39 week appointment

Today I met with Dr. G. for my appointment and all seems to continue to go well. BP was great, no weight gain, and the heartbeat sounded good. We did have to start talking about what happens if I don't go into labor naturally. Boo! I have another appointment next Monday and he'll check to see if I've made any progress toward dilation or effacement. If not, then at 41 weeks we start scheduling some fetal testing to check on Charles and make sure everything is OK. One of the tests is called a non-stress test (NST) where they strap belts to my belly and monitor the baby's heartbeat for 20-30 minutes. They'd also do an ultrasound to check my fluid levels. My sincere hope is that Charlie will arrive before we have to intervene. As I was getting massaged today I tried to put myself into a state of deep relaxation and visualize my cervix opening. This proved to be a bit difficult because I don't really know what my cervix looks like. I ended up falling asleep instead. ;)

Breakfast - two organic eggs on whole grain toast with natural ketchup; light, chocolate soymilk
Snack - two M&M cookies
Lunch - Kashi veggie enchilada and rice; grapes, pineapple, and peaches; 100-calorie, fat free pudding; bite of peppermint bark
Snack - organic apple
Dinner - soy "chicken" patty on a whole wheat tortilla with light spicy mayo; baked fries
Dessert - grapes, pineapple, and peaches

39 weeks - 1 to go!

This is my last week of work - wahoo! I love my career, but I think I'm ready to be a full-time mom for a while. I can't believe the adventure upon which we are about to embark, and I am equally thrilled/scared/overjoyed by the whole process. Here's what's happening with Charlie while I contemplate his arrival:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Charlie is waiting to greet us?? I don't know... he seems pretty comfortable in there!

• How far along? 39 weeks
• Total weight gain: +28 pounds
• Sleep: JA, Molly, Maggie and I slept past 10 this morning - again!
• Movement: Still feeling him move and roll around, though I do suspect he's running out of room. I also felt some more movement down low, which is where I'm hoping he's beginning to move.
• Best moment this week: Finishing the nursery with my mom!
• Food cravings: nothing really... still loving pizza and fries, but trying to eat veggies instead :)
• Gender: It's a boy!
• Maternity Clothes: Yep, and I'm counting the days until they get packed away! My mom even ironed all my "regular" clothes that had been in the basement for months, giving herself a blister in the process. She is dedicated!
• Belly Button in or out? Still in... though pretty shallow at this point
• What I miss: sleeping on my back
• What I am looking forward to: My maternity leave replacement starts on Tuesday and will shadow me all week. Friday is my last day!
• Nursery Progress: It's finished!! (Well, technically I still need to hang the signature matte from the showers, but I'm waiting to put an "outside" photo of him in the frame. :) Here are a few more detail shots of Charles' room:

Breakfast - bowl of Wheaties Fuel with organic, low fat milk
Lunch - Amy's organic veggie burrito
Snack - my first trip to Sonic! - small fry and a small cherry limeade
Dinner - out with JA and my in-laws

The Big Nursery Reveal

Let me start this post with a big shout-out to my mom who came down to help me set up the rest of the nursery this weekend. Special thanks are also extended to Wendy, Charlie's Madrinha, who coordinated the fabrics with Mrs. Medeiros, seamstress to the stars! :) I love how everything turned out and I can't wait until our little guy is here to live in his new space.

Here's how the room began, as a guest room, in the days of yore.

And then I began "demolition"...

And the plan was set into place:

Without further ado, here are the final results. The room:

 

The closet:

I only hung "outfits" (pants and tops) in newborn and 0-3 month sizes. Everything else (PJs, play clothes, etc.) in those sizes is in the dresser and all other sizes are stored in bins.

The Ikea Hemnes dresser (LOVE!):

Onesies and burp cloths in the top two drawers on the left

Newborn cloth diapers and a misc. drawer on the right

Nursing supplies and Charlie's sock surplus

Blankets and bibs

Pajamas, socks, and hats in newborn and 0-3 month sizes

What my mom calls "a dangerous drawer" (it's empty, which means more cothes could go inside... ;)

The details:

Vintage and classic books

Homemade baby book, video monitor, and crab fan

Changing station: cloth wipes, Seventh Generation disposable wipes, lamp, nightlights, Angelcare Monitor

Side table near the glider with more books, a lamp, and an iPod docking station; his basket of toys sits below

Well, that's it! It's been a long process, but totally worth it. I have one week until my due date, and probably a week or two after that until we meet Charles, but we are ready! (Well, the room is anyway...)

Breakfast - Cinnamon Life cereal with organic, low fat milk; decaf vanilla chai latte
Snack - one slice of whole grain toast with natural peanut butter
Lunch - half of a Whole Foods vegetable pot pie; pita chips
Snack - organic apple

Dinner - out with my handsome husband

The Eighth Shower

I know you think I'm joking... but I'm not! Today John's coworkers threw him a baby shower, making the grand total a whopping eight parties to celebrate Charles Henry! You can read about showers one through six here. Shower seven took place last Saturday when we headed over to a friends' home for dinner, but were surprised by other guests who weren't able to make the NJ shower. And number eight happened today. I even got to attend to surprise the daddy-to-be, which was very fun. :) And of course, Charles scored some more loot:

Molly wonders if there's anything in there for her.

I am eagerly awaiting my mom's arrival tonight. It will be so awesome to see her and she's bringing the nursery fabrics!! We have big plans to set everything up tomorrow, so expect the big nursery reveal coming soon...

Breakfast - egg white veggie flatbread; small hot chocolate
Lunch - elbow macaroni in marinara sauce with broccoli and peas; Greek blueberry yogurt; fat free, 100-calorie pudding
Snack - Kashi granola bar; piece of dark chocolate
Dinner - tortilla chips with vegetarian beans, cheese, sour cream, and salsa; white raspberry tea

A New 'Do

Even though I missed my massage because of snow yesterday (rescheduled for Monday!), I was determined to make my hair appointment tonight. Thankfully, my wonderful husband got busy bright and early this morning to snowblow and shovel the driveway. He also cleaned off my car and brought it down the driveway so I wouldn't have to walk up Everest (my oh-so-clever nickname for our super steep slope). When we are expecting snow and I'm not sure if school is canceled yet, I usually park on the street so I can get out more easily. Anyway, I digress... I needed to make it to my hair appointment today because as I mentioned previously, this girl was not going into labor with roots! ;) Here's a before shot - eek! - you know I trust you guys to post this

And here's the after (with a little belly shot to boot):

I asked the stylist if she'd come to the hospital to do my hair after delivery. I think she'd do it for the right price! ;)

Breakfast - two organic eggs on whole grain toast with ketchup

Snack - pita chips
Lunch - Amy's organic cheese enchilada with a side of veggies (corn, peas, and broccoli); organic granola bar
Dinner - veggie burger on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and ketchup
Dessert - sliced peaches and pineapple; light, chocolate soymilk

Charlie's Stationery

When JA and I were planning our wedding it took me just as long to select invitations as it did to select my gown... about six months! I am very particular about paper, even though I know it ends up in the recycling bin. So now that it's time to select Charles' first stationery, I'm overwhelmed with all the choices. Here are some of my favorites... I'm torn between making them age-appropriate, but not too babyish or grownup.


Decisions, decisions... In other stationery-related news, I addressed the envelopes for the birth announcements and ordered stamps last night. When Charles arrives we'll just have to snap some adorable photos of him (how hard will that be??) and order the announcements. When they arrive I'll just have to stuff and mail. Excellent!

Oh, and I do have an official snow day today, so I'm sure this won't be my last post. Being home makes me bored, but I'm thankful to not have to drive!

O.M.G more S.N.O.W.

This is getting slightly ridiculous and if Mother Nature affects my mom's ability to be here for Charlie's birth I will be very annoyed! I'm home from school early today because of the snow. It's supposed to start up heavy again tonight, so there's a chance of a delay or snow day tomorrow too. The worst part - I had to cancel my massage this evening. Boo hoo! On the bright side, it is quite beautiful. Here are the front and back yards:

In other happy news, my neighbor Jen delivered her baby girl this morning! Mira Irene was born at 6:30 - welcome to the neighborhood! Between my countdown ticker over here --> (10 days!!) and knowing that Jen was due a week before me, I am so excited to meet this little man. Just need to make it through next week at school and his timing will be perfect. Of course, if he needs to come before that, we'll accommodate him. ;)

I've been thinking about where Charles will sleep when we first bring him home. You may know that Molly and Maggie share our bed at night. It all started after one of Maggie's many surgeries, and they've just grown accustomed to staying with us now. I'm OK with that, so long as it doesn't mess anything up with Charles. Right now we have the Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper and the Pack and Play that Alice let us borrow in our room.

His crib is obviously set up in the nursery as well. Between these three locations, he should be comfortable. I expect that we'll be up every few hours for diaper changes and feedings. Changes can happen either in the Pack and Play or on his dresser and I plan to walk to the nursery or use the chair in our room for nursing. Of course, we'll only know if this plan will work once he gets here. My friend Aimee gave me a book the other day called The Boss Baby. Super cute, and I'm sure it's quite true too. :)

Breakfast - egg white veggie flatbread; cranberry juice

Snack - chocolate chip cookie

Lunch - elbow macaroni in a marinara sauce with broccoli and peas; pretzel sticks; piece of cheese; Kashi granola bar

Snack - grilled cheese on whole grain bread

Dinner - low fat pierogies; mixed veggies (broccoli, corn, peas, and zucchini)

Dessert - homemade brownie

38 week appointment

Today I met with the midwife for my 38-week appointment. Weight, BP, and protein all checked out and baby is definitely head down. All great news! I also asked Tina what I should be doing as we gear up for labor and delivery. Her best advice is to come home from work and take a nap. Love it! In her experience, many people go into labor at night and having a nap after school will make sure that I'm that much more rested. I will be following midwife's orders every day!! ;)

Speaking of school, I am definitely feeling like I'm ready to be done. My sub starts next Tuesday and we're set to work side by side through next Friday, my last day. Will I be able to make it? Of course. But the afternoons are certainly more of a let's-sit-down-and-rest time for me. The massage I have scheduled for tomorrow night cannot come fast enough! I'll have just enough time to come home from school, take a quick nap, and then get the massage. I'm also continuing to work out (just my very easy walking workout videos) and I actually feel better when I do them then when I don't. Plus, the walking is supposed to help with labor. It's a win-win!

Breakfast - low-sugar instant oatmeal; decaf tea with honey
Snack - raisin English muffin with natural peanut butter
Lunch - Amy's organic low-sodium tomato soup; pretzel sticks; Fiber One toaster pastry; one homemade brownie bite
Dinner - half a baked potato with cheese; Kashi black bean enchilada
Dessert - homemade fudge brownie

The Week of Pampering Begins...

My schedule for the week:

Monday - mani/pedi - This felt soooo good today. I may or may not have fallen asleep in the pedicure chair, but that massage was just too good. Plus, it was purchased with gift cards from students, so I didn't even have to pay for it!

Tuesday - doctor's appointment - So this isn't really a "pampering" experience, but hearing Charlie's heartbeat always makes my day!

Wednesday - prenatal massage - Need I say more?

Thursday - cut and color at the salon - There's no way this girl is going into labor with roots! ;) And don't worry, I go to an organic, all-natural salon.

Friday - mom comes to visit - What could be better than having your mom take care of you??

Considering how tired I am today (it's my own fault for staying up to read until past 11 last night), this is a good week... something to look forward to every day! :)

Breakfast - two organic eggs with a slice of American cheese on whole grain toast with organic ketchup; decaf tea with honey
Snack - Kashi granola bar
Lunch - elbow macaroni with marinara sauce; pretzel sticks; baby carrots with ranch dip; one homemade brownie bite
Snack - two pieces of mint chocolate
Dinner - Amy's organic, low-sodium lentil and vegetable soup; half a grilled cheese sandwich
Dessert - one homemade brownie bite; Fiber One toaster pastry; glass of chocolate, organic, low fat soymilk

38 weeks - 2 to go!

I officially have 10 days of work left (assuming I make it that long, which I definitely think I will.) Eek! I feel confident that we're as ready for baby as we can be, but I am realizing that I have 21 other "babies" that I am responsible for and I'm nervous for them! I love my sub and I think she'll do a great job... but if I went early, I think there would be some moments of panic since we haven't really planned out the rest of the year. We are meeting a week from today... so Charlie needs to stay put until then. :)  Plus, we're getting more snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, and he also needs to avoid those days. I hope he's reading this...

Here's what's new with Baby A this week:

Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old.

A few comments about this weekly update: 1. I'm pretty sure Charles weighs more than 6.8 pounds at this point, and 2. I'll be shocked if his eyes are anything but brown... though I guess there's a chance they could be green or hazel (JA's grandpa had green eyes and his dad had blue eyes). We shall see soon enough... :)

• How far along? 38 weeks
• Total weight gain: +27 pounds (down one pound from last week)
• Sleep: Molly, Maggie and I sept past 10 this morning - bliss!
• Movement: Still feeling him move and roll around, though I do suspect he's running out of room.
• Best moment this week: Celebrating Charlie's impending arrival with friends at school and last night at a dinner party. People love to buy this boy gifts!
• Food cravings: nothing really
• Gender: It's a boy!
• Maternity Clothes: Yep, though ironically, nothing I'm wearing right now is - yoga pants and tops are super stretchy!
• Belly Button in or out? Still in; there's no way it will pop at this point, right?
• What I miss: sleeping on my back
• What I am looking forward to: More snow on Tuesday and Wednesday - just kidding! Even I'm getting sick of it, and I love snow.
• Nursery Progress: JA went to Home Depot to have the wood cut today so we put that under the crib. I'll wait to get the crib skirt on Friday before installing the Angelcare Monitor. I also did another load(!) of baby laundry consisting of clothes and blankets from this week's showers. And I finished the baby book! It took me most of the weekend, but I love how it turned out. Here's a sneak peek:


Saturday
Breakfast - Cap'n Crunch with organic, low fat milk
Lunch - Amy's organic veggie burrito; whole grain brown rice with broccoli, zucchini, peas, and corn
Snack - assorted crackers, cheese, and dip
Dinner - egglant rigatoni; butternut squash; piece of Italian bread with butter
Dessert - Giada's mocha semifreddo; one homemade brownie bite

Sunday
Breakfast - two scrambled eggs with one slice of American cheese on whole grain toast with organic katchup; cranberry juice
Snack - organic granola bar
Lunch - piece of French bread pizza
Snack - Greek blueberry yogurt
Dinner - elbow macaroni in a marinara sauce with broccoli and peas
Dessert - two homemade brownie bites with low fat chocolate soy milk