Moving!!!!

Got ya.


We love our house and have no plans to move any time soon. I'm just moving the website to Wordpress. It's more fun and trustworthy :) I wasn't able to enter my 33 week entry because blogger was down. How lame.


Visit Team Raley at http://teamraley.wordpress.com/



Dear Blogger,

It's been nice but you just aren't cutting it.

Sincerely,
Marie

32 weeks

I wish I could be as crass and witty as Jenny McCarthy in her book Belly Laughs. I read it when Sara was pregnant and I think I may need to read it again now that I’ll understand and commiserate with her. I’ve known my fair share of people who thought pregnancy was just wonderful. While I don’t think it has been torture I can’t say that it has been the best 32 weeks of my life. Nausea and vomiting, back pain, constipation, fatigue, bloat, swelling, heartburn and indigestion, hemorrhoids, stretch marks, shortness of breath, acne, food restrictions, sleepless nights, ugh. If they say it happens… it has happened to me.

And yet the excitement and anticipation of having my own little baby is making all the negative things seem not so bad. If that’s all it takes to have a little baby, I can totally do all this again. The stress on your mind, body and spirit is okay considering what I get to hold in my arms at the end of the day. Maybe it’s the future mother in me getting all sentimental over the fact that this coming Sunday is Mother’s day or maybe it’s that every time the little one moves I’m reminded that in a few short weeks it’ll be wiggling and kicking in my arms. I can’t wait. My little one isn’t even here yet and I already love it more than anything. A parent’s love is different than any other love, I finally get it. In the words of Raffi- “All I really need is a song in my heart, food in my belly and love in my family.”

Happy Mother's Day





How far along: 32 weeks

Maternity Clothes: skirts, tank tops and dresses.

Stretch Marks: I’m totally going to have them all over. This week I’ve felt so puffy and bloated there is no way I’ll escape stretch marks.

Sleep: I would have been okay had it not been for this nasty cold. Hard to sleep when you can’t breathe.

Best Moment this Week: 2 hour bath. I need to find a pool so I can float. It was nice not feeling heavy.

Movement: Not a lot this week. Probably because I’m so blocked up that the little one has no space. Sorry for sharing.

Food Cravings: Nothing. I wish I could crave something like fresh spinach or broccoli.

Labor Signs: None. Keep this little one cooking for a while.

Belly Button: Definitely starting to become an outie. I give two weeks.

What I Miss: Easily tying my shoes and shaving my legs. It’s starting to get comical.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Seeing MegHot tonight, another weekend in Sartell and seeing my Aunt Ann who is finally back from India!

Weekly Wisdom: Eat small frequent meals. No sense stuffing yourself when you are already stuffed.

31 weeks

My entry last week was pretty pathetic. I just wasn’t in the mood to talk about myself and I wasn’t too chipper. Must have been the weather. You’re in luck today because I’m feeling extra special and I’m ready to share my specialness with the world.

I’m in single digits! 9 weeks that could potentially be 6 weeks if I’m anything like Brittany. Whoa, 6 weeks. I’m not hoping for early but I’d better be prepared. The nursery is ready to go. Pictures? Okay.

The rocking chair has comforted many children. It's well over 100 years old. The wall above the book sling will have my tree branch bookshelf. The art work behind the chair is called tinga and is from Tanzania.

Unfortunately this picture doesn't show my Charley Harper cards very well. The two dressers are currently holding all our cloth diaper supplies and a bunch of gender neutral onesies. Ben thinks they are his great grandmothers. The dresser size and height worked out pretty well with the changing pad. I love not having to buy furniture!

I made more book slings with some Marimekko fabric from FinnStyle. I lined them with old pillowcases and I think they’ll hold up better with the weight of books. I just need to get some books to fill them. I hung more Charley Harper cards on orange wire.

My mom found the mobile and I felted a bunch of balls to hang. It spins in it's own thank to my awesome weighting. I wish I could say it only took me a few minutes, but I definitely moved the balls around for over 20 minutes making sure the mobile was just right. I know the baby won't see color for a while but I certainly enjoy the color barf.

I've had to control my shopping urges on Totsy and Zulily when the books deals come out. They are good online sales but I'm convinced I'll find better deals at stores around town and I'd really like to give the local bookshops more business. I definitely plan on take my little one and all future little ones to the Red Balloon Bookshop and Wild Rumpus. My aunt Ann gave me a cassette tape from the Red Balloon Bookshop when I was little and I can still sing every song from that tape- Chickeree Chick cha la cha la checkalaromi in a bananica bollika wollika can't you see, chickeree chick is me...

Speaking of music, I need to start collecting Raffi music ASAP. It has been my intention ever since my nephew Arlo came along to make felt toys that go with Raffi music; baby beluga, Joshua Giraffe, five green and speckled frogs, fly wearing a tie, etc. If I ever finish any of those toys I'll let you know.

In the meantime, can someone find this onesie for less than $24 for me please? Ben and I saw it when we were at the Linden Hills co-op on Saturday getting some Farro. I could easily spend $$$ on baby stuff at the co-op. It’s all so eco-friendly and adorable. If only I had $$$.



How far along: 31 weeks

Maternity Clothes: If anyone can find a website or store that has cute and reasonably priced maternity and/or nursing dresses and tops, please let me know. Target and Motherhood just aren’t cutting it these days. Talk about frumpy-wumpy.

Stretch Marks: My belly feels a little tight this week. Lotioning x 10.

Sleep: I’ve been sleeping really well the past week. We can finally sleep with the window open and the fan going… ah…poor Ben still needs an extra blanket.

Best Moment this Week: We spent most of Easter Sunday cleaning out the garage. Ben feels more like a man and I feel more at ease. I wish we’d taken before and after photos.

Movement: I keep freaking myself out when the little one doesn’t move at least once an hour. But, I’ve been told that’s okay. Chances are I’m just not paying attention or can’t feel it because I’m moving around too much. There was a solid kick to my ribs this morning. Ouch.

Food Cravings: Watermelon. I’m assuming this is because I’ve been having a lot of conversations about watermelon. Most involve me referring to “folding a watermelon” as I bend over. :: insert huffing and puffing sound ::

Labor Signs: None. Super!

Belly Button: I don’t think it’ll ever pop and that is okay. For those whose belly buttons did pop, when did it happen? Did it happen gradually? I won’t wake up with an outie all of a sudden, will I?

What I Miss: Shopping at Anthropologie and I will continue to miss it even after baby. Too spendy.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: The MS walk in Sartell on Sunday. My brother Jim said he’d take out anyone who makes fun of my preggers pace. If I walk too fast I start having contractions. They may be Braxton hicks but they are contractions and they aren’t comfortable.

Weekly Wisdom: Slow down and take it all in. Everything will be changing very soon.

30 Weeks

10 weeks to go. I was measuring ahead on Wednesday. Deb didn’t seem too concerned so I won’t be either.

I’m not feeling very funny today. Sorry folks. I’m tired. I’ve been pushing and pushing all week to get the house organized and I’m exhausted. Ben and I have been trying to avoid the TV until we complete all our projects. I’m two ottomans, one wine-cork board and two delayed Christmas presents away from being done with all my crafts that have been sitting unfinished for the past year. My list of future projects is getting longer and longer. I must be stopped.

Easter is upon us. I’m feeling extremely guilty for missing all the Lent services. But I am looking forward to attending Easter services at Diamond Lake Lutheran Church.

Picture soon. Too lazy at the moment

How far along: 30 weeks

Maternity Clothes: Not all maternity shirts are created equal. I’m glad the whole “hide it” fashion statement is out because those big tent shirts make me feel like a beast.

Stretch Marks: Still nothing visible.

Sleep: getting a little better now that Ben’s agreed to put just put another blanket on. The colder the better. Ahhh. Boy am I glad I won’t be pregnant in the hot months of the summer. Yuck.

Best Moment this Week: Finally getting all my book slings, mobile and Charley Harper stuff up in the nursery.

Movement: Found out that the little one’s head is down. Of course it could flip between now and June 28^th, but I’m working hard to follow all the belly mapping recommendations from Spinning Babies (www.spinningbabies.com)

Food Cravings: Melted cheese, as always.

Labor Signs: None.

Belly Button: It looks like it is trying to whistle softly. You try.

What I Miss: Running. I see all these people out running with their dogs now that Spring has sprung. I want to run.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Dog walk at the Arboretum on Saturday morning. It’s the only day of the year they allow dogs!

Weekly Wisdom: Ironing is for people who care. My shirt puckers no matter what.

29 weeks

Creeping up on 30 weeks. Holy moly. Another exciting week at the Raley house. We're slowly getting things done around the house. I swear we'll have pictures of the remodel up before the little one comes. Even if I'm posting pictures in the early stages of labor, they will get up. I had my baby shower on Saturday. Fun times :) Fran did a wonderful job. I'm not a huge fan of being the center of attention. Luckily my belly took center-stage. It was so great seeing friends and family. Showers, though nerve racking, do provide a great opportunity to see people you don't often get to see. Aside from the benefits of gifts, we now have an even bigger reason to get the house in order; we need to find a place to keep all the baby stuff! Ben and I have been purging like crazy the past few weeks. It's amazing how much stuff we've accumulated in our short 26 years of life and 2 1/2 years of marriage. Where does it all come from? Side note, the dog just passed gas and it smells like a diaper. I think he's trying to prepare me for the future. Thanks, buddy. I decided to mix things up this week and part my hair on the other side, wear my glasses and take a photo from the other side. I'm spicy like that. Does this side make me look fat? How far along: 29 weeks

Maternity Clothes: It took me 6 hours and 6 stores to finally find a dress to wear to the baby shower with the help of a very friendly new mother. The mothers come out of the woodwork when a pregnant lady enters a store. It's as if they know I'm having a really bad shopping experience. I guess it's obvious when I just wander aimlessly around JCrew. What was I thinking? I can't wear Jcrew when I'm a normal size let alone packing on the weight of another person all in my midsection. Dummy.

Stretch Marks: None that I can see, but they are there, haunting me.

Sleep: Pillows are wonderful for nesting and I dont mean nesting in the sense of preparing the house. I mean creating a nest in the bed. But i can't tell if I'm actually sleeping or just dozing in and out of consciousness.

Best Moment this Week: Seeing so many loving, smiling faces on Saturday.

Movement: I've started counting at work. 12 kicks in 45 minutes. Soccer player?

Food Cravings: Canned pears. Big change from fresh food last week.

Gender: No clue, but hopefully one or the other.

Labor Signs: Nothing real and I hope it stays that way for a while.

Belly Button: Not quite so sore anymore. Probably because I've stopped playing with it :)

What I Miss: Being able to crack my back.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: A weekend without plans.

Weekly Wisdom: The more pillows, the better.

28 weeks

We started our birthing class at Abbott on Tuesday. It seemed to me like 3 hours of question and answer, which was okay, but I'm excited to actually start talking about stages of labor and natural coping methods for pain management. I can't even really remember what the point of the first class was, uh oh.

I was surprised to find out that 40 percent of the class is going to be surprised about the gender of their baby. I was under the impression that fewer people found out. Maybe that just because I've heard from so many people that we're crazy for waiting. I am getting super anxious, but it's fun.

Another interesting thing- 70 percent of the class was certain they would have the epidural. I certainly don't want to offend anyone who has had an epidural, and I'm not trying to sound snotty or proud, but I don't understand how you would "know" that the pain is going to be completely unbearable when it's your first pregnancy. I know it's going to hurt like hell, but I'm not going to walk into the hospital and ask for an epidural right away. While I'm hoping to be able to do the whole thing naturally, I am being realistic. The pain could be completely unbearable, or I'll be in the 2nd stage of labor for 12 hours and need sleep, or who knows what may happen. I just don't understand why anyone would tell themselves they aren’t going to be able to handle it. And, if they didn't come up with the plan on their own, who thought it was a good idea to tell someone the pain will be too much to handle? If you need one, okay, no big deal. But a questions to the two ladies who said they were positive they'll get the epidural as soon as the doc says they can... Why?

I know I'm super biased. You could call me a masochist. I dont like medicine. Midol makes my head float and narcotics make me vomit. I don't take cold meds or anything for headaches. Give me water and a nap. I'm more afraid of the effects of the epidural than the pain of labor. Is that weird?

Anyway... hoping off the soap box for now.

I had the infamous gestation diabetes test on Wednesday. I don't have diabetes, so that's good. The nurse who drew my blood was a pro. I didn't feel a thing! The RHoGAM shot wasn't too bad. I may have to request her for any additional blood draws or shots.

How far along: 28 weeks

Maternity Clothes: So frustrating. I'm in between sizes. But I did find a cute skirt and I have a feeling I'll be wearing it at least once a week.

Stretch Marks: None.

Sleep: I finally figured out how to sleep well. the fan. ahhh. as long as the room is cool enough I'll be fine.

Best Moment this Week: No diabetes!

Movement: I'm loving that I can tell what is a butt and a leg.

Food Cravings: cucumbers and anything fresh. it's a sign of spring and my garden i get to plant soon

Gender: Had my first boy dream last night, perhaps the girl dreams are over.

Labor Signs: First, I'm leaking and second, braxton hicks contractions are weird. I had a bunch when Ben and I went on a walk the other day. I over did it a bit with 4 miles after my diabetes appt and the BH contractions were certainly a sign from my body to slow down.

Belly Button: still an innie, but it's turning into a frown.

What I Miss: shopping with success.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: the baby shower on Saturday

Weekly Wisdom: Dont drink a glass of water and go on a 4 mile walk.

Book Slings!!

Finally got them up this morning. Love. I think I might make some more for other rooms in the house. I don't have any books to put in them yet so gardening mags and books will have to do. The slings work great for stuffed animals too. I'm considering putting a sling closer to the ground and within the reach of a crawling/walking little one for board books and fabric books. We'll see.

Ikea curtain brackets work great! Kvartal brackets are meant for hanging curtains, Ben and I found them by the fabric if you go looking for them. I didn't think to take a picture of the brackets before I took them out of the packaging. Sorry. They were very easy to install in our plaster walls and I think they'll hold quite a bit of weight.

The fabric is a heavy cotton but I'm definitely going to line the slings with another layer so they dont wear out. I can already see where the corners of the books might wear little holes in the fabric. I didn't realize how heavy the books would be. Also, I think I may get stronger dowels. I used just simple wood dowels from The Home Depot but I have a feeling they may warp as the weight pulls down on them. Maybe if I get dowels with a bigger diameter it would be alright. We'll see. They have metal dowels too but I'm concerned about the sharp edges.

Two projects down only 15 more to go in the next 12 weeks. Yikes!

My next project is getting my Charley Harper art on the walls. That should be an easy one. I'm a little concerned I won't be able to finish the tree branch bookshelf I posted about on week 23. I hope I can pull it off by June. If not...oh well.

27 weeks

Tija had her baby last Wednesday! Arijah Elizabeth Balsimo. I went to the hospital on Thursday with Brittany and oh my what a pretty little thing. We can all admit that even if we say babies are beautiful, most of the time we're just being nice. But, that little girl is certainly beautiful. If our baby is weird looking, I'll know, but feel free to tell me it's beautiful.

Ben and I went to a breastfeeding class on Tuesday. My favorite quotes from class "troubleshoot your boob." Did you know that your body can tell that when you are hot when the temp is high your baby is probably hot and needs more water and with that your breast milk will have a higher water content. Go body! Anyway, if you're looking for info on breastfeeding, though I dont have any practice I do have a massive amount of knowledge to share.




How far along: 27 weeks

Maternity Clothes: Seriously, Spring, where are you?

Stretch Marks: None.

Sleep: I slept on the couch last night in hopes that I'd sleep better. Jack-pot. Best sleep I've had in the past 3 weeks. Pitch black, cold basement. Ahhh...I'm making it a Monday and Wednesday tradition so I can get my nightly back scratch every other night of the week.

Best Moment this Week: Two this week. My mom came down on Tuesday and finished painting all the edges and trim. I escaped the fumes and Ben asking me to finish already. Yay mom. Tonight Fran came over and we booked our flights to Myrtle Beach. We'll be traveling with a 6 week old baby and I'm excited. Pregnancy has made me so lax. Hooray for in laws and the awesome trips they plan.

Movement: Ben saw the baby move on Monday. It looked nothing like this intense movement, I just threw up a bit.

Food Cravings: Stil craving the tuna noodle casserole. Could someone please come make it for me so I dont have to open all those cans of tuna and cream of something soup. The thought of the smells and textures is causing some cooking difficulties.

Gender: Still unknown but now that both Tija and Brit have had boys in the past 3 months I'm thinking I'll be a boy.

Labor Signs: None. We start our birthing/labor classes next Tuesday and I'll actually know what they are.

Belly Button: It hurts. That's normal, right?

What I Miss: Sleeping.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Seeing Tija and her little Arija again.

Weekly Wisdom: It's cheap to make food in your shirt.

26 weeks

Exciting news! I can finally eat eggs again. Last Sunday I made a big egg bake and ate it for breakfast every morning. Anyway...

Please excuse my pity party for a moment. I feel like whenever I look in the mirror I'm the outside person in a group photo. Constant fat arm syndrome. The maternity tupperware full of clothes was passed on to me a few months ago. Unfortunately, most if not all of the shirts, dresses and pants are too small which doesn't help my fat arm and big knockers issue. Luckily, Target maternity t-shirts are fairly inexpensive. Mom, if you're reading this- please make me some skirts :)

On the bright side, I haven't actually gained that much weight, so that nice. Funny thing... though I'm gaining weight getting bigger by the day, my inner thighs don't touch quite as much as they used to, weird? Yes. The past two months my midwife has said I'm doing just fine which is a good change from "Lay off the christmas cookies, Marie." She never really said that but it was implied when she called me fatty. That's a lie too, she's a very sweet lady and I'm glad we decided to stick with her. I'm hoping the baby comes during the week so she can be there.

Last week of prenatal yoga and I'm not going to go. I've decided I don't really like it. The poses are good for stretching, meditation and such but I just get too bored. I need to start dedicating more time to excersising. I have enjoyed a belly dancing video Brit gave me but I need to do it more than once a week for it to help. Anyone else have recommendations on videos or movements I should start including in a daily routine?

I'm debating asking Ben take a new picture for me. My bra is showing and the extra fabric in the top of this dress makes me look like I have super saggy boobs. I'll just have to take a super great picture next week :)

How far along: 26 weeks

Maternity Clothes: I threw a bit of a tantrum Friday trying to find something to wear in the warmer weather. Is it possible to have "fat" days when you're pregnant? A tank top fit me fine when I tried it on Thursday but Friday it didn't work. Ugh.

Stretch Marks: I have a feeling they are there but I just can't see them. Ben was under the impression that stretch marks are a myth. Which I guess is an okay thing since I now know he doesn't have a habit of staring any other women at the pool or beach.

Sleep: Sundays are the worst. I dread waking up and going to work. I'd rather stay home and work on the house. Premature nesting.

Best Moment this Week: To clarify last week- I wasn't excited when Ben left, more so that the dog likes me again. Best moment since my last entry; Ben coming home = nightly backscratch, hooray!!!

Movement: Lots of baby movement, though I wish there was some other movement down there too. Catch my drift (pun intended, sorry that was gross.)

Food Cravings: Tuna Noodle Casserole. Tuna, cream of something soup, noodles... what could be better? Hmm... when I actually describe the ingredients it isn't quite as appetizing.

Gender: The votes are coming in. It looks like everyone is dreaming about a little girl too. Can you all start dreaming of a no-complications, easy labor too?

Labor Signs: Can I count anxiety as a labor sign?

Belly Button: I can now touch the bottom of my belly button. I've never been able to do that before. It's weird and a little gross.

What I Miss: Walking up the stairs without getting winded.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: The weekend.

Weekly Wisdom: If you desperately need to tell a secret, go get a hair cut. Liz, my lovely sylist for the past 6 years is the only person who knows our name choices. The urge to purge is gone.

Funny photo I found...

I've come a long way since October! My stomach and my smile are bigger.

25 down, 15 to go

The snow is melting. Hooray for Spring! Ole and I took a nice walk around the park oday. I have a few more weeks before the puddles of mud take over. Ole can’t help but jump and play in the puddles. I need to find some new rain boots. I found out that mine aren't as water proof as I thought, any recommendations? My calves cause some serious boot issues. I need boots made for wider calves.

I slipped on the ice Monday night walking in from the car. The sidewalk in front of our house is a skating rink/ice slide. I sat in the puddle and swore and cried for a bit before finally getting up. I’m just glad I didn’t hit my head. I doubt anyone would have noticed me laying in puddle of water behind a snow bank at 10:30 at night. Scary. I think I strained my ankle. It’s not poufy anymore but it is stiff and very sore. I’m going to put a reflector and orange cone in the puddle to warn all the other pedestrians. Salt or sand won’t help with 5-inches of standing water which ices over every night. The city is supposed to fix the sidewalk this spring/summer. I’d wish for a faster thaw if I didn’t know any better. I’m glad we don’t live in a flood plain.

Tonight I plan on finishing my book slings and I’ll have a picture for you next week once we get them on the wall. I’m having a hard time finding a fabric that will complement the Ikea fabric Ben picked out for the crib skirt and book slings. I know I could always just use solids that match but that’s boring.

I’d like to find something colorful with a geometric print, but the fabric selection around here isn’t the best and it’s hard to avoid the matchy-matchy fabric. I have a few weeks to figure it out. I love projects with actual deadlines. I should set definite deadlines for all my other projects I’ve left unfinished for weeks/months/years.


How far along: 25 weeks

Maternity Clothes: I’m really excited for skirt and sundress weather. I’m getting really sick of maternity pants.

Stretch Marks: None! Please keep it going.

Sleep: Still able to sleep on my back, but I’m finding it more comfortable to sleep on my side with a pillow between my knees.

Best Moment this Week: Ben left on Friday for Winter Park, CO and Ole is finally starting to like me again. He’s a great snuggler. I missed being his favorite.

Movement: I noticed the movement from the outside for the first time yesterday, crazy! The movement has slowed down a bit this week, which of course makes me nervous.

Food Cravings: Melted cheddar cheese and raspberries. Not together.

Gender: Still unknown! In my dreams it’s always a girl. Any guesses? I started a poll.

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button: Getting smaller and smaller but I don’t think I’ll ever get an outie. I showed some friends last night and they told me to put it away. I guess it isn’t as funny to everyone else as it is to me.

What I Miss: Agility.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Hair cut on Friday, it’s been too long (pun intended.)

Weekly Wisdom: Ice is slippery, in case you didn’t know.

24 Weeks

Ben leaves tomorrow with my family to go skiing in Colorado. Sara, Arlo and I are being left behind with the dogs. If only I wasn't already 3 days in the hole with time off. I'll probably pout a lot and pace around the house but thankfully I have my pup to keep me company at night. Ben and I went for a walk a few nights ago and I'm not quite as agile on the ice. I really, really, really can't for the snow and ice to melt and stay away until next winter. I don't have other interesting news this week...I think I'm bored.


How far along: 24 weeks

Maternity Clothes: Now that it's getting warmer I'm starting to notice that the shirts I thought would fit do not fit.

Stretch Marks: None. I found a lotion I love by California Baby. Ben said I smell like a hippy (chamomile and calendula) but he likes it. I'd rather smell like a hippy than a bath and body works store. Yuck.

Sleep: I've been having the most bizarre dreams. Cans of tennis balls that have dachshund puppies inside, walking on my hands through the mall and opening doors for people with my hair. What the heck...

Best Moment this Week: Finding out that the little one's heart is healthy at our appt. on Wednesday.

Movement: Lots of kicking around 8:30 every night.

Food Cravings: Apples. Honeycrisp or pink lady, please.

Gender: Still unknown!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button: My belly button makes a kissy face when I push around it. It feels a little sore by the end of the day.

What I Miss: Spicy tuna sushi roll.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Wedding dress shopping with Kel and Kristin.

Weekly Wisdom: It's okay if you can't help but moan during a back scratch, even when you're sleeping.

23 weeks

Projects, projects and more projects.

I talked to the lovely Tija last week and her nesting situation has me getting a little anxious. I want to have the house ready at 35 weeks. So…12 weeks from now the house better be ready! Can we pull it off? I certainly hope so! We still have to remodel our walk-in closet. I’m hoping that won’t be too much of a project. Just a little demo, drywall, painting, flooring and bracket mounting. Ugh. Speaking of remodel, I still have to post pictures. Patience, we still have a ton of boxes around the house waiting to find their permanent home. It’s been WONDERFUL having all this new storage.

Ben and I got the guest room cleared out pretty well and it’s finally started looking like a nursery and less like a room from the show “Hoarders - Buried Alive”. I should have taken some before and after photos. We have a lot of crap for 26 year olds. Speaking of having too much stuff…we got a crib, rug and fabric at Ikea this weekend. We’re getting rid of a bunch of stuff only to buy more. Oh Joy.

I finished the crib skirt last night and I’m really proud of myself. Ben picked the fabric. It was fun watching him think through each option. I’m not too sure I like the color of the nursery anymore after we chose our fabric, but I’ll deal with it. Maybe I just need to change the light bulb in the room. It’s one of those “natural light” light bulbs so has a bit of a blue tint. It works in other rooms of the house but isn’t the best in a blue room.


My next project - book slings. I don’t think it’ll take me very long; hopefully less time than the crib skirt. We only bought supplies for two but I think I may want three once we get these two on the wall. Cute idea, right?



After that I will use the master carpentry skills of my little brother Rob to help me build this tree branch bookshelf. I’m pretty excited about this one. Hopefully we can pull it off.


23 week round-up.

How far along: 23 weeks

Maternity Clothes: I can’t wait for it to be warmer out. I’m looking forward to loose, flowing dresses.

Stretch Marks: None. “They” say that lotion doesn’t help but I’m going to tell myself that it does and hopefully positive thinking will work in my favor.

Sleep: I keep waking up because I’m attempting to sleep on my stomach. I was never a stomach sleeper before, why am I trying to now?

Best Moment this Week: see next question

Movement: Ben felt the Little One move on Monday night! I wish you could have seen his smile. The baby keeps kicking my bladder. It's a funny sensation going from feeling like you might pee your pants to feeling normal in a matter of 2 seconds.

Food Cravings: Water, does that count? I’ve been sooo thirsty lately.

Gender: Still unknown!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button: Innie

What I Miss: Walking up the stairs without feeling out of breath.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Brunch with Brit, little Mia and Tija Saturday morning and some good ol’ mom and dad time in Sartell.

Weekly Wisdom: It’s true. The second trimester is the best. I have a ton more energy and it’s fun feeling the little one moving around all day.

Week 22

This week the little one is apparently 11 inches long from head to toe and weighs a 1lb. Wow. I'm trying to imagine it all curled up inside me and I simply can't. It's still a little surreal. The more I feel it move around the more real it seems. Ben is super anxious for the day he can feel it move. I'm really looking forward to that day as well. For 22 weeks I've been the only one experiencing the physical aspects and he's just had to live vicariously through me, it'll be fun to share the movements and physical changes.

Now that the house is almost put back together after the remodel we are soon going to be able to work on the nursery. I'd really like to get our crib from IKEA (no worries, it isn't the one that was recalled) and our mattress so we can figure out the layout of the room. I'm getting a little antsy. I'll probably just sit in the room and smile once we have it all set up. It's too early to start nesting, right?


How far along: 22 weeks

Maternity Clothes: Some days my pants are super loose, some days they are super tight. My body is not my own.

Stretch Marks: still none, but my tummy is feeling kinda tight this week.

Sleep: The body pillow is out of the bed. I get way too hot.

Best Moment this Week: Babysitting my favorite little man, Arlo.

Movement: Tons of movement yesterday. I wish I could figure out what makes it happen.

Food Cravings: Anything but eggs. Eggs smell like chlorine this week. Gross.

Gender: Still unknown!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button: Innie

What I Miss: My butt. I feel like it's growing as fast and as much as my belly. Ugh

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: Getting together with family on Friday to plan Kelly's wedding

Weekly Wisdom: If you don't get up at night to go to the bathroom you aren't drinking enough water and will have a headache the next day.

Week 21

I'm pretty late with getting this blog going. Now that I have it started hopefully I'll be able to keep it up each week. Today marks week 21 but the pics are from week 20.

We had our 20 week ultrasound last Wednesday.The little one did a profile pose for a second before flipping back away from the camera. It was find to watch the little one squirming around and kicking, but I do wish he/she would have turned so we could see a better face shot with the 4D camera. SO COOL! 10 inches from head to toe and no signs of birth defects. All is well! Hooray!


I'm stealing the layout from my lovely friend Maddie's blog during her pregnancy with Laurel. Thanks for the help, Maddie!




How far along: 21 weeks

Maternity Clothes: So far so good, I'm still able to wear a few of my t-shirts but had to buy new pants. Bras are another story

Stretch Marks: none yet, hopefully my luck continues

Sleep: I really need to start going to bed earlier...7 hours is not enough

Best Moment this Week: starting our registry

Movement: little nudges on my sides

Food Cravings: Girl Scout cookies, lots and lots of girl scout cookies

Gender: still unknown!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button: innie

What I Miss: wine with dinner and deli meat that hasn't been toasted.

What I'm Looking Forward to this Week: My first prenatal yoga class on Thursday

Weekly Wisdom: stop after one (cookies that is)