...and Caroline is definitely a dancer! We had our choir concert last night. We did the Mozart Requiem and Laudate Dominum, and Caroline kicked me the whole time! At one point, I looked down and saw my whole tummy moving almost in time to the music. This girl's got rhythm!
The nursery is coming along. The walls are painted, and the crib is...well, the crib is still in pieces, but at least all the pieces are in one corner of the room. I went through all the big Rubbermaid boxes full of clothes and found that I hadn't kept as many infant clothes as I thought, but since one kind friend (Hi Stephanie!) has given me all her girls' outgrown baby clothes, which should be close to the right seasons, I should be covered. I'm trying to go through the other boxes now and divide and label the toddler clothes by size so that when the time comes I can just send Jimmy to the attic to get "the 2T box" or whatever. There does seem to be a strange phenomenon where clothes that you are CERTAIN were put away clean and stain free magically develop stains while they sit in the attic for 5 years or so. It looks like I might have to bust out the Oxyclean and do a few overnight soaks to see if I can get out the mysterious stains before I wash the clothes.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Finally -- Daddy felt movement!
Last night, Jimmy finally got to feel the baby moving from the outside. We had several false alarms early in the evening when she was moving around quite a bit, and then when he put his hand on my tummy, she stopped. Finally, before I went to bed last night, I asked Jimmy to rub my back. I set myself up on the couch with pillows arranged so that I could lie on my tummy, and as he was rubbing, I noticed that Caroline kept kicking at the place where the couch was still squishing my belly a bit. So Jimmy put his hands there and finally got some strong thumps.
So, we had to trick her into it, but Daddy finally got to feel her moving!
So, we had to trick her into it, but Daddy finally got to feel her moving!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
23 Week Midwife Visit
I saw my midwife, Karen, today. The appointment was fairly boring, just the way I like them at this point! Everything measured right on. Weight was good, blood pressure was good. We heard Caroline's heartbeat, but we couldn't get a heart rate because she kept kicking the Doppler and then doing all sorts of acrobatics to get away from it! That's fairly indicative of her behavior all the time, though. This child is ACTIVE! She's constantly kicking and stretching and flipping in there. I've even felt a few hiccups, I think. This could be another feisty baby, just like her big sister!
When I walked into the exam room today, I saw the Orange Bottle of Doom sitting on the counter. I'll be tested for gestational diabetes at my next appointment, so I have to take the glucola solution home and drink it before I go. The nurse tried to convince me that it tastes like orange Sunkist, but I happen to know from experience that she's full of crap! It tastes more like carbonated cough syrup to me. It is definitely not pleasant to drink -- especially since you have to down the entire bottle within 5-10 minutes! The good news is that I can at least chill it before my next appointment. When I had to do the 3-hour glucose tolerance test for my endocrinology workup last year, they gave it to me at room temperature, and that was truly hurl worthy. It is at least slightly better chilled.
We discussed the choroid plexus cyst today, and Karen agreed to make my followup ultrasound a level 2, which should show more detail. The cysts are not a cause for concern unless they are accompanied by heart, spine, intestine, or hand/foot abnormalities. The heart, spine, and intestines looked fine on the last ultrasound, but the hands and feet really can't be observed very well without a level 2. So we'll do that just for peace of mind. I'm still optimistic that the cyst will resolve on its own, and none of this will be an issue at all!
So there's today's update. I also finished filling out the paperwork to preregister at the hospital. After Anna managed to charm the pants off the three ladies working the registration desk (she told them ALL about her new baby sister!), we found out there was a bake sale near the gift shop. I don't know what the sale was supposed to benefit (and really, who cares? It's ALWAYS a good cause when there are brownies involved!), but Anna and I enjoyed a brownie before we came home. Yum!'
When I walked into the exam room today, I saw the Orange Bottle of Doom sitting on the counter. I'll be tested for gestational diabetes at my next appointment, so I have to take the glucola solution home and drink it before I go. The nurse tried to convince me that it tastes like orange Sunkist, but I happen to know from experience that she's full of crap! It tastes more like carbonated cough syrup to me. It is definitely not pleasant to drink -- especially since you have to down the entire bottle within 5-10 minutes! The good news is that I can at least chill it before my next appointment. When I had to do the 3-hour glucose tolerance test for my endocrinology workup last year, they gave it to me at room temperature, and that was truly hurl worthy. It is at least slightly better chilled.
We discussed the choroid plexus cyst today, and Karen agreed to make my followup ultrasound a level 2, which should show more detail. The cysts are not a cause for concern unless they are accompanied by heart, spine, intestine, or hand/foot abnormalities. The heart, spine, and intestines looked fine on the last ultrasound, but the hands and feet really can't be observed very well without a level 2. So we'll do that just for peace of mind. I'm still optimistic that the cyst will resolve on its own, and none of this will be an issue at all!
So there's today's update. I also finished filling out the paperwork to preregister at the hospital. After Anna managed to charm the pants off the three ladies working the registration desk (she told them ALL about her new baby sister!), we found out there was a bake sale near the gift shop. I don't know what the sale was supposed to benefit (and really, who cares? It's ALWAYS a good cause when there are brownies involved!), but Anna and I enjoyed a brownie before we came home. Yum!'
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A name, and a Big Sister brag!
It appears that Jimmy has given in to the inevitableness of the name Caroline for our new baby! Anna and I are overjoyed because we've both liked that name from the beginning. It probably helped our cause quite a bit that everyone who has heard the potential name has started calling the baby Caroline whenever they see me! So unless we hear something in the next four months that changes our mind, the baby will be Caroline Elise. I think it's a nice, classic name, but hopefully not so trendy that there will be 16 other Carolines in her kindergarten class.
Yesterday, we took Anna to her first baseball game: Astros vs. Marlins. We had lots of fun and left at the top of the 8th with the score tied 3-3. When we got home, we found out the Astros won 4-3! Anyway, on the way there, Anna said (completely out of the blue), "Mommy, I know how to spell Caroline! C-A-R-L...no...C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E!" To my knowledge, she's never seen it written down, so she figured it out all by herself! But what's even more amazing is what she said this morning in the car. "Mommy, I know how to spell Caroline backwards: E-N-I-L-O-R-A-C!" She spelled it without even hesitating. I don't know if I could do that NOW, much less when I was 5 1/2! I think we have a future spelling bee champ on our hands!
Yesterday, we took Anna to her first baseball game: Astros vs. Marlins. We had lots of fun and left at the top of the 8th with the score tied 3-3. When we got home, we found out the Astros won 4-3! Anyway, on the way there, Anna said (completely out of the blue), "Mommy, I know how to spell Caroline! C-A-R-L...no...C-A-R-O-L-I-N-E!" To my knowledge, she's never seen it written down, so she figured it out all by herself! But what's even more amazing is what she said this morning in the car. "Mommy, I know how to spell Caroline backwards: E-N-I-L-O-R-A-C!" She spelled it without even hesitating. I don't know if I could do that NOW, much less when I was 5 1/2! I think we have a future spelling bee champ on our hands!
Friday, April 13, 2007
22.5 weeks
Well, I'm finally getting back to this week's update after typing for 20 minutes the other day, only to have a power surge wipe out every word I had written!
Not much happening this week in the way of appointments or anything. We're still undecided on names. Babycenter.com says the baby is about 11 inches long this week and weighs close to a pound. I think our baby aspires to be a Radio City Music Hall Rockette because I'm feeling kicks and punches at the same time on completely opposite sides of my tummy. She's definitely getting bigger and stronger in there! It won't be long until we can sit around and watch my tummy change shapes before our eyes. Talk about cheap entertainment!
Anna finally felt the baby move this week! She came to my bedroom the other morning to wake me up. I was lying on my right side, and baby was kicking my left side pretty hard. She put her hand there, and her eyes got really wide when she felt the first kick! She got to feel 3 or 4, and she said it felt like a "big lump coming out of my tummy". She was so excited, we called Jimmy, who is now the only member of the family who hasn't felt the baby kick. Even our two cats, Albert and Clara, have been kicked a couple of times while lounging on my tummy. Both looked rather annoyed that their nice, soft resting place was moving around beneath them!
So, with a relative lack of baby news, let's go on to nursery news! Yesterday, Anna and I made a trip to Sherwin Williams for paint. I finally decided on two greens for the baby's room. They're called Spring Lawn and Apple Slice. The room has a chair rail all the way around, so the darker color (Spring Lawn) will go on the bottom, and the other will go on top. I can't wait to see how it turns out once the color is on the wall and all the bedding is displayed!
Meanwhile, I've attached some pictures of the future nursery as it is now so that you can fully appreciate the improvement when it's done. Until now, the room has been a dumping ground for all the baby stuff we haven't used in the last 5+ years (including 2 rocking chairs, a disassembled crib, and countless Rubbermaid containers of baby clothes), so there should definitely be a MAJOR change when things are cleaned up and painted. The current challenge is keeping the cats out of the room; particularly Albert, who thinks the glider rocker is his personal cat bed and manages to shed his black hair all over the cream cushion any time he comes within 10 feet of the thing. He also thinks the baskets in the closet are cozy resting places (and make great hiding spots!), but at least those have washable liners!
This is the corner nearest the door. We'll probably put the crib here. One thing I learned when Anna was a baby is that it's much easier to crack the door and spy on a baby when the bed is right next to the door! If they're across the room, they can see the door opening, and then it's all over!
This is the opposite corner where all of Anna's old clothes currently reside. I really need to go through them and get rid of a bunch of stuff, especially since it seems I can't help but buy more baby clothes whenever I see something cute on sale! And after six years, some of her old clothes are kind of out of style, anyway. Or at least, that's how I justify buying new stuff!
Not much happening this week in the way of appointments or anything. We're still undecided on names. Babycenter.com says the baby is about 11 inches long this week and weighs close to a pound. I think our baby aspires to be a Radio City Music Hall Rockette because I'm feeling kicks and punches at the same time on completely opposite sides of my tummy. She's definitely getting bigger and stronger in there! It won't be long until we can sit around and watch my tummy change shapes before our eyes. Talk about cheap entertainment!
Anna finally felt the baby move this week! She came to my bedroom the other morning to wake me up. I was lying on my right side, and baby was kicking my left side pretty hard. She put her hand there, and her eyes got really wide when she felt the first kick! She got to feel 3 or 4, and she said it felt like a "big lump coming out of my tummy". She was so excited, we called Jimmy, who is now the only member of the family who hasn't felt the baby kick. Even our two cats, Albert and Clara, have been kicked a couple of times while lounging on my tummy. Both looked rather annoyed that their nice, soft resting place was moving around beneath them!
So, with a relative lack of baby news, let's go on to nursery news! Yesterday, Anna and I made a trip to Sherwin Williams for paint. I finally decided on two greens for the baby's room. They're called Spring Lawn and Apple Slice. The room has a chair rail all the way around, so the darker color (Spring Lawn) will go on the bottom, and the other will go on top. I can't wait to see how it turns out once the color is on the wall and all the bedding is displayed!
Meanwhile, I've attached some pictures of the future nursery as it is now so that you can fully appreciate the improvement when it's done. Until now, the room has been a dumping ground for all the baby stuff we haven't used in the last 5+ years (including 2 rocking chairs, a disassembled crib, and countless Rubbermaid containers of baby clothes), so there should definitely be a MAJOR change when things are cleaned up and painted. The current challenge is keeping the cats out of the room; particularly Albert, who thinks the glider rocker is his personal cat bed and manages to shed his black hair all over the cream cushion any time he comes within 10 feet of the thing. He also thinks the baskets in the closet are cozy resting places (and make great hiding spots!), but at least those have washable liners!
This is the corner nearest the door. We'll probably put the crib here. One thing I learned when Anna was a baby is that it's much easier to crack the door and spy on a baby when the bed is right next to the door! If they're across the room, they can see the door opening, and then it's all over!
This is the opposite corner where all of Anna's old clothes currently reside. I really need to go through them and get rid of a bunch of stuff, especially since it seems I can't help but buy more baby clothes whenever I see something cute on sale! And after six years, some of her old clothes are kind of out of style, anyway. Or at least, that's how I justify buying new stuff!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Houston, we have crib bedding!
Geez, and I thought finding a name was hard!
I spent a good portion of the last couple of weeks looking for crib bedding so that I'll have a color palette to start painting the nursery. I wanted something cute and girly, but not over the top. And of course, just because nothing can be easy for me, I had a list of requirements. First of all, I'm really not a bunnies and bears kind of gal, so anything with cutesy animals was pretty much out from the get-go. I find most ruffles to be obnoxious, and too many bows get on my nerves. Pink is a lovely color when combined in moderation with other, dissimilar colors, but there seems to be a ton of bedding out there for girls with a pink/lavender combination that just looks like an Easter bunny threw up on it. Themes are okay, provided we avoid the above-mentioned fluffy bunnies, and I wanted to avoid princess/castle themes because 1) Anna's room is a princess theme, and we all know how I feel about the matchy-matchy thing, and 2) with my luck, I'd get a tomboy this time who will hate all things princessy.
I have now been to every single store that carries baby bedding in Houston. Okay, I take that back. I haven't been to the really upscale boutiques because I'm far to cheap to pay $800 for a bedding set that my baby will most likely urp on at some point. But I did scour all of the typical venues: J.C. Penney, Sears, Baby Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, Babies R Us, and the discounters like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, etc.
The first bedding set I bought was from Baby Depot. Yes, you read that right. That was the FIRST set. It was stunning, with blocks of pink/green plaid interspersed with sagey green toile, pale yellow, and a gossamer cream colored overlay with pink and green flowers. Truly beautiful. And truly expensive -- about twice what I wanted to pay -- but I did love it so, so I just sucked it up and paid it.
Well, since my mom was visiting and was on a quest for a new vacuum cleaner that ended up spanning the globe from pole to pole, I decided to take one more look at the mall for bedding. Lo and behold, Sears had a really cute set that was less than 1/2 the price of the Baby Depot set. It had flowers and butterflies in pastel gingham, and while it wasn't nearly as elegant as the first set, I figured it was considerably more practical (see previous concern re: urping on bedding). So I bought it and returned the first set.
So the Sears set came home with me and spent the night in my house. The next day, while on an online quest for Mom's new vacuum cleaner (the 17 stores we visited the first day didn't have *quite* the thing!), I perused the Target web site. Well, Target.com has a link at the top of the page that says "Baby". How could I resist that? So I thought I'd just check to see if maybe they had different inventory online than they did in the store, and I found an adorable set. It said it was available in the stores, and I wanted to see it in person, so during the course of the 32 more vacuum stores we visited that day, we also managed to hit 3 Targets. The first didn't even have a spot on the shelf for the bedding I wanted. Bummer. The second had it but was sold out. The third store was the jackpot! This was definitely the set! And better yet, it cost another $10 less than the Sears set! Of course, I had to go online to buy a few matching accessories (window valance, diaper stacker, etc) that they didn't carry in-store, but it was still very reasonable.
The next day, the Sears set went back, and I feel fairly confident that this set is "the one". It's pink, but don't be too alarmed. The background is pink but there are large flowers in lots of other colors like yellow, orange, green, and turquoise. There are a couple of bands of brighter pink minkee fabric (if you don't know what minkee is, you're missing out -- it's the fabric of the gods, and I wish they made adult clothing out of it), and the sheets and bumper have coordinating floral and polka-dot fabrics. There is not a bit of lavender to be seen, and best of all, no ruffles or bunnies!
So I give to you the crib bedding. Try not to weep in the presence of its perfection.
I spent a good portion of the last couple of weeks looking for crib bedding so that I'll have a color palette to start painting the nursery. I wanted something cute and girly, but not over the top. And of course, just because nothing can be easy for me, I had a list of requirements. First of all, I'm really not a bunnies and bears kind of gal, so anything with cutesy animals was pretty much out from the get-go. I find most ruffles to be obnoxious, and too many bows get on my nerves. Pink is a lovely color when combined in moderation with other, dissimilar colors, but there seems to be a ton of bedding out there for girls with a pink/lavender combination that just looks like an Easter bunny threw up on it. Themes are okay, provided we avoid the above-mentioned fluffy bunnies, and I wanted to avoid princess/castle themes because 1) Anna's room is a princess theme, and we all know how I feel about the matchy-matchy thing, and 2) with my luck, I'd get a tomboy this time who will hate all things princessy.
I have now been to every single store that carries baby bedding in Houston. Okay, I take that back. I haven't been to the really upscale boutiques because I'm far to cheap to pay $800 for a bedding set that my baby will most likely urp on at some point. But I did scour all of the typical venues: J.C. Penney, Sears, Baby Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, Babies R Us, and the discounters like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, etc.
The first bedding set I bought was from Baby Depot. Yes, you read that right. That was the FIRST set. It was stunning, with blocks of pink/green plaid interspersed with sagey green toile, pale yellow, and a gossamer cream colored overlay with pink and green flowers. Truly beautiful. And truly expensive -- about twice what I wanted to pay -- but I did love it so, so I just sucked it up and paid it.
Well, since my mom was visiting and was on a quest for a new vacuum cleaner that ended up spanning the globe from pole to pole, I decided to take one more look at the mall for bedding. Lo and behold, Sears had a really cute set that was less than 1/2 the price of the Baby Depot set. It had flowers and butterflies in pastel gingham, and while it wasn't nearly as elegant as the first set, I figured it was considerably more practical (see previous concern re: urping on bedding). So I bought it and returned the first set.
So the Sears set came home with me and spent the night in my house. The next day, while on an online quest for Mom's new vacuum cleaner (the 17 stores we visited the first day didn't have *quite* the thing!), I perused the Target web site. Well, Target.com has a link at the top of the page that says "Baby". How could I resist that? So I thought I'd just check to see if maybe they had different inventory online than they did in the store, and I found an adorable set. It said it was available in the stores, and I wanted to see it in person, so during the course of the 32 more vacuum stores we visited that day, we also managed to hit 3 Targets. The first didn't even have a spot on the shelf for the bedding I wanted. Bummer. The second had it but was sold out. The third store was the jackpot! This was definitely the set! And better yet, it cost another $10 less than the Sears set! Of course, I had to go online to buy a few matching accessories (window valance, diaper stacker, etc) that they didn't carry in-store, but it was still very reasonable.
The next day, the Sears set went back, and I feel fairly confident that this set is "the one". It's pink, but don't be too alarmed. The background is pink but there are large flowers in lots of other colors like yellow, orange, green, and turquoise. There are a couple of bands of brighter pink minkee fabric (if you don't know what minkee is, you're missing out -- it's the fabric of the gods, and I wish they made adult clothing out of it), and the sheets and bumper have coordinating floral and polka-dot fabrics. There is not a bit of lavender to be seen, and best of all, no ruffles or bunnies!
So I give to you the crib bedding. Try not to weep in the presence of its perfection.
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