We did our baby registry tonight. It was just as exhausting and overwhelming as I thought it might be. In hindsight, we maybe should have done things in the opposite order of what we did, but oh well. We started at Babies 'R Us. I have been in the store plenty of times, but usually it's to buy something for someone else. It's such an overwhelming place. On Facebook one day, I asked people to list their "must haves" when they had a baby. I have lots of friends with kids, so I knew they would give some good pointers. I also looked up some things in my Baby Bargains book, but there still is a lot to look at and think about. I'm sure we could have spent more time there, and been a little more thorough, but I was getting tired and hungry, and neither one of those things were going to make a pleasant shopping partner for John. I knew that I could always go in and tweak things online.
We stopped for a quick pizza dinner, and then went to Target. I double registered for some things. I know that Target is more accessible for people, and their prices on some things are a little cheaper. We maybe should have started at Target first, because their baby department is much more manageable. I think if we had done that, though, I definitely would have run out of steam faster at BRU. I did come home and look at some more things online. I figure in this day and age, so many people buy gift cards, that I'll be able to get what I need. I'm most worried about getting a bunch of "cute" or "fun" stuff, and none of the things I really need. Hopefully my friends will come through for me! :-)
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Pink Eye
I had a regular OB appointment Monday. Towards the end of the school day, my right eye was feeling a little irritated. While John and I were sitting in the waiting room at the doctor, it was starting to bother me a little more, and when I looked at it in the mirror, I noticed a bunch of "goop" floating around. The more I dabbed at it with a kleenex, the more it felt irritated, and the more "goop" kept appearing. When we got to see the doctor, John said I should mention it to her. It was starting to look a little red, but not too bad. She told me if it was still bothering me in the morning, to give them a call, and they would call in some drops for me. Well, in hindsight, I should have just asked her for a prescription when we were there. I had no idea how quickly my eye would get so bad.
As the evening went on, it was bothering me more and more. I was having a lot of drainage, and it was really watery, and was starting to hurt. It started looking more and more swollen, to the point where I was having a hard time keeping it open. The light was really bothering it. John finally said that I really couldn't go to work the next day. I knew he was probably right, but it caused me immediate stress. I hate taking an unplanned day off, and having to put responsibilities on my co-workers. I talked to my friend Jackie, and emailed a sub plan to her, but she still had to get some things out for my kids to work on. I work with some really great ladies, and we work very well together, but I hate having to put extra work on someone.
John decided to call in sick for the day, too, because he didn't want me having to drive to the store or anything. It turned out to be a good thing, because by the next morning, my eye was so swollen I couldn't even open it. I can't remember the last time I had pink eye, but I'm pretty sure I was a kid myself. I really don't remember it being so bad, either. I figured I picked it up from one of my kids, but none of them were out with it before or after I got sick, so I have no idea how it happened. I had a little bit of a cold a few days before the pink eye hit, so I don't know if it stemmed from that or what. I called my doctor's office as soon as they opened, and they called in some eye drops for me. Even the pharmacist gave me a pitiful look and a "you poor thing" when we went to pick them up. As I figured, during the day, it spread to my other eye, too. The eye drops certainly helped them feel better, though.
Unfortunately, our class pictures were today, and although I was better, I wasn't that much better. I wasn't at all able to put any eye make-up on, and my eyes were still really red and watery. By lunch time, both of my assistant principals told me I needed to go home and rest. I think they were both more concerned about me being pregnant and so sick, than me passing something to someone else. So, I left and came home and slept for 3 hours. Hopefully I will get over this crud soon!
This was Tuesday morning after I woke up
As the evening went on, it was bothering me more and more. I was having a lot of drainage, and it was really watery, and was starting to hurt. It started looking more and more swollen, to the point where I was having a hard time keeping it open. The light was really bothering it. John finally said that I really couldn't go to work the next day. I knew he was probably right, but it caused me immediate stress. I hate taking an unplanned day off, and having to put responsibilities on my co-workers. I talked to my friend Jackie, and emailed a sub plan to her, but she still had to get some things out for my kids to work on. I work with some really great ladies, and we work very well together, but I hate having to put extra work on someone.
John decided to call in sick for the day, too, because he didn't want me having to drive to the store or anything. It turned out to be a good thing, because by the next morning, my eye was so swollen I couldn't even open it. I can't remember the last time I had pink eye, but I'm pretty sure I was a kid myself. I really don't remember it being so bad, either. I figured I picked it up from one of my kids, but none of them were out with it before or after I got sick, so I have no idea how it happened. I had a little bit of a cold a few days before the pink eye hit, so I don't know if it stemmed from that or what. I called my doctor's office as soon as they opened, and they called in some eye drops for me. Even the pharmacist gave me a pitiful look and a "you poor thing" when we went to pick them up. As I figured, during the day, it spread to my other eye, too. The eye drops certainly helped them feel better, though.
Unfortunately, our class pictures were today, and although I was better, I wasn't that much better. I wasn't at all able to put any eye make-up on, and my eyes were still really red and watery. By lunch time, both of my assistant principals told me I needed to go home and rest. I think they were both more concerned about me being pregnant and so sick, than me passing something to someone else. So, I left and came home and slept for 3 hours. Hopefully I will get over this crud soon!
This was my eye Monday night
This was Tuesday morning after I woke upTuesday, January 10, 2012
Baby Kicks
Tonight, John got to feel the baby kicking for the first time! I was slouched way back in one of the chairs in the game room, and just could feel her moving around a lot. At one point, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my stomach "jump" a little bit. I hadn't really been trying to feel her from the outside, but I thought if I could see it, then John might be able to feel her. So, John came over and started pushing around on my stomach. He talked to her a little bit, and just left his hand in one place. Sure enough, she kicked right where his hand was. I looked at him the second I felt it, and from the look on his face, I knew he did, too. It was so cool! A few seconds later, she kicked again right in the same place. It was such a neat experience, that I had been looking forward to every since I started feeling her. I know there will come a day that her kicks don't excite me as much as they hurt, but for now, it's a lot of fun. I keep telling John that he's going to be the Baby Whisperer, because anytime he starts pushing around on my stomach, she stops moving as much. He has felt her kick a few more times, but I think she can tell the difference between me and him pushing on her.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
I Think Dogs Know . . .
This weekend our lab mix, Jake, has been acting really strange around me. He seems particularly clingy, always following me around. When I sit down somewhere, he lays down right by me, often sleeping on my feet. John and I started to ponder whether he could tell that something is happening with me. I googled it, and found some interesting information. Although there has not been any official study done, many people believe that dogs can sense the changes in your body, hormones, and possibly even sense the baby's heartbeat and movement. I have imagined how our dogs will react to the baby, and I have always thought Jake would be the "protector." He's always very alert, and protective of our household, and I imagine he will be the same way with his baby "sister."
Although it's very sweet of him to want to be right next to me, it gets annoying when I'm trying to do things like clean house or cook dinner. I think he definitely knows something is "up" and it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months, especially after we bring her home from the hospital!
Although it's very sweet of him to want to be right next to me, it gets annoying when I'm trying to do things like clean house or cook dinner. I think he definitely knows something is "up" and it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months, especially after we bring her home from the hospital!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
A Dr. Visit With Gran
After one of my Dr. appointments, I mentioned to my mom that she should come with me sometime, just because the ultrasounds are so fascinating. She was going to try and come to my December appointment, but that didn't work out. So, she and my stepdad decided to come down for my January appointment. They came down on the 2nd. I had to work, but John and Kassie were both off. We had dinner and visited on Monday evening. Tuesday was back to routine for all of us. My mom and Bob ventured into downtown Houston to eat lunch with John and go check out one of the museums. The planetarium wasn't showing the movie they wanted to see, so they made their way back to the tunnel system where John works. I got home from work about the same time that they got back here. My mom offered to take me shopping for some new clothes. I don't even have words to say how appreciative I was of that gesture. I got a bunch of new shirts, and a couple of pairs of pants. It is quite a relief to have more clothes in my closet to choose from. John and Bob met up with us for some really yummy Mexican food for dinner.
On Wednesday, I had my Dr. appointment. I took a half day at school and came home for a late lunch with my mom and Bob. John also took off early, so we could all go to the doctor together. I had to wait a lot longer than usual, so I felt bad that we were all just sitting around for so long. Our little girl put on a show for her Gran, though. In addition to having fun watching her on the screen, I always enjoy watching John's face as he's watching the baby. It was doubly fun to have John and my mom there to watch her. She was very active in there, moving all over the place. She still seems to be camera shy, though, and the tech couldn't get very good pictures of her. He did print some 4-D pictures for me this time, though, so that was cool. So far, all of her growth is right on target. As of right now, she has a very long femur in comparison to the rest of her measurements. They estimated her weight around a pound and a half.
Our baby girl at 23 weeks
23 Weeks, 5 Days
On Wednesday, I had my Dr. appointment. I took a half day at school and came home for a late lunch with my mom and Bob. John also took off early, so we could all go to the doctor together. I had to wait a lot longer than usual, so I felt bad that we were all just sitting around for so long. Our little girl put on a show for her Gran, though. In addition to having fun watching her on the screen, I always enjoy watching John's face as he's watching the baby. It was doubly fun to have John and my mom there to watch her. She was very active in there, moving all over the place. She still seems to be camera shy, though, and the tech couldn't get very good pictures of her. He did print some 4-D pictures for me this time, though, so that was cool. So far, all of her growth is right on target. As of right now, she has a very long femur in comparison to the rest of her measurements. They estimated her weight around a pound and a half.
Our baby girl at 23 weeks
23 Weeks, 5 DaysMonday, January 2, 2012
The Baby's Room
A while back, I figured that my Christmas break would be the best time to paint the nursery. I knew that it would be more than a weekend job, and painting is hard to stretch over 2 or 3 weekends. I also knew that if I waited until Spring Break, I'd only be a little over a month from my due date, and probably not in prime painting shape. As I learned, it was hard to get around, and up and down the ladder at 5 months, so waiting would not have been a good idea.
This bedroom was our unused bedroom until Kassie came to live with us. I knew when we bought the house that it's what I would use as a nursery if and when the day came. It was the only room we had not yet painted. I didn't want to spend the time painting, just to redo it for a baby. It still had the off white builder paint that is terrible. I hate flat paint as it is - it's just not practical for cleaning up. Kassie was pretty rough on the walls in that room, so if it didn't before, it definitely needed fresh paint after we moved her out. Over Thanksgiving, my brother Todd came over and helped John install some extra shelves in our closet and in Kassie's (what used to be the guest room) closet. We were using our guest room closet as extra storage, and not everything in there could be put into the attic. John and Todd also put down plywood in our attic to increase our storage space up there. When we were buying the house, if I knew everything then that I do now, I would have done it differently. The house is only 3 bedrooms, but has a huge living room and a game room. Our thinking at the time was that we weren't buying this as our "forever" house, anyway, and we could have a baby, and still have a guest room. We didn't feel a 4 bedroom house was a necessity then. Little did we know that we would acquire a teenager and have a baby in a little over a year's time. Bye bye guest room. That was hard for me to come to grips with, because none of my family lives here. There really wasn't another choice, though. For many reasons, buying a new house/moving wasn't even an option we could discuss, so we have to do the best we can with what we have. I also wish our house had more closet space in general, but there's nothing I can do about that now.
With adding storage space in the attic, and in the upper parts of 2 closets, we were able to completely clear out the baby's closet, except for my wedding dress (which I need to get cleaned and preserved . . . 3 years later) and some scrapbooking stuff. I considered that a major accomplishment!
The bedding I found (but didn't buy) on Craigslist is what gave me my "inspiration." The bedding set had some fabric star wall hangings. When I didn't get the bedding, I thought "I bed my mom could make something like that." Then, I thought further "I could paint stars on the wall." I knew all along I wanted to do something gender neutral. If we have another baby while we still live here, I don't want to completely redo everything. So, I had my idea in my head, and even though I knew it would be a lot of work, I was up for the challenge.
So, my mom and I found fabric over Thanksgiving. We bought a glider that is a kind of sage green, so I had to keep that in mind. I really don't like all the pastels that are used for babies. Blah. So, I decided I wanted to use the primary colors (plus green) but a slight variation. I didn't want a kelly green and royal blue. My mom could see my vision, so we worked well together to pick out material that fit.
Christmas vacation came, and I had zero motivation to do anything. I knew I didn't have a choice, though. The walls in the closet were pretty beat up, so I decided I wanted to paint that, too. John ripped the shelving out for me, which ended up leaving some pretty big holes. I took a day to get the prep work done, and then a day to prime. At that point, I was really kicking myself for deciding the closet had to be painted, too. All of our bedrooms have ceilings that are angled in different places, with parts higher than others. It would be easier if I could just use the stepladder all the way around, but I couldn't. On top of that, most of the closet has a high ceiling, so I had to put the 6 foot ladder in the closet and climb up and down it. Not fun.
Once I got to the paint, it was a little more fun. I wanted to use the green as the base coat, but John thought we have too much green in our house already (our bedroom and bathroom, and the guest bathroom). So, we decided on yellow. I always use semi-gloss when I paint, because I have dogs that sling a lot of slobber, and it's more durable and easier to clean up. I have learned, though, on the downside that semi-gloss turns out a lot brighter than if I used a satin finish. The yellow was pretty bright when I started getting it on the walls. I don't think it looks bad, but if I was doing it again, I would choose a paler shade, or a different finish. It is what it is, though, and I'm still happy with the overall results.
My goal was to get the base coat (yellow) finished before we left town for Christmas. Even with primer, I have learned that 2 coats of paint really makes a more finished look than just 1. I was able to finish by Thursday afternoon, just in time to have my in-laws over for dinner. When we got back, I had to start on the stars. I also wanted to do a chair rail or something to break up the room. I thought it would be easier, cheaper and quicker just to paint a mimic chair rail on the wall. Before school was out, I used my projector to make 2 different sized templates on poster board. I traced the stars onto the wall, and then taped around them. On an episode of Design Star, I learned a little trick for painting something you have taped on the wall. After you tape, you should paint a light coat of the base color over the tape to "seal" the tape. Then, you won't have as many problems with the paint bleeding under the tape, especially on textured walls. I wish I had known this when I did our game room, which took days and days to touch up!
The "trick" worked pretty well. The painting of the stars went really quickly, and I had very minimal touch ups. My touch up time in all was probably only about an hour or so. My New Years Eve was spent touching up and getting the room back to the way it belongs. We didn't keep the horrible shelving that was in the closet before, because we want to do something different. So, right now, there's nothing in there. We also don't have our crib or dresser yet (they've been ordered), but we do have a changing table that we're borrowing from my brother and sister-in-law. We are keeping the twin sized bed in there for right now, because we know my mom is going to spend some time here when the baby is born, and we want her to at least have a bed to sleep in. At some point we will take it apart and store it in the attic with the trundle bed that is already up there.
Before
Before
Before
Before
Base coat on the wall
Stars and "chair rail" taped on
Starting to paint the stars and "chair rail"
The first "revealed" star
Now with the blue added in
The finished look
Closet doors back on
This bedroom was our unused bedroom until Kassie came to live with us. I knew when we bought the house that it's what I would use as a nursery if and when the day came. It was the only room we had not yet painted. I didn't want to spend the time painting, just to redo it for a baby. It still had the off white builder paint that is terrible. I hate flat paint as it is - it's just not practical for cleaning up. Kassie was pretty rough on the walls in that room, so if it didn't before, it definitely needed fresh paint after we moved her out. Over Thanksgiving, my brother Todd came over and helped John install some extra shelves in our closet and in Kassie's (what used to be the guest room) closet. We were using our guest room closet as extra storage, and not everything in there could be put into the attic. John and Todd also put down plywood in our attic to increase our storage space up there. When we were buying the house, if I knew everything then that I do now, I would have done it differently. The house is only 3 bedrooms, but has a huge living room and a game room. Our thinking at the time was that we weren't buying this as our "forever" house, anyway, and we could have a baby, and still have a guest room. We didn't feel a 4 bedroom house was a necessity then. Little did we know that we would acquire a teenager and have a baby in a little over a year's time. Bye bye guest room. That was hard for me to come to grips with, because none of my family lives here. There really wasn't another choice, though. For many reasons, buying a new house/moving wasn't even an option we could discuss, so we have to do the best we can with what we have. I also wish our house had more closet space in general, but there's nothing I can do about that now.
With adding storage space in the attic, and in the upper parts of 2 closets, we were able to completely clear out the baby's closet, except for my wedding dress (which I need to get cleaned and preserved . . . 3 years later) and some scrapbooking stuff. I considered that a major accomplishment!
The bedding I found (but didn't buy) on Craigslist is what gave me my "inspiration." The bedding set had some fabric star wall hangings. When I didn't get the bedding, I thought "I bed my mom could make something like that." Then, I thought further "I could paint stars on the wall." I knew all along I wanted to do something gender neutral. If we have another baby while we still live here, I don't want to completely redo everything. So, I had my idea in my head, and even though I knew it would be a lot of work, I was up for the challenge.
So, my mom and I found fabric over Thanksgiving. We bought a glider that is a kind of sage green, so I had to keep that in mind. I really don't like all the pastels that are used for babies. Blah. So, I decided I wanted to use the primary colors (plus green) but a slight variation. I didn't want a kelly green and royal blue. My mom could see my vision, so we worked well together to pick out material that fit.
Christmas vacation came, and I had zero motivation to do anything. I knew I didn't have a choice, though. The walls in the closet were pretty beat up, so I decided I wanted to paint that, too. John ripped the shelving out for me, which ended up leaving some pretty big holes. I took a day to get the prep work done, and then a day to prime. At that point, I was really kicking myself for deciding the closet had to be painted, too. All of our bedrooms have ceilings that are angled in different places, with parts higher than others. It would be easier if I could just use the stepladder all the way around, but I couldn't. On top of that, most of the closet has a high ceiling, so I had to put the 6 foot ladder in the closet and climb up and down it. Not fun.
Once I got to the paint, it was a little more fun. I wanted to use the green as the base coat, but John thought we have too much green in our house already (our bedroom and bathroom, and the guest bathroom). So, we decided on yellow. I always use semi-gloss when I paint, because I have dogs that sling a lot of slobber, and it's more durable and easier to clean up. I have learned, though, on the downside that semi-gloss turns out a lot brighter than if I used a satin finish. The yellow was pretty bright when I started getting it on the walls. I don't think it looks bad, but if I was doing it again, I would choose a paler shade, or a different finish. It is what it is, though, and I'm still happy with the overall results.
My goal was to get the base coat (yellow) finished before we left town for Christmas. Even with primer, I have learned that 2 coats of paint really makes a more finished look than just 1. I was able to finish by Thursday afternoon, just in time to have my in-laws over for dinner. When we got back, I had to start on the stars. I also wanted to do a chair rail or something to break up the room. I thought it would be easier, cheaper and quicker just to paint a mimic chair rail on the wall. Before school was out, I used my projector to make 2 different sized templates on poster board. I traced the stars onto the wall, and then taped around them. On an episode of Design Star, I learned a little trick for painting something you have taped on the wall. After you tape, you should paint a light coat of the base color over the tape to "seal" the tape. Then, you won't have as many problems with the paint bleeding under the tape, especially on textured walls. I wish I had known this when I did our game room, which took days and days to touch up!
The "trick" worked pretty well. The painting of the stars went really quickly, and I had very minimal touch ups. My touch up time in all was probably only about an hour or so. My New Years Eve was spent touching up and getting the room back to the way it belongs. We didn't keep the horrible shelving that was in the closet before, because we want to do something different. So, right now, there's nothing in there. We also don't have our crib or dresser yet (they've been ordered), but we do have a changing table that we're borrowing from my brother and sister-in-law. We are keeping the twin sized bed in there for right now, because we know my mom is going to spend some time here when the baby is born, and we want her to at least have a bed to sleep in. At some point we will take it apart and store it in the attic with the trundle bed that is already up there.
Before
Before
Before
Before
Before
Base coat on the wall
Stars and "chair rail" taped on
Starting to paint the stars and "chair rail"
The first "revealed" star
Now with the blue added in
The finished look
Closet doors back on
The wedding dress will find a new home
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