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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Too Many Mobiles!

OK. My name is Meghan and I have an addiction. To mobiles. Seriously. I can't get enough of them! I collect pictures of them on Pinterest. Sadly, I can only have two in the baby's room. Mind you, this room is extremely small. 8'x8', more or less. At this point, I already have plans for two things hanging from the ceiling:
#1 Bird Mobile














#2: Hanging Birdcage Lamp
Now, I can hang one more. I want the bird mobile over the crib, the bird lamp over the rocking chair (so I can actually, you know, have LIGHT in that room). I want a third mobile for over the changing table. Now, which mobile do I go for:

Choice A: Hot Air Balloons
Choice B: Circles




Choice C: Ribbon Mobile



Choice D: Butterfly Chandelier (but could totally be birds or airplanes or hot air balloons



So...you see my dilemma! I know I want one more. But it's so hard to choose! What's you're favorite? Help me out here!



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

21 Weeks

How far along: 21 Weeks
Weight: 159.4
Baby size: 10.5 inches, around the size of a banana. This blows my mind. I had to double check the stats on that. It seems amazing that in one week she would go from 6.5 to 10.5 inches!
Movement: Frequent: whenever I eat, have just finished eating or am hungry. Brian can feel her moving around now, too! He had his ear to my tummy this weekend and, clearly, this displeased her! She rolled over or kicked or something because Brian shot up and said "Whoa! She just punched me in the ear!"
Feeling: Not as much heartburn this week. So that's good!
What I miss: Right now...I'm feeling pretty great. Not missing too much at the moment.
What I am looking forward to: Going to the Alameda Flea Market with the money I earned from the garage sale (We made $180. We split the proceeds between Brian and I, so I get $90 to spend on what I want!)
Milestone: Signed up for prenatal classes. A series of 3 classes, 4 hours each, in December. We decided on a more general class that brings in elements from several different natural childbirth techniques.
To Do: Flea Market, working on my new cooking project. So far, I've made one dish for freezing (Chicken Sofrito Stew).
Food Cravings: Nothing new!
Bonus: Doctor update: Everything looks great! My placenta has moved, so no more nookie ban and no more worry about placenta previa. Yay!

21 Weeks, 5 Days

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

My New Ongoing Project

In an effort to make sure I have a variety of interesting meals prepped for February and beyond, I've decided to embark on my freezer meal prep plan also known as Freezer Meals That Don't Suck!

How it'll work: each Sunday starting this week, through December (or until I run out of space in the freezer!) I will cook an extra meal (with enough to make 2 to 3 meals) to freeze.

So far, these are the meals I have come up with:
-Meatloaf with mushroom gravy
-Beef Stew
-Chili
-Goulash
-Chicken burritos
-Spaghetti and Meatballs
-Lasagna
-Tomato-Basil Soup

Does anyone have any other good, easily freezable meals?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

20 Weeks!

Halfway Baked!


How far along: 20 Weeks
Weight: 158.4 (as of Saturday morning. Clearly I am not at the gaining weight stage of pregnancy!)
Baby size: 6.5 inches, around the size of a canteloupe.
Movement: Feels like all the time now! Especially after I eat. Things we've determined she likes (or really doesn't like): cheese, gooseberry pie, tamales
Feeling: Good. Still a lot of energy in the morning, but exhausted when I come home from work. I usually have to take a nap! Also, lots of heartburn.
What I miss: Tonight: wine. It's been pretty hot these last couple of days and a nice cold glass of chardonnay sounds amazing. Brian had a glass this evening and was tormenting me with it!
What I am looking forward to: Garage sale this weekend (had to be postponed last weekend because of midwife appointment)
Milestone: Nothing to big--lots of movement, worked on the nursery...
To Do: Garage sale, Dr. appointment tomorrow so he can check out the placenta (and hopefully officially tell us that placenta previa is no longer a concern)
Food Cravings: Still loving the cheese! And gooseberry pie today was delish!

Here I am at 20 Weeks, 5 days

Monday, September 19, 2011

Nursery Craftiness & Other Weekend Busy-ness

I went into this weekend with a ca-razy long list of to-do's (you KNOW I have to have a to-do list, right?):
  • mow front and back lawn
  • deadhead roses and flowers in front and back
  • rake leaves
  • sweep bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway
  • mop bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway (it's definitely time!)
  • wash and fold laundry
  • Organize: laundry area, tupperware, gadget shelf, house freezer, garage freezer
  • Identify stuff in garage for sale
  • spray paint birds, birdcage and mirror
  • assemble birdcage and lamp

Then after a trip to Joane's/Michael's a few more things got added to our list:
  • Mod Podge wooden letter L 
  • play around with text to put in new tiny frames from Michael's
  • design and stitch cross-stitch sampler
  • start work on Amelia Earheart inspired knitted pilot skullcap (with goggles, of course

Then after some discussion about the garage sale with Brian:
  • move bookshelves and rolly chair out of nursery
  • move high chair and changing table into nursery, to make room for garage sale stuf

Oh yeah, and on top of all this stuff, we had a village prenatal appointment with our midwife on Saturday and I went to a new moms meetup for lunch on Sunday... 

And here's what the list looked like at the end of Sunday:

  • mow front and back lawn
  • deadhead roses and flowers in front and back
  • rake leaves
  • sweep bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway
  • mop bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway (it's definitely time!)
  • wash and fold laundry
  • Organize: laundry area, tupperware, gadget shelf, house freezer, garage freezer
  • Identify stuff in garage for sale
  • spray paint birds, birdcage and mirror
  • assemble birdcage and lamp
  • Mod Podge wooden letter L 
  • play around with text to put in new tiny frames from Michael's
  • design and stitch cross-stitch sampler
  • start work on Amelia Earheart inspired knitted pilot skullcap (with goggles, of course
  • move bookshelves and rolly chair out of nursery
  • move high chair and changing table into nursery, to make room for garage sale stuff
I didn't mow the lawn since--whoops!--we needed more gas for the mower and I just ran out of time for the garage freezer. Oh, and room in the garbage can!

But, I did get my crafty nursery goodness taken care of!

This is what we started out with:


The black mirror frame (conveniently, the mirror popped right out of there!), birdcage, chain for the bird cage, lighting fixture for the birdcage, and two brass owl statues. Plus some paint!
 Close up on the owl statues. Super cute!
 This is what we finished with:


 This will be getting a new lightbulb today.

 Mod Podged L for Lorelei

 The tiny frame with song lyrics from "When Mermaids Cry" that inspired Lorelei's name. I have another that needs to be repainted with the lyrics from "Fly Me to the Moon" which is played on the music box going in the nursery.
My sampler that needs to be framed. I was pretty impressed with myself, since I haven't really done any cross stitching since middle school!

Oh, and thanks to a little unexpected windfall, I was able to order these two prints for the nursery this weekend, too:

Yep, we got the I am a Maverick and the Alphabet print. Those were the two prints I actually wanted to buy. Now the rest of the nursery decor (except for the bedding and the storage boxes) I am planning on thrifting and DIY!

So what's left for the nursery? Well:
  • Assemble the closet organizing stuff with my Dad (which he pulled out of a client's house)
  • Pick up a bunch of frames to spray paint white and fill with pictures
  • Photoshop pictures of the dogs, Brian and I, an ultrasound picture, etc. Hopefully find a picture (online or in a magazine) of a hot air balloon), have my coworker finish the sketch of a biplane he is making for me.
  • Make the ribbon and lace mobile
  • Make the pouf footstool with Brian's mom
  • Make the curtains (already got the main part of the fabric) and figure out best way to hang them (either finding a pressure mounted rod or just mounting something ourselves.
  • Find a cushion for the rocking chair
  • Move in the crib and rocking chair
  • Pick up a bunch of storage boxes for the changing table
  • Hang the picture frames/letter L/mirror
So, there's quite a bit to be done, of course. But I feel like we made some major headway this weekend!




Thursday, September 15, 2011

Late Night Thoughts on Being Pregnant

Sometimes, when I think about the baby, I am amazed. How could this be? How is it that this pregnancy, this baby, is the one that worked out? This was the pregnancy that shouldn't have worked. I waited all through my first trimester to miscarry. I mean, how could it survive? But it seems, against all odds (knock on wood) that it has. I am 5 months along. I find that amazing.

I hesitate to call her a miracle baby. This isn't really a miracle. In vitro babies, fertility drug babies, babies who are conceived at all odds, babies who survive despite some sort of major trauma, THOSE are miracle babies. This baby, our baby, makes me think of a barnacle. A fighter. She hung on--with a little help--against so many odds.

When I feel her turning around in my tummy, that weird gassy, sloshy goldfish feeling, I keep thinking about that. About my fighter. My little barnacle.

And sometimes, when I think about her, when I look at her latest ultrasound and see that she really is a tiny person growing inside me, especially when I see her little nose (my baby has a nose!) I think "Holy shit. We really ARE having a baby!"

For my Barnacle. And for me. To always remember what a fighter she is. 
I definitely want this print for the nursery.
From www.myswitcheroo.com. 

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

19 Weeks!

It's been a busy busy week!


How far along: 19 Weeks
Weight: 159
Baby size: 6.0 inches, the doctor said just under a pound last Friday, the Bump says around the size of a mango.
Movement:  She's definitely a little swimmer! I've been feeling her moving a little each day, usually in the evening. Feels like I swallowed a goldfish!
Feeling: Really energetic in the morning! Every day, I've been doing little jobs around the house, cleaning up and organizing! Not only did I come up with the mood board and design elements for the nursery, I've been boxing up books and organizing closets. We're going to have a garage sale this weekend to get rid of the furniture and other various stuff to make room for the baby!
What I miss: Moving with ease. It's getting harder to get up off the couch or off the ground. It's not that I'm so big, it's more that my balance isn't quite what it used to be!
What I am looking forward to: Going to the Alameda Flea Market with Bonnie to look for cute vintage-y things for the nursery
Milestone: We had the 2nd Trimester Ultrasound (it's a girl!), we've announced her name (Lorelei Anna Belle), lots and lots of movement!
To Do: Garage sale to get rid of a bunch of furniture, bring in the baby furniture, put in the closet organizers...
Food Cravings: Cheese! I heart me some cheese!

19 weeks, 5 days

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Feelin' Inspired!

Over the last few weeks, I've been compiling various ideas I've found for the nursery on my pinterest board. Today, however, in a fit of inspiration I have compiled my favorite ideas into a mood board. Some items I already have, like the owl statues, the mirror, the lamp and the bird cage. Some are things I've registered for, like the bedding. Some are things people are making for me--my best friend Bonnie is making the mobile with the birds. Some are things I'm pretty sure I want to get, like the alphabet print. The colors aren't exact, but the overall theme for the room is there!

Friday, September 9, 2011

It's a...

Girl! I was wrong! Brian was right! So much for maternal intuition!

We're super excited. We've decided to name her Lorelei Anna Belle. Lorelei, from German mythology because we like the name. It means "murmuring rock" and there is actually a rock in Germany called the "Lorelei Rock" or something. The myth is about a siren who lures sailors to their death. We're going with the "murmuring rock" meaning though! Hopefully our little girl will be strong, stable and steady as a rock and not someone who lures sailors to their death. Anna Belle, was Brian's maternal grandmother's name. Anna Belle also means "gracious beauty" (which I really think suited Brian's grandmother to a T). So our little girl's name is going to mean "gracious, beautiful rock." I like that. It also kind of echoes our honeymoon when we hiked to the Cliffs of Mohr, which were gracious, beautiful rocks, if ever there were any. (I totally came up with that right now as I was writing this. But it's true.)

The ultrasound today was pretty exciting overall.  Baby, of course, was flipping around all over the place and generally not cooperating. We got one really good picture, but she kept twisting and turning, laying on her tummy, then curling up in a ball, hiding in a corner and covering up her face. Typical. At one point her hands were over her face and her feet were curled up and touching her head.

Most importantly, everything looks good. She looks to be measuring at 20 weeks and weighing about 1 pound. The placenta seems to have moved out of the danger zone, which is reassuring, so no placenta previa!

Here's her one good ultrasound picture:




*Randomly, I just found out that Lorelei is a Pokemon villain...and looks like a hot redhead with glasses...weird. 

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Little Swimmer

I'm pretty sure I'm starting to feel movement...

It's hard to tell, exactly, because so many people describe it differently. I've heard it described as:
-like gas bubbles
-muscle twitches
-goldfish in the belly

Well, yesterday and today, especially when I've been sitting still (like driving, at lunch or hanging out on the couch) I've been feeling...weird. A little like gas, a little like air bubbles in the tummy. What it reminds me of most is (and Brian thought this was a really weird comparison) swimming in the swimming pool over someone who is releasing huge air bubbles (like from a scuba tank). Or alternately, like sitting on top of the air bubble vents in a hot tub. Along with a bit of splashing. Like someone is swimming.

So I think this is it. It just feels very odd.

And kinda reminds me of this:

Monday, September 5, 2011

Register This!

So this weekend, I spent hours and hours and hours and HOURS at www.BabiesRUs.com, www.BuyBuyBaby.com and www.Amazon.com deciding what to register for. Yes, I could have waited. I realize I'm only 18 weeks and I don't even know the sex of the baby yet. But:

#1 I was bored
#2 Christmas is coming. Ok, it's not. But a lot of people like to shop early. And maybe they might want to get us something from our registry. Or something. Shut up. Don't judge me.
#3 It was fun

A few notes before showing you some pics:
-I realize only registered for 4 bottles. I'm waiting for baby to come before deciding on a specific bottle brand and style.
-No carseat. Yet. I am waiting to hear back from the Evenflo company (who I emailed this weekend) to find out what carseat will work best with the Evenflo stroller we received. The original one the company recommended is no longer being manufactured.
-Most of the stuff is unisex right now, but as soon as we know whether baby is a boy or a girl, I will probably add/change stuff to represent that.

Now for the good stuff: Pictures!

Room Decor/Bedding:
First off, you need to know our color scheme.

Main Wall Color

Main Accent Color

Secondary Accent Color

Tertiary Accent Color
The furniture is a light oak color and the neutral is going to be white or cream.

Now, if we have a boy (which as many of you know, I am convinced we are having), I found this adorable bedding set:
What I love most about his set are the transportation graphics. But...this set is crazy expensive. However, I was able to find:

This super cute blanket

and this sheet set.

So if we have a boy, I will go for the sheet and blanket, then get a bed skirt and bumper in a neutral like white.

Now, if we have a girl, I really liked this set:
Activity Items:

I'm most excited about the swing and the play gym. The swing goes front to back and side to side and, most important, plugs in instead of using batteries. The play gym is just really stinking cute.

 Technology:
I had a hard time deciding what kind of music/sound machine to get. I really don't like the crap music/new age sounds that a lot of them have. Then, after talking to some friends, I realized that I can have the sounds and music I like with my iPod. I really liked this particular iHome because it changes color.
Diapers:
I'm really excited to try cloth diapering. After doing a lot of research, I decided on the Bum Genius diapers. They're one size fits all, so it'll grow with baby. There are a lot of cute colors, so you can match them to outfits. Most important, we'll save a bundle when it comes to diapers. It's a big cost initially, but in the long run, will save a ton.  Along with the diapers (which I've registered for from Babys R Us, Buy Buy Baby and Amazon), I also put in the stuff to help maintain--soap, inserts, etc.



Of course I've registered for a ton of other stuff, but these are the things that I'm pretty stoked about. Maybe I'll even get them!

18 Weeks!

A little late again, but that was because I was so late last week. Nothing would have changed!


How far along: 18 Weeks
Weight: 156.6 (exactly the same as last week!)
Baby size: 5.6 inches. The Bump says about the size of a sweet potato. Mmmm...sweet potato.
Sleep: Great. I've started taking afternoon/evening naps again.
Movement: Maybe. I'm not sure. This is right around the time I should start feeling something. I've been told it feels like muscle twitches or gas, but not. I think I *may* have felt something last night. Or it might have been gas.
Feeling: Great. I didn't do much during this long Labor Day weekend, then today I was totally energized. I cleaned the dining room, living room and bathroom, reorganized the computers and boxes in the office so I can actually access my knitting stuff, went to home depot, did the laundry (plus stripped the sheets and put new sheets on the bed), Febreezed the bedspread, mowed the lawn, trimmed the roses in the front yard, weeded the front yard (it needed it!), and planted some new plants in the front and back yard. I was tired afterward, but so rewarding to get that stuff done!
What I miss: As per usual: wine. I think this will be a regular thing until the baby is due!
What I am looking forward to: Second trimester ultrasound this week! It's killing me! I am so excited!
Milestone: Maybe, possibly actually feeling the first baby flutters.
To Do: 2nd Trimester Ultrasound!!!!
Food Cravings: Brie. And I made a kick ass butternut squash mac and cheese this week, that I froze for my lunches. Super yum!
Bonus: This weekend, I also had a bit of fun on the BabiesRUs, BuyBuyBaby and Amazon.com websites. I've added most of what we are registering for. I'll make a special post just about the registry (with a few pics, of course!) It was a long process, with a lot of comparisons, reviewing of Consumer Reports, and reading user ratings (along with some help from my baby mama friends!) But at this point, if anyone wants to, you can check it out! 


Here I am at 18 weeks and 2 days!