusing him of trying to wake me up.  He was being so quiet.

"A pecker woke me up," I said.

"What??" was his understandably confused response.

"There's a woodpecker working on the stump outside of our window. I thought you were working outside."

And then he joined me to look at this woodpecker, who was so big he could kick Woody's butt in a second.

Have you ever seen a woodpecker up close before?? Are they all this big???  Do they all have red "hats" like that???

I know that woodpeckers can cause quite a bit of damage to live trees, but his big guy is welcome to come back any time and help us to get rid of that stupid stump.

A Belly Growth Comparison

Let's review.  

 6 weeks........  And 26 weeks.


Oh my..... I seriously think I am out of room in there.
There are so many questions that run through my mind when I see these pictures side by side, including: 

1. How can I possibly have 3 more months of growing to do!?!?!? 
2. Will I ever look like "6 weeks" ever again!?!?!? 
3. Is my face really fat now? Or is it just the way that I'm holding my head back in "26 weeks."
4. And my arms, they're definitely flabbier now, right? 

Again, these are all really, really important questions.
I have no answers.
All I can say is, "Oh my...."