31 Weeks

We have hit the single digit week countdown! 31 Weeks on a beautiful Thanksgiving Day. And so much to be thankful for. 
Poppy is growing beautifully. We had an ultrasound on Tuesday, and the tech said everything looks "pefect". Baby is about 4 pounds, just a bit above average.  He or she was staring right at us, gave us a good wave and looked like daddy :) Here's a belly comparison pic, just for fun. The scary part is that Poppy will double in size from now until due date! 

Pregnancy is a roller coaster; at least, it has been for me. Hormones and emotions run rampid, physical changes bring joy, pain and, well, confusion. It's a lot to adjust to. I've enjoyed it to the fullest so far, but would be lying if I said it was a breeze. There have been days when I've thought, "Oh my goodness, how will I ever do this again?" But those days have have been grossly outnumbered by the days when I've felt energized, amazed and simply grateful for the miracle that is happening inside of me. Some would argue and say it is not a miralce, it is something that happens every day to millions of people. I have to disagree. The complexity of fetal development, the rate at which my baby is growing, the act of childbirth...it's all a beautiful miracle to me. Which brings me to Thanksgiving. 
There is so much for us to be thankful for over the course of the past year. Our beautiful wedding day, the excitement of being newly married, creating life, experiencing pregnancy. And yet it has contained some of the most difficult moments of our lives. This is our first holiday without Andy's father, Randy. Our hearts are broken. I love my husband more than words can describe. How can we be so happy about the upcoming birth of our child, and yet so sad at the loss of a parent at the same time? There are no answers, no easy solutions when dealing with grief. All that I can do is love. Love my husband, love Randy, love our baby, love our families. And trust in God. Poppy now has an angel watching over him/her every moment of every day. I see and feel signs of Randy everywhere, and am comforted knowing he is with us. He loved Poppy so much already. Every time we talked to him or saw him the first thing he asked about was Roman. He had fondly nicknamed the baby Roman, and we loved it! Even before we got pregnant, he asked about the phantom baby every day. I am so glad he knew Poppy, even if only from the inside. And the thing that amazes and comforts me most is knowing that I am carrying a piece of Randy with me, all day every day. And when Poppy is born, he/she will know his/her Papa, because he is PART of her. It is so beautiful. And at the same time so sad that he will not be here in this physical world to experience the joy of watching Poppy grow. I pray that God will give me the strength to be the support my husband needs, and that our new baby will help us to heal. And we are so grateful for the constant love and support of our family and friends. 
So this Thanksgiving I am grateful for miracle of life. Even with all of it's challenges, every moment is a precious gift from God. 

3/4 of the way there...

30 Weeks today. Wow! How the?! What the?! When the?!


That's right folks, 30 weeks down and only 10 to go. Went to the OB yesterday and she said any time after 36 weeks is safe to deliver. OMG. That's only SIX WEEKS away. 
We got to hear Poppy's heartbeat, and it was a strong 168. Wanna hear it?!:

Best. Sound. Ever. 


OB said I am measuring big and Poppy was in the 75th percentile for size at 24 weeks ultrasound, so we get to go and see him/her hanging out in the ute next week. Yay. 


Movement has increased and this little one is not shy about letting me know what's up. I love it. Big rolls and bumps and thumps all day long. I'm really going to miss this feeling. Even though it's getting to the point where it sometimes hurts a little and causes discomfort. Yeah, I feel like a weirdo when the baby jabs me in the ribs and I jump in my seat. But my students aren't phased. As grandma says, "What the heck do THEY know, anyway." 


I wore tall boots with a high wedge heel to work today over my leggings. I felt pretty and not frumpy. It is now 7pm and my feet are still throbbing and my back is broken. I mean really, it must literally be broken to feel this way. Conclusion: I'd rather sport the portly pregnant frump look than endure the pain that comes with heels. Yeah, the height makes me look 10 pounds lighter, but at this point, who am I trying to fool. hahahaha. 


So what's going on with Poppy? Well, at 30 weeks the baby should be about 3 pounds (i'm guessing ours is a bit more, based on what the dr. said) and almost 16 inches. I can feel the 3 pounds, that makes sense. But 16 inches?! That kind of blows my mind. No wonder I feel kicks right under boobs and right above my crotch at the same time!


OK, off to do some nursery crafts. Thanks for checking in! xo

I'm Bored

There is much to be done, but I am too tired to move. So here is an updated survvey for your reading pleasure:

How far along? 29 weeks and 4 days pregnant
Total weight gain/loss: 22 pounds (holy shit, how did THAT happen?!)
Sleep: up 2-4 times/night to pee, plus another 3-4 times to switch sides because my hips and legs are killing me
Movement: all.the.time. it's just now starting to change from kicks and jabs to some pretty big rolls and turns. not to mention the amazing bladder trampoline routine
Symptoms: physical exhaustion, go from full to starving in a matter of seconds
Symptoms I DON'T have: snail trail/swamp crotch
Food cravings: avacados, coca-cola, hot choclate, milk
Food aversions: none really
Gender: I'll let you know around January 26th
Labor Signs: just good old braxton hicks. hoping their frequency indicates that my body will pop this baby out like it's nothing when the time comes
Belly Button in or out? flat with a little bit at the top poking out
What I miss: raw sushi, and i have been craving a beer.
What I am looking forward to: meeting my little sweetheart. and not feeling like a cow. 

Fluffy Butt

29 Weeks! O. M. G. 


We're planning to put up the crib this weekend (squeeeee!). Still trying to figure out how to fool Andy into thinking it will be fun :p 


Besides decorating the nursery, my latest obsession has been cloth diapers. Before you roll your eyes at me and mumble under your breath about 'how long that will last" let me tell ya, I've done my research and put a lot of thought into this. First of all, if you know me you know that I love to be frugal and thrifty. Of course, I know that my baby will need diapers, but spending all of that money on a piece of plastic/cotton that will get thrown away and contribute to waste seems like such a, well....waste! When I first started looking into cloth diapers I became totally overwhelmed. There are so many options! And of course, if you're a 'cool' cloth diaper mama, you have to use all of the abbreviations, "AIOs, fitteds, OS, PFs". Ugh. Nearly scared me away. But I read and read and even went to Modern Natural Baby in Ferndale (of course) for a little demo. So my plan is go to old school and use prefolds with covers...just like my mom did when Jesse and I were babes. Prefolds are your typical original cloth diaper, kept in place with a 'snappi'

Swell, I know. But how do you keep it from leaking? That's the fun part...covers! These are waterproof and come in all kinds of cute colors and patterns. 

Adorable, right?! The neato thing is that you can get 'one size' covers, which have multiple snaps so the diaper can grow with baby! Like this:

Besides a nice stash of prefolds with covers, I will have some All-in-ones for Poppy as well. These are idiot proof and basically function exactly like a disposable diaper, except instead of throwing it away, you throw it in the washing machine and use it again. These are a bit pricier, but can be found on sale and in excellent used condition for a great price. 

Ta-Da!

What else do you need to cloth diaper? Not whole lot. I diaper sprayer is nice, but not essential. It hooks up to the toilet so you can spray off the poops before you throw the diaper in the dirty pail. You also need a washer and dryer, laundry detergent for sensitive skin, and the motivation to do more laundry than you ever have in your life.

So now let's talk cost. The average cost of dipaering a baby in disposables for 30 months is between $1,500.00 - 2,000.00, assuming you are paying between $.17-.33 per diaper. The cost for 30 months worth of prefolds and wraps is about $250. Add another $500 over the course of those 30 months for laundering/energy costs and accessories, and we have a grand total of $750.00 to cloth diaper. That's a savings of anywhere between $750.00-1250.00! Let's be realistic though. I am going to add some of the more expensive All-in-one diapers to my stash because they are easy (for the babysitter!) and oh-so-cute. So let's add another $250.00. Well lookie there, we are still saving $500.00-1000.00. Oh but it doesn't stop there, friends. You see, these diapers are reusable for our future children. Yes, that's right. We will not have to buy more cloth diapers for our next babies...which is going to save us literally thousands more dollars. Enough to pay for a trip to, oh I don't know, Disneyland? AND, any diapers that are still in good condition can be sold at resale for upward of 50% of their original cost. Eat your heart out, extreme couponers. 

Oh, and did I mention we willl be saving the earth, one perfold at a time? Yeah, that too. 

Oh, one more thing! Crazy legs. They go perfect with adorable cloth diapers (or without!)and are unbelieveably cute:

Poppy's Place!

We are finally making some progress on the nursery. Baby steps (no pun intended, hehehehe) toward bringing my vision to life. Here is a what the nursery room looked like before:

It functioned as a closet/dumping ground. Ahem, I may have slight hoarding problem. 

Here it is after a fresh coat of (bright white!) paint and some new (neutral!) carpeting:

Now I can start with the fun part....the decorating and DIY projects! First project comeplete: pinwheel mobile! It was fairly easy to make and I quite enjoyed it. Cost me a total of $14, and I have enough supplies left over to make at least one more. Here she is, in all her glory:

28 Down, only 12 to go!

Our poppy seed is 28 weeks strong and has now grown to about the size of a cabbage!

Poppy is also growing in length, coming in around a whopping 15 inches! He or she must really be curled up in a little ball in mama's belly! I looked at the yard stick on my desk, and 15 inches is no joke. How else can (s)he fit in here:

Here's more info on Poppy's growth this week:

She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

This reminds me, I want to try the falshlight trick this evening; rumor has it if you move a flashlight across your belly, baby will move and follow it. Crazy cakes! I'll you know how it works :)

So I had my OB checkup on Tuesday, and everything looked great! The nurse was looking over my chart before she got ready to listen to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler, and she says to me, "So, are you having a girl?" Um, NO! We are waiting to find out. She just smiled and said that was nice. Then we listened to the heartbeat and she said it was in the high 150s, low 160s as usual. WTF?! Was hinting it might be a girl because of the higher heartrate (old wives tale), or did she accidentally reveal something she saw on the chart? Ugh, way to torture me, nurse! So I thought it would be fun to look at the Old Wives Tales regarding gender again, since the first time I did it was 14 weeks ago. I've color coded them, pink for girl, blue for boy (duh!) and green for n/a. Here is where we stand, Old Wives:

Old Wives Tale #4:  Heart Rate
If the baby’s heart rate is above 140 bpm, it is said that the baby will be a girl.  If it is under 140 bpm, then it will be a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #12:  Shape of Belly
If you are carrying high with a big, round belly, you are having a girl.  If you are carrying low with a smaller belly that sticks straight out, it’s a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #13:  Ring Test
Using a string, hang your wedding ring over your pregnant belly.  You are having a girl if the ring swings back and forth  and it’s a boy if it swings in a circle.   
Old Wives Tale #14:  Shape of Mom’s Face
When your face gets fuller and rounder when pregnant, it means you’re going to have a girl.  If your face is long and narrow, it’s a boy.  
I think this is b.s. since women all gain weight differently.  However, that being said, my face has gotten rounder, so all signs point to a girl for this one.
Old Wives Tale #15:  Key Test
This test involves a key.  If you pick up a key at the top (the roundest part), you are going to have a boy.  If you pick up the key at the bottom (smallest part), you are going to have a girl.  If you happen to grab the key in the middle, congrats, it’s twins!  
Old Wives Tale #16:  Mayan Tale
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception.  If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl.  If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way!  According to this, we are having a girl.
Old Wives Tale #17:  Drano Test
The drano test combines a tablespoon of Drano and urine together.  If the mixture turns green, it’s a girl.  If it turns blue, it’s a boy.  Ummmm, TBA
Old Wives Tale #18:  Acne
If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl.  It’s thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by the extra hormones.  
Old Wives Tale #19:  Cravings
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy.  If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.  
Old Wives Tale #20:  Smell of Garlic
If a pregnant woman eats a clove of garlic and the smell does not come out of her pores, it’s a girl.  If the smell seeps out of her pores, it’s a boy. Hahahaha, I am so NOT dealing with heartburn that would ensue with this one!
Old Wives Tale #22:  Skin under Left Eye
The eye test is when a “V” or “branches” appear when you pull down the skin under your left eye.  If you see a “V” or “branches” in the white part, you’re having a girl.  I have a “V”, so one more point for a girl.
Old Wives Tale #26:  Time of Conception
The person that is most aggressive in bed at the time of conception is the opposite of what the baby will be.  In this case, we’ll have a girl. 
Old Wives Tale #27:  Legs
If your legs get really big, you’re having a boy.  If your legs stay in shape and lean, it’s a girl. 
Old Wives Tale #28:  Moodiness and a Little Pecker
If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have another extra girl hormones in you.  Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy because there’s a little penis inside you.  Not sure how true this is, but it sure does make me laugh!
Old Wives Tale #29:  Bread
If you eat the ends of bread, it’s a boy.  If you eat the middle of the load, it’s a girl.  I’ve never liked the ends of bread and always have eaten from the middle… Another point for a little girl.  
Old Wives Tale #30:  Chinese Gender Chart
The Chinese Gender Chart claims to have an accuracy rate of over 90%.  It is based on how old the mother is at conception and the month that she conceived.  This tale tells me that I’ve having a girl.  
Old Wives Tale #31:  Mom’s Beauty
Basically you are having a girl if your beauty disappears during pregnancy.  It is said that the girl “steals” the mother’s beauty.  If you think that pregnancy has never made you look more beautiful, you might just be having a little boy.  
Old Wives Tale #32:  Dream of Sex of Baby
If you have dreams that you are having a boy, you will have a girl.  If you dream about having a girl, it will be a boy.  Dreams show the opposite of what you are having.  I’ve only had a dream that I was having twins, and there’s only one baby in there, so maybe there’s some truth to this…  or maybe it’s just a coincidence! I've dreamt of having both!
Old Wives Tale #33:  Clumsy vs. Graceful
If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl.  If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #35:  Side You Most Rest On
If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she’s having a boy.  If she prefers resting on her right side, she’s having a girl.  I prefer my right side lately.  Hmm. I'm constantly switching back and forth.
Old Wives Tale #36:  Hands
When the pregnant woman is asked to show her hands, it’s a boy if she keeps her palms down and a girl if she shows her palms up.  
Old Wives Tale #37:  Dad’s Weight Gain
If the dad-to-be gains weight while you are pregnant, it’s a girl.  If he doesn’t gain weight, you’re having a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #39:  Necklace Over Hand
Have someone hold a necklace over your hand.  If the necklace swings back and forth, it’s a boy.  If it moves in a circle, it’s a girl.     
Old Wives Tale #40:  What Do You Think?
71% of the time, the mom-to-be knows what she is having.  I might be falling into the old wives tale trap, or maybe I just want a little girl, but I feel like it is a girl.
Old Wives Tale #41:  Morning Sickness
If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy.  If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, count on a girl.  As you know, I have only thrown up once, but I’ve was extremely nauseousfor the first 4 months.  Girl again perhaps. 
Old Wives Tale #42:  Areolae
If your areolae (the part around your nips) have darkened, it’s a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #43:  Protein
When a pregnant woman craves meat and cheese, count on a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #44:  Feet
Are your feet colder now that you are pregnant?  If so, you just might be having a boy.  If your feet have stayed the same before pregnancy and during, you’re having a little girl.  
Old Wives Tale #45:  Hair on Legs
If the hair on your legs has been growing at record speeds, you might be having a boy.  
Old Wives Tale #46:  Hands are Dry
If your hands are constantly dry, it’s a boy.    
Old Wives Tale #47:  Urine
What color is your pee?  If it is bright yellow, you will have a little boy.  If your urine is a dull yellow, plan on a girl.  
Old Wives Tale #48:  Nose
Do you feel like your nose is growing and getting wider?  If so, you might be having a boy.    
Old Wives Tale #49:  Headaches
If you are having headaches, you might be carrying a boy.  I’ve definitely had an increase in headaches, so I wonder… 
Old Wives Tale #51:  Baby Names
It is said that when you can only think of specific names for a boy or a girl, you will have that particularly baby.  

That makes 19 for a GIRL and 10 for BOY. Hmmmmm, maybe that nurse was on to something....