Ok, my belly has officially become a ledge to which all crumbs fall...and land...and call home. I have never really considered myself that sloppy of an eater. I usually pride myself on my pristine dining skills; however, and trust me on this one, bellies do not lie. I have since been proven wrong about my polite eating habits. Apparently, crumbs of all shapes and sizes no longer (gasp!) fall to the floor, but land perfectly on the little shelf that my body has so perfectly created for our growing bambino. (Now I'm wondering what other uses I can put this shelf to. Anyone up for a bowl of ice cream?!)
For the record, I took a picture of my crumb laden tum but it actually looked disgusting, so I am too embarrassed to post it. I swear I was chewing with my mouth closed.
Speaking of growing bellies and babies, we had another appointment on Tuesday. Everything is going wonderfully. We gained another pound, our baby's heartbeat was beating at 140 bpm (our little girl is so consistent!), my tummy measured at 35 cm, and we got the word that we are still "head down" which is exactly where we need to be! Apparently it's pretty unlikely that our little girl will change positions, but you never know if she's going to get a wild hair up her bum and bust out a stubborn side like her Mama has. (Yes, I can be quite rebellious sometimes.)
In other news, we have hit 35 weeks today! In one more week we will be entering our ninth month - the final hour! And, I just want you all to know that we have officially determined why it seems like you are pregnant for ten months instead of nine. You see, you don't pop the kid out at the beginning of nine months. You actually finish out the ninth month which technically puts you at ten months.
Geniuses, we are! Genius, big bellied, and strong willed.
What's not to like?!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Class of 2012
5 weeks ago we began our childbirth class. I would like to officially congratulate ourselves for making it all the way through! We graduated tonight!!
The class was lengthy and chock full of information. Come D-day, I know our little girl and our nurses will be impressed with the knowledge that we possess! The clock is definitely ticking!
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| We are just so darn smart! |
The class was lengthy and chock full of information. Come D-day, I know our little girl and our nurses will be impressed with the knowledge that we possess! The clock is definitely ticking!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Arts & Crafts: Part Deux
Remember how our little girl gave her Daddy a little gift for his birthday?! And that gift was three little frames that matched her room perfectly?!
She had intended on her Daddy being able to fill those frames with three images that he thought would look wonderful in her room. And then her Mommy had a brilliant, BRILLIANT idea that she ran past him.
Since we've kind of run with the wild animal theme, why not create some wild animals to stick in those frames?!
Fortunately, Brian is a good sport, so he let me get to work! (I saved him from participating...this time.) I picked up some matching paper, got to drawing and designing, and then cutting and glueing, and the final product was formed:
The animals and the frames turned out better than I had envisioned, and Brian likes them too! We've yet to hang them in her room, but I've got some great suggestions on where they should go! :)
To my Baby's Daddy: thank you for letting my creative side run wild with the animals!
xx Baby's Mama
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| See the three frames in the front?! Yep, that's them. |
She had intended on her Daddy being able to fill those frames with three images that he thought would look wonderful in her room. And then her Mommy had a brilliant, BRILLIANT idea that she ran past him.
Since we've kind of run with the wild animal theme, why not create some wild animals to stick in those frames?!
Fortunately, Brian is a good sport, so he let me get to work! (I saved him from participating...this time.) I picked up some matching paper, got to drawing and designing, and then cutting and glueing, and the final product was formed:
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| Matching paper...with stencils that I precut from my designs. |
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| Glue, q-tips, and tweezers - yes, I am working on a project. |
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| Our wild animals - pre-glue. |
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| A close-up of the elephant. |
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| A close-up of the giraffe. |
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| And a close-up of the friendly alligator. |
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| Last, but not least, the final products framed! |
The animals and the frames turned out better than I had envisioned, and Brian likes them too! We've yet to hang them in her room, but I've got some great suggestions on where they should go! :)
To my Baby's Daddy: thank you for letting my creative side run wild with the animals!
xx Baby's Mama
Friday, September 14, 2012
Little Smocked Dresses
I was the first grandchild born on my Mom's side and my Dad's side. I was also the first girl born on my Dad's side. You see, my Dad's Mom, my Grandma, had two sons. (My Dad has since told me that she always wanted a little girl, and when he and my Mom had me, she was simply over the moon with excitement!) If I wasn't spoiled, she was going to spoil me!
My Grandma Lauchman was an amazing woman. She could cook anything that you could think of and it would always turn out better than you could imagine. Her garden always had the most beautiful flowers and vegetables and butterflies. Her piano playing was stellar and her sewing was absolutely stunning.
She hand-smocked dress after beautiful dress for her granddaughter (me!). Some took weeks and I would imagine that some even took months to sew completely. While it was hard for me to appreciate such a treasure at such a young age, I certainly appreciate it now. Especially expecting a little girl of our own.
Over the last several weeks, I've washed, spot treated, and washed again these 30+ year old dresses. The very same dresses that I wore as a wee one with the sole intention that our little girl will be able to enjoy such masterpieces as well. I know that she won't understand how meaningful these dresses are when she is wearing them, but knowing that I can one day show her photos of her beautiful self in these beautiful dresses that her beautiful Great Grandmother hand smocked for her Mother when she was just a babe is so amazing! I will tell her everything she wants to know about her Great Grandma, and I will do so with the same amount of love and joy that this post brings me.
I wish it were easier for our little girl to meet her Great Grandmother. She is currently living in a nursing home in Salisbury, NC suffering from dymentia. Brian and I had the fortunate opportunity to stop by on the way home from the beach and see her. I told her that we were having a little girl and that I hoped that she would be able to meet her one day. I know in my heart that that may not come to pass, but being able to keep a little piece of my Grandma with me through these dresses and pass them down to our little girl means so much to me.
She would love you, sweet girl, just like she loved me.
My Grandma Lauchman was an amazing woman. She could cook anything that you could think of and it would always turn out better than you could imagine. Her garden always had the most beautiful flowers and vegetables and butterflies. Her piano playing was stellar and her sewing was absolutely stunning.
She hand-smocked dress after beautiful dress for her granddaughter (me!). Some took weeks and I would imagine that some even took months to sew completely. While it was hard for me to appreciate such a treasure at such a young age, I certainly appreciate it now. Especially expecting a little girl of our own.
Over the last several weeks, I've washed, spot treated, and washed again these 30+ year old dresses. The very same dresses that I wore as a wee one with the sole intention that our little girl will be able to enjoy such masterpieces as well. I know that she won't understand how meaningful these dresses are when she is wearing them, but knowing that I can one day show her photos of her beautiful self in these beautiful dresses that her beautiful Great Grandmother hand smocked for her Mother when she was just a babe is so amazing! I will tell her everything she wants to know about her Great Grandma, and I will do so with the same amount of love and joy that this post brings me.
I wish it were easier for our little girl to meet her Great Grandmother. She is currently living in a nursing home in Salisbury, NC suffering from dymentia. Brian and I had the fortunate opportunity to stop by on the way home from the beach and see her. I told her that we were having a little girl and that I hoped that she would be able to meet her one day. I know in my heart that that may not come to pass, but being able to keep a little piece of my Grandma with me through these dresses and pass them down to our little girl means so much to me.
She would love you, sweet girl, just like she loved me.
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| Click this photo for a serious blast from the past! |
Thursday, September 13, 2012
The NBA Called
They said they want their basketball back:
...I told them I'd get it to them before Thanksgiving...
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| Week 34 Bump! |
...I told them I'd get it to them before Thanksgiving...
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Ya Got a Heart
My brother has a hilarious story about a Labor Day festival game where one of his friends won a little stuffed heart. The expression the game worker had when my brother's friend won was flat and disinterested, "Ya got a heart." My brother makes me laugh...a lot...and I always crack up when I think of that story because he still says that expression sometimes and hearing it is just so funny!
Either way, this post is neither about Labor Day festivals or bored festival workers, but it is about hearts!
A few weeks ago, I convinced Brian that it would be so much fun to make something framed for our darling girl. What better than a heart of buttons with colors similar to those we've planned to have in her room?! Brianloved really liked was convinced about the idea, and so we started a little art project!
We bought some buttons, nail polish colors, and a frame. We painted all of the buttons, let them dry overnight, and assembled a beautiful heart the very next day. Afterwards, we piled a bunch of cook books on top of it so that it would dry flat and we could affix it to another piece of paper to go into the frame.
Everything appeared to be working out smoothly, but it didn't really work out as planned...
...The paper wrinkled from the Elmer's glue. When I tried to cut the heart out, it was nearly impossible to get a nice, solid cut with buttons hanging over the edge. (This perfectionist could simply not live with that.) We were at our wits end as to what we were going to do, especially after we had just spent a lot of time hand painting buttons... (I was also wondering how I would ever convince Brian to do arts and crafts with me again if this little project didn't work out.)
We let the art project sit to the side for awhile while we gathered our thoughts. We ultimately decided to remove the glued buttons from the original paper, rearrange and glue them directly onto foam board, and put that in our frame.
And that was just the ticket!
Our framed button heart turned out fantastically!!! And it is the perfect addition to our reading corner! Almost every corner of our little girl's room has our personal touch added to it, and that makes it even more special!
So, sweet girl, ya got a heart...! A very, very special heart:
Either way, this post is neither about Labor Day festivals or bored festival workers, but it is about hearts!
A few weeks ago, I convinced Brian that it would be so much fun to make something framed for our darling girl. What better than a heart of buttons with colors similar to those we've planned to have in her room?! Brian
We bought some buttons, nail polish colors, and a frame. We painted all of the buttons, let them dry overnight, and assembled a beautiful heart the very next day. Afterwards, we piled a bunch of cook books on top of it so that it would dry flat and we could affix it to another piece of paper to go into the frame.
Everything appeared to be working out smoothly, but it didn't really work out as planned...
...The paper wrinkled from the Elmer's glue. When I tried to cut the heart out, it was nearly impossible to get a nice, solid cut with buttons hanging over the edge. (This perfectionist could simply not live with that.) We were at our wits end as to what we were going to do, especially after we had just spent a lot of time hand painting buttons... (I was also wondering how I would ever convince Brian to do arts and crafts with me again if this little project didn't work out.)
We let the art project sit to the side for awhile while we gathered our thoughts. We ultimately decided to remove the glued buttons from the original paper, rearrange and glue them directly onto foam board, and put that in our frame.
And that was just the ticket!
Our framed button heart turned out fantastically!!! And it is the perfect addition to our reading corner! Almost every corner of our little girl's room has our personal touch added to it, and that makes it even more special!
So, sweet girl, ya got a heart...! A very, very special heart:
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| Click the photo to see our progress from start to finish! |
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Kangaroo Care
(Don’t say that I didn’t warn you that our blog would quickly become "all things baby" when we found out we were expecting. I realize that we’ve been talking about baby a lot recently, but I suppose I can say I told you so. Also, here is your warning that our blog will quickly become "all about our little girl" when she arrives too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about that either!)
Today we had another doctor’s appointment. Everything appears to be progressing as it should be. Mama and Baby are healthy! My blood pressure was good, I’ve gained another 2 pounds, my tummy measured at 33 cm, and our little girl’s heartbeat was right in between 135 and 140 bpm. We got the thumbs up from our doctor that all is well and she (and we) are very happy with the progress!
In addition, last night we took a tour after our child birthing class of the delivery room and post-partum room. (I know the name of that second room now. No more sounding like an ignorant fool.) We also got to get a good idea of the procedures and practices of the delivery process. We learned that after we have our little one, we will participate in what is known as Kangaroo Care, barring any medical issues that may take priority, of course. Throughout Kangaroo Care our little girl rest on my chest and cuddle skin to skin for the first couple hours after she is born, much like a marsupial! Hence the name "Kangaroo" care! It is so exciting to be nearing our little girl's birthday and our very first face to face meeting. We absolutely cannot wait to cuddle with our little one.
Speaking of, our sweet girl has become much more active in the womb. Check out a couple more viddies here for some strange and bizarre belly aerobics!
Last, but certainly not least, we made a lot of headway this past weekend with the nursery. Check out our progress in photos by clicking on the photo below! There are still a few minor things that we need to do, and our chair still needs to come in, but we are so pleased with the way everything has turned out!
We are well on our way to a complete nursery! We are also well on our way to hold our little bundle of joy in our arms!
And that will be a moment neither one of us will ever, ever forget.
Today we had another doctor’s appointment. Everything appears to be progressing as it should be. Mama and Baby are healthy! My blood pressure was good, I’ve gained another 2 pounds, my tummy measured at 33 cm, and our little girl’s heartbeat was right in between 135 and 140 bpm. We got the thumbs up from our doctor that all is well and she (and we) are very happy with the progress!
In addition, last night we took a tour after our child birthing class of the delivery room and post-partum room. (I know the name of that second room now. No more sounding like an ignorant fool.) We also got to get a good idea of the procedures and practices of the delivery process. We learned that after we have our little one, we will participate in what is known as Kangaroo Care, barring any medical issues that may take priority, of course. Throughout Kangaroo Care our little girl rest on my chest and cuddle skin to skin for the first couple hours after she is born, much like a marsupial! Hence the name "Kangaroo" care! It is so exciting to be nearing our little girl's birthday and our very first face to face meeting. We absolutely cannot wait to cuddle with our little one.
Speaking of, our sweet girl has become much more active in the womb. Check out a couple more viddies here for some strange and bizarre belly aerobics!
Last, but certainly not least, we made a lot of headway this past weekend with the nursery. Check out our progress in photos by clicking on the photo below! There are still a few minor things that we need to do, and our chair still needs to come in, but we are so pleased with the way everything has turned out!
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| Who wouldn't want to sleep soundly in that?! |
We are well on our way to a complete nursery! We are also well on our way to hold our little bundle of joy in our arms!
And that will be a moment neither one of us will ever, ever forget.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Birthday Forecasts
Folks, we are just over 7 weeks away from our due date! Therefore, we figured it was about that time to start collecting all of your birthday predictions for our darling girl and compiling them on a little calendar. That's right. We are putting together a calendar based on your prediction on when our sweet girl will be making her debut! There may even be a small prize for the person or people that select the correct date! If you would like to participate, you can do so in one of three ways:
1. Leave a comment on this post with your name and selected date.
2. Email, call or text Brian.
OR
3. Email, call or text Erin.
I would just like to state for the record that if you do pick the correct birthday for our little girl, be prepared to be the first person/people we come to if we are lucky enough to add Baby #2 into the mix. (Don't worry - there are no plans for Baby #2 in the near future...) :)
Good luck!
1. Leave a comment on this post with your name and selected date.
2. Email, call or text Brian.
OR
3. Email, call or text Erin.
I would just like to state for the record that if you do pick the correct birthday for our little girl, be prepared to be the first person/people we come to if we are lucky enough to add Baby #2 into the mix. (Don't worry - there are no plans for Baby #2 in the near future...) :)
Good luck!
Monday, September 3, 2012
[Not] Labor Day
We had a lengthy convo with my belly today explaining to our wee one that Labor Day doesn't necessarily mean "labor" day and that she would be much better off cooking for a little while longer. Though we did learn that should we go into pre-term labor anytime soon there is a very high survival rate which makes us all very happy! We're getting very close!!
Fortunately, we are nearly four hours away from the close of Labor day and we have had no signs of true labor.
Our little girl is obedient and listens already. Like we've said all along - perfect!
You make us so proud, sweet girl! And we are ready whenever you are! Hugs and kisses from the outside!
Fortunately, we are nearly four hours away from the close of Labor day and we have had no signs of true labor.
Our little girl is obedient and listens already. Like we've said all along - perfect!
You make us so proud, sweet girl! And we are ready whenever you are! Hugs and kisses from the outside!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Bring the Juice
That's right, bring it! Coach Urban Meyer wants an angry football team. He wants an aggressive football team. And he wants his team and his team's fans to Bring the Juice! And the Buckeyes have already brought the juice as they start the season off with a 56-10 victory over Miami.
(NOTE: In a few more months "bring the juice" will have a whole new meaning...)
(NOTE: In a few more months "bring the juice" will have a whole new meaning...)
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| The juice has been brought! |
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| Go Bucks! |
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