This week was fantastic! Can I just say that having two extra hands in the house makes such a difference:) My mom was here visiting for the entire week; she arrived for the conference last Friday and stayed through this past Friday. Since we’re hoping it will work for her to come right after the baby is born it was a great trial run to make sure neither party was ready to throw in the towel. Seriously, my emotional self can get a little crazy, but my mom just breezed right through it. We got so much done while she was here. We ran errands, cleaned the house, organized our storage area, made delicious food, did laundry, went for walks, and most importantly had great conversations and just enjoyed each other’s company. So thankful my husband is really okay with his mother-in-law being around for longer periods of time.
(Today’s shower with the amazing friends who threw it for us!)
Everything went so well I didn’t want her to leave and now I’m really looking forward to her coming after the baby! With all that activity this week really flew by. We’re happy to say that the nursery is finally taking shape. My father-in-law, the resident painter, is coming this next week to paint baby’s room and we’ve been told our crib will be here by early next week. Crossing my fingers that is true! We’re also having our first baby shower today! It’s amazing how just getting the closet semi-set up has changed the room…a baby is really coming:) Here’s the updated nursery plan and a picture of the progress in the closet.
(this picture is really distorted b/c it was really dark in the room but it gives you a glimpse of the closet and the direction we are headed.) The room is laid out really wonky. Not sure what they were thinking when they placed windows, doors, and closets but to make the room work we decided to take off the closet doors and trim in hopes of creating an alcove for the dresser/changing table and some bookshelves. Eventually the closet will be pink like the rest of the room, a chandelier will be placed above the changing table, and the shelves will sport baskets. The wall color will be Barely Blush by Glidden color matched to our new favorite no-voc paint, Refresh by Dutch Boy, found at Menards. It’s coming together:)
How big is baby?
She’s getting big. I can’t wait to see where I measure this next week at my next appointment because I feel like I’m getting bigger…and I hope that means she is too! She’s just over 2 pounds at this point and just under 15 inches long. Hard to imagine that if she’s like me, born at 20 inches long, she’s almost at her birth height! She can blink her eyes, her brain is continually adding billions of neurons, and she’s getting nice and chubby! How am I feeling?
Well let me just say I’m feeling much better. With just under 11 weeks to get things in order around our house I know I can do it. Much thanks to my momma who helped me get a great jump start. After the conference I was burnt out and very emotional. After some much needed rest and the help of my mom, things are coming together and I’m excited to get back into my normal routine. At the end of the day I know that none of the other things matter, but this momma likes a little bit of organization. Believe me, you do NOT want to see the state of my office at the moment:)
How am I changing?
Not many changes this week other than the same familiar things like tying my shoes are getting more challenging. Good thing it’s sandal season and I can live in flip flops. I’ve also been noticing that I do need to stop and rest throughout the day. Sounds funny, but around 2 or 3pm, I’m exhausted. So I’ve been trying to build in some time to read or just rest and it’s been really good so far!
Little Tidbits:
Weight gained: up another pound for a total of 19
Favorite organization item: Skubb Storage boxes from Ikea…These are perfect in baby’s dresser though I think I want them everywhere!
Baby Shower #2: Wisconsin in 13 days!
Needs: a very narrow trash can for the baby’s room
Classes this week: I’m taking an informational class on cloth diapering…we’re on the fence
Now questions for you veteran mommies…
1. Diapers: favorite brands/types; we’re on the fence with cloth…personally I really kind of like disposable; the smell, the whole bit reminds me of my childhood and playing with dolls. That being said, they’re expensive. Thoughts?
2. Now that I have the time what books would you recommend I read before the baby gets here?
Diapers - we LOVE the Target brand, they are great quality and really cheap - right now for a pack of 90 size 3 diapers its about 13 bucks. And she goes through maybe 3-5 diapers a day now. Definitely recommend the Target brand!
ReplyDeleteWe used pampers swadlers from birth to about 4 months and then switched to luvs which are cheaper. The pampers have the wetness indicator which doesn't sound that great, but it ended up being really helpful! Amazon has good diaper prices.
ReplyDeleteAs for the book, one of the books I read and would highly recommend is Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp. Great book to help you learns some tips on how to calm your crying baby. I loved it!
-Kim J
We tried huggies, but they leaked for us...I got soaked several times that first week while feeding Pax :) We switched to Pampers swaddlers and have loved them. I usually buy them at Sams club b/c they are way cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI know this is a controversial suggestion, but I really found babywise to be helpful. Honestly though, you could probably skip reading the book and just read this webpage to get the main idea (eat, play, sleep - put the baby on a semi-flexible schedule). It worked for us, but I know that it definitely doesn't work for every family! http://www.babywisemom.com/
I also had a friend give me Jenny McCarthy's book called belly laughs (http://www.amazon.com/Belly-Laughs-Naked-Pregnancy-Childbirth/dp/073820949X)
I expected it to be very crass (i.e., lots of swearing) but it really wasn't that way at all. It was just funny/honest. I got a kick out of it. Not really a read to increase your knowledge...more a read to get a good laugh.
Btw, thanks for the book & starbucks card! I got them in the mail last week :)
If you're thinking cloth... BumGenius and Thirsties are the best brands, in my opinion. They're really not that bad, especially if you have a sprayer next to your toilet!
ReplyDeleteBooks: "Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth" Hilarious, but not in a crass way, and spot on in most things.
ReplyDeleteDiapers: I used Pampers for newborn size, then switched to Target brand. Luvs are fine in the smaller sizes, but they tend to run small: Moriah outgrew Luvs size 2, but she's definitely a size 2 in other brands. Price per diaper is better in the smaller sizes, so that's where Luvs doesn't always come out ahead (since you have to move up to a bigger size sooner). After about 6 weeks, when I was feeling a little more settled, we switched to cloth for everything but nighttime. With cloth diapers, it all depends on what you want. If you want minimal mess and smell, head for the BumGenius (but expect to pay for it). If you want cheap, use prefolds and Thirsties wraps (my favorite) with a diaper sprayer. Check out babyworks.com For $__ they will send you a trial of several kinds of cloth diapers. Keep what works, send the rest back and they refund you the money. They are also helpful with figuring out what brand will best fit your baby (after she comes). So much more I could say...let me know if you have any questions.
And, I agree with the commenter about the eat/wake/sleep cycle. It's a must if you want your baby to sleep longer at night! I don't know why it works, but it does.