Snuggle Bug

Humphrey (our spoiled almost 60 lb shar pei mix - aka mutt) has certainly been acting differently lately. I don't know if he knows that we are having a baby, but he definitely has been soaking up all the attention he can get from me and Ryan.

Here's a taste of how spoiled Humphrey is. He is home with Ryan all day (since Ryan works from a home office), so he is able to sit out in the sun on sunny days and snuggle on the sofa on cold days. Humphrey is allowed on almost all of the furniture in our house. He has his own bed, but he usually chooses to sleep with us on our bed or on the sofa or big chair. He has his own bucket of toys and his own cookie jar filled with treats. He gets all of our attention.

Lately, Humphrey has enjoyed sleeping right in between Ryan and I during early mornings. He snuggles in and puts his head right on our pillows. Last night, he even crawled up next to me both on the sofa and on the bed to rest his head on my belly. When I rolled over to go to sleep, he climbed off the bed and came over to my side to nestle his head under mine (literally, he burrowed his head under mine until I wasn't even sure if he could breathe!). I wonder if he is doing these things because he knows a big change is coming...and he won't be the center of attention anymore. Ryan and I aren't sure...but we are becoming more positive that Humphrey will be a loving big brother to our little Baby Sugar and Spice when the time comes. Our dog is so sensitive, it's hard to imaging him wanting to do anything with a baby other than snuggle and kiss her.

It's too (cold) too (cold) too (cold) too (cold).

...Gotta run for (sweaters). Gotta run for (scarves).

So Denver got it's first snow yesterday. This snow is earlier than most of our first fall/winter snows, so I am wondering what this means for winter. If it is a cold winter, Ryan and I will have to crank up the heat to make sure our baby stays nice and warm.

Today I was out shopping around for closet storage (Ryan and I decided to go with a changing table with shelves rather than a dresser because we couldn't find a quality dresser/changer that we liked, so we will need drawers in the closet for her little clothes and other items), and I ended up in the winter baby clothes section. I found the cutest "My First Christmas" fleece sleeper, so I had to buy it for Baby Sugar and Spice. This will be her "casual" Christmas outfit!

Can't wait to see her in her little outfit!

Everyone knows what jicama is, right?

Today we are 32 weeks pregnant - 8 months! Baby Sugar and Spice should weigh about 3 3/4 lbs, which is about the size of a large jicama (see picture if you aren't familiar with jicama). That's already a big baby! No wonder my back is aching!

Now she is supposed to be packing on the pounds, which means I will probably be packing on the pounds as well.

It is getting harder for me to roll over in the night, but I need to because my hips start hurting if I stay in one position for too long. I'd really like to sleep flat on my back, but I know it's bad for circulation when you are in your third trimester (evidenced by the fact that I got very dizzy and light-headed at my last ultrasound from lying back in a reclined position). So I continue to roll from side to side.

I'm also finding it difficult to get in and out of bed for my nightly bathroom visits. I definitely have to ease up to a sitting position before I stand. No "hopping" out of bed for me!

Another Day, Another Midwife Visit

Today we had our 32 week appointment and met the 4th (and final) midwife in our practice. I've really liked everyone we have met! We won't know until delivery time who will be the midwife in the delivery room with us, but I don't think we can go wrong.

We heard the heartbeat (in the 150-ish beats per minute range), and the midwife thinks that baby already has her head down. Apparently this is a good sign. If the baby has her head down at 32 weeks, chances are it will stay that way for birth. Let's hope so, because I really want to delivery quickly and naturally if at all possible (although I am not opposed to drugs if I need them).

The only thing we will need to keep our eye on is my uterus measurements. To measure the uterus, the midwife feels around on your stomach until she feels the top and bottom of the uterus (from the outside) and measures the tummy/uterus height (also called fundal height) with a measuring tape. I am measuring 29 1/2 cm, and the uterus usually measures within 2 cms of the week you are at. Ideally, I should be at 32 cm at 32 weeks. Since I am at 29 1/2 cm at 32 weeks, my uterus is measuring a little small. The midwife said she is not concerned because of the positioning of the baby. She felt all of the major body parts (since baby was sticking her bottom and feet out during the measuring process). Also, baby has a healthy heart beat so all signs point to healthy growth. At my next appointment, if I am still measuring small they may order another ultrasound just to double check on growth...but I have a strong feeling that everything is just fine because her growth has generally been on track with the last 2 ultrasounds.

I have gained a total of 23 lbs total as of today (no weight gain since last appt, but that could just be the difference between the morning appointment today and the afternoon appointment 2 weeks ago), so I'd say growth is coming along just fine! I'll have a few extra Reese's cups today to help things along. :)

Weekend of Pampering

This weekend I was able to do some much needed pre-baby pampering. I had my final pre-baby hair appointment and darkened up the locks for fall (by Ryan's request). After that, I went to this wonderful little pregnancy shop in Cherry Creek, Belly Bliss, for a pre-natal massage courtesy of Katie and Vanessa (thanks ladies!). It was soooo relaxing and probably one of the best pre-natal massages I have had during my pregnancy (and I've treated myself and been treated to a few!).

After my massage, I was feeling relaxed and stretched out like a healthy mom-to-be...so I treated myself to a delicious Jamba Juice all-fruit smoothie to top it off!

Also, I was able to use some of the gift cards I had gotten from the NC baby shower to buy some things we definitely needed - a convertible car seat and a Pack N Play. Slowly but surely we are getting the things we need. We still need to buy a dresser/changer (Babies R Us didn't have the one we wanted in the color we wanted, so we will need to order it...same as the crib), and I will need to make a special trip to REI to get my BOB stroller and infant car seat adaptor sometime before the baby arrives. It is overwhelming how much stuff this baby will need! Of course, I'm sure we'll learn as we go just as all parents do and we will find out what we really need and what we don't really need. Good thing I have her closet all cleaned out to accommodate all of her new little girl clothes, accessories and such. She is already starting quite the collection!

Bowl Full of Jelly

Here are some more pictures of my growing belly!

31 weeks/7 months 3 weeks

Just a peek of the belly! It's getting cold out here in Colorado!

Humphrey still doesn't know what to think.

Today is October 2 - exactly 2 calendar months until our due date. I'm ready for December to get here already, but we still have a lot to do. We need to do a big shopping trip to get everything else we need, and I am taking direction from recent moms about what I will need post-partum (nursing tanks, stuff for my hospital bag, etc).

My grandmother and mom have been working on the bedding, window treatments, and other fabric items for the nursery. We should be able to set most of that stuff up before the end of October...and I am so excited to see how everything came together! In the meantime, I am looking for nature and bird-themed accessories for the nursery. Looks like I will need a few art pieces for the walls as well as a pretty mirror. I'm hoping to make the room seem a little girly with the accessories since the fabric is pretty gender neutral. I'll post pictures once I've gotten everything put together!

31 Weeks

As of yesterday, we are now 31 weeks pregnant. The baby is approximately 3.3 lbs (can you believe that?). It's like I'm carrying around 4 navel oranges (plus 20 additional pounds that are taking up space inside my body).

Ryan and I still cannot believe that there is an actual human inside of my tummy. We feel her move and kick every day, so we know she's active and has lots of personality. I wonder what life is like for her inside my stomach. I wonder if she is getting bored in there and what she is thinking. I wonder what she'll act like when she comes home with us.

Tomorrow is October 2...which means only 2 calendar months until our due date. Ryan and I may celebrate by finally purchasing the dresser/changer for the nursery. We need some storage for the stash of baby items I brought home with me from my shower in NC! The other big things we still need include a glider, a pack n play (since we plan to use the bassinet feature), and a stroller. Oh, and diapers and wipes. Good thing we have a Costco membership. I think we'll be making a trip in the next few months to stock up on all of the necessities!