It's all coming together

I finally feel like some of the preparations for baby are coming together. This week, I picked up our stroller (and all of the attachments) and our dresser/changer is supposed to be delivered today. Also, my mom arrived in town with all of our bedding, window treatments, etc...so we can finally set up the nursery! I've even bought a few pieces of art for the walls. I can't wait to see how everything comes together.

Ryan and I have just begun assembling the millions of things that baby will need. Last weekend, I put together the cutest little bouncer (very easy assembly). Last night, Ryan assembled our stroller (also easy...just attach the wheels). This weekend we will work on hanging curtains, assembling the dresser/changer (hopefully), and maybe even assembling the pack n play! I can't wait to get everything out of the boxes to see what these things look like!

Where did my figure go?

At my midwife appointment yesterday, I got on the scale (as usual) and found out that I have gained about 26 pounds during pregnancy...and I still have 6 weeks to go! While I know that this is good for baby, I am just hoping I won't find it to hard to get back down to my normal weight.

Above is a picture of me and Ryan on our anniversary (New Year's Eve) 2008. It's pretty obvious that I won't be looking like this on New Year's Eve 2009, but we will be glad to be celebrating our 4th anniversary, and the new year, with our new bundle of joy.

Usually, I don't have to exercise much or watch what I eat to maintain my weight. However, during pregnancy I have been giving in to desires for unhealthy treats (like milk shakes, Little Debbie snack cakes, etc) more often than I normally would. Also, I have been enjoying not exercising. Even though I bought 3 pre-natal workout dvds, I find that I am not in the mood to do them after I get home from work. I feel like I've been staying pretty active during my pregnancy...just not with traditional exercise, per se. I let my household chores and walks with Humphrey serve as my exercise. After baby arrives, it's back to healthy snacking and regular (3+ times per week) exercise... OR, maybe that'll start AFTER the holidays. We'll see!

Only 6 weeks to go!

Today we are 34 weeks pregnant (8 1/2 months). Only 6 weeks until my December 2 due date! Baby should be about 4 3/4 lbs, around the size of a cantaloupe.

I had a midwife appointment this morning, and it seems like everything is going just fine. I didn't get the exact measurement, but the midwife said my fundal height (size of my uterus) is normal. Baby is head-down with her legs spread-eagle in a very unladylike "froggy" position...so I can feel her kicks and knee jabs on both sides of my stomach.

Also, I got a lesson in pre-natal "exercises" that I should be doing every day between now and when the baby is born. Baby needs to be encouraged to settle into my belly with all of her heavy parts (bottom, back, etc) resting against the front of my stomach...we ideally want her facing backward for birth, head-down. So, I'm supposed to squat on all fours and do pelvic tilts 50-100 times a day to "rock" her into the correct position. Once she learns how comfy she can be in that position, she should choose to settle that way on her own...which is supposed to make my life easier during the birth process. This seems a little crazy to me, but if it will make birth easier I'm willing to try it!

Baby Book Club

The girls at my book club surprised me last night with a "Baby Book Club" children's book shower for Baby Sugar and Spice. What a great group of girls to throw me such a sweet surprise!

We have made a tradition of helping our expectant mothers in book club stock their nursery book shelf with wonderful stories to read to our children. Thanks to my book club gals, we will have a great start on our children's book collection. Now I just need a bookshelf to display all of the great books!

Thanks girls! I'll be back to my glass of wine at book club in December ;)

Will she have hair?

Here's the question I've been asking myself...will our baby have hair when she is born? Apparently some things you can't plan for, but I wish I knew what she is going to look like when she is born!

This weekend, I went shopping at the Junior League of Denver Holiday Mart. Many of the vendors there had cute, handmade baby items. From dresses to sock puppets to fancy burp cloths, they had everything. I wanted to buy Baby Sugar and Spice something special to wear on her head (to show she is a girl) for her newborn photo that may appear on her birth announcement. BUT since I don't know if she'll have hair or not, I had to buy one of everything. So she now has a hair bow, a headband and a hat with a bow on it. I'm prepared no matter what!

Also, I think it is very strange to think about a little person inside me growing a lot of hair. Generally, when you think of hair you think of it being on the exterior of a person. How weird is it that hair is growing inside of my body right now?? True, it is hair for another person...and it will eventually be on the exterior...but it's still weird.

If you like Pina Coladas

Ok, so maybe the baby isn't the size of a Pina Colada...maybe I just want one! We hit the 33 week mark on Wednesday. Baby Sugar and Spice is a little over 4 lbs now and is approximately the weight of a pineapple. She supposedly looks less wrinkly now as she is fattening up and her skeleton is hardening.

Baby has been loving to move around during the night. I hope this isn't a habit she keeps after birth! When I roll over in the night, she starts moving like she thinks it's time to wake up. This morning, she even kicked up into my ribs while I was laying in bed snuggling with Humphrey (he needs attention early in the morning). I can almost feel the outline of her little legs and feet when she kicks!

Also, I recently read about Braxton Hicks contractions, and I think I may have begun feeling them. They apparently are painless uterine contractions that are considered "practice" for labor. The uterus tightens and hardens for a short amount of time and then goes back to normal. At first, I just though this was the baby curling up into a tight little ball in my stomach...but now I am second guessing that. At any rate, I'm not feeling it often enough for it to be considered a problem. I've read that these contractions are very normal. If these contractions are anything like labor contractions, I think I'll be able to handle it. Unfortunately, I think labor contractions might be a bit more difficult to manage...

Tum ta tum tum tums!

I have finally fallen victim to another lovely side effect of pregnancy...heartburn. I had actually never experienced heartburn before I got pregnant. Now that I know what it is, I will do my best to avoid it in the future. My heartburn symptoms are more in my throat than in my heart. The feeling is similar to food forcing itself back up your throat from your stomach. Not pleasant. Thankfully, pregnant women are allowed to take Tums (one of the few medicines we are allowed), so I keep a bottle of Tums next to our sofa so I can take one after dinner. My heartburn usually strikes at night, but I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up more regularly now that I am well into my third trimester. Let's hope I don't have any more strange side effects for the next 2 months!