30 Weeks...or...Holy Crap We're Having A Baby SOON

Happy Thursday my friends!!

I have to say, I am feeling pretty darn accomplished this morning. Not only did I manage to take my 30-week photo on the correct day, but here I am posting it on time too! Go me!!

The 30-week mark is unbelievable, and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we're 3/4 of the way through this pregnancy. It doesn't feel like all that long ago that I was keeping such a big secret. 

Speaking of secrets...(kind of)...here's this week's bump photo:

 

Ta-da!!! The big secret is out!! Peanut has a NAME!!!! Besides "Peanut," that is. 

Jeff and I have finally settled on a first and middle name for our daughter, and we're both pretty excited about it. We also have a couple "extras" in case she comes out and we don't think our choice really fits with her little face. BUT I think we're pretty firm here. 

Now here's the part none of you are going to like, despite the fact that I've told you this was our plan from the beginning:

We are not planning on sharing Peanut's name until she's born. 

I've known too many friends who've had rude, judgey people make rude, judgey comments about a child's name to the parent's face. Now, I know none of you are rude and judgey, but Jeff and I still want to keep this last surprise until she joins us. Look at it this way: you've really only got to wait ten weeks, which is totally doable. 

Plus, she's still got a super-cute nickname, and I love that our friends and family have whole-heartedly embraced calling our daughter-to-be Peanut. It's adorable, and you're awesome. 

That's about it for today's post I think. We're heading north today for a visit to Corvallis. I realize it's only been two weeks since I was there, but Jeff's not been back since he left in October of 2012, so it's been quite a while for him. He's looking forward to seeing some family and friends, and of course hitting up some of our favorite local eateries. 

If you'd like to visit with us while we're in town, just let me know!!

Have a great Thursday, it's almost the weekend!! 

House Photos...Finally!

So I've sort of been waiting for us to get our house completely "put together" before I took any photos to post here. Then I realized, that will probably never happen, so what you see is what you get. I just took these pictures with my phone, so most of them aren't great, but at least they should give you an idea of what our house looks like on the inside.

Get ready for the virtual tour!!

First up - the least exciting room in the house, the laundry room! Complete with zero storage space and random window with a blind that had never been dusted. Ever. Disgusting.

Here's our "breakfast nook" and kitchen table, which we really only use to collect papers.

Here's the main area of our kitchen, complete with random Rubbermaid tub on the floor and trinkets all over the counters (which are granite, a complete waste in this house, if you ask me...).

Here's a panoramic shot of the whole kitchen, although it doesn't really do it justice.

Next up, our main living area! Here's the "dining room" which is where we usually eat our meals. Jeff is hard at work studying for...something.

And more of our "family room" area, where we watch TV.

I had the blinds open and it's sunny today, so the picture quality is terrible. Oh well, you get the point.

Next, the hallway leading to our three tiny bedrooms.

First door on the right, the guest bathroom:

First door on the left, the nursery. Again, the blinds are open so it's kind of a crappy picture, but you get the idea. And no, I don't have a lampshade for her lamp just yet. Little details.

Second door on the right, Jeff's office and the guest bedroom and also the space we put stuff when we don't know where else to put it. It's a disaster right now, and probably will be until someone legitimately wants to come stay with us.

And finally, the last door on the left, the master bed/bath room.

If you couldn't tell (probably want to get your eyes checked), our master bathroom basically lives in our bedroom. Not the most convenient feature when your husband gets up before the crack of dawn to go to work, but we're making the best of it. Since we can only fit one dresser in our bedroom anyway, we decided Jeff would keep his dresser and all of his clothes in the guest bedroom, and would shower in the guest bathroom. That way he won't wake up Peanut and I when he gets up early for work. That is, if miraculously we're asleep to begin with. The closed door in the photo above is the shower/toilet for the master bathroom.

Here are a few more photos of Peanut's nursery, since I'm sure that's what you're all really interested in anyway.

Her closet doesn't have much in it (yet) but I'm sure that will change. Basically the whole other half is just storing random junk right now, like parts of her Pack 'N Play and a box of my clothes I don't want right now.

 Here's the artwork my sister made for Peanut. Such a lucky little girl.































How neat is this stuff? I found this drawer liner at Fred Meyer and decided I'd spice up Peanut's nursery with it. First I covered the shelves from a shelf my grandpa made for me when I was a baby. Came out super cute!

Then I decided I'd line Peanut's dresser drawers with it BEFORE Jeff put the drawers together. Left me with a completely seamless line and hid all the rough edges. Super cute!!

I think that's about it for today. Tomorrow is the official 30-week mark, and I've already prepared my chalkboard so I just need to make time to take the picture. PLUS I've got a (pretty big) announcement for tomorrow (or whenever I end up posting the photo).

Stay tuned!

29 Weeks

Since it's only been a couple days since I last updated, I don't have much new info, but I did get around to finally taking a week 29 pic. 

Here's what 29 weeks (and a few days) pregnant looks like:

I'm clearly a bit out of chalkboard practice, this week's is basically hideous, haha. Oh well. I'll be glad next week when I can stop writing a 2 every week! Next week is another milestone: 3/4 of the way there!!! Only (about) ten more chalkboards left!! That just seems crazy. In a little over two months we get to meet our little Peanut girl. Unbelievable.  

 No real updates this post, but I'll try and update again soon!!

Toddles!!!

28 Weeks...A Whole Week Late

Just when you thought I'd completely abandoned my blog...

I'M BACK!

I know I promised I'd post weekly, and I've been a pretty big slacker on that front, but I have a pretty good excuse this time. It's exhausting to move, especially to unpack, and try to put your life back together in a new place. Jeff and I are finally recovering from our epic journey from Texas and our move into our new home in Klamath Falls.

So this week's pic comes a whole week late, and in a perfect world I'll take the 29-week pic sometime soon and post it as well, but I'm not making any promises. Again, because I was without chalkboard and chalk still (at the actual 28-week mark), the 28-week pic is a combo photo that I'm mildly proud of (the chalkboard, not necessarily the bump)...

 The 28-week mark is a pretty big milestone for pregnancy, at least to me. Not only am I officially seven months pregnant, but I'm also into the third trimester, and in the proverbial home stretch. In theory, I have just three months (12 weeks) to go until we meet our little Peanut.

Now, of course this isn't a hard-and-fast due date (nothing with babies is ever on schedule) but it's an excellent guideline.

Little girl kicks like crazy these days, most vigorously in the early mornings. She gets quite uncomfortable if I'm not sitting properly, and lets me know with a few big kicks.

"Mom, I'm getting totally squished in here!! Can you sit up a little more, please???"

As for me, I'm still feeling well, although the discomfort of pregnancy is beginning to kick in. My back is bent to compensate for the forward pull of my belly, and I find my legs get tired faster than they used to. I haven't really been able to run or workout since I left Texas, and I can feel that I'm out of shape (and so can my doctor...whoops). I'm hoping to get back into at least walking, as I think I'm officially too big to run or jog. I need to find a gym so I can try a treadmill workout recommended to me by another pregnant friend, but in the meantime I'll settle for walks around the neighborhood.

Also found out today from my new (and super, totally awesome) doctor that I'm anemic, and she's recommended that I take an iron supplement daily in addition to my prenatal vitamin. Here's a little tidbit about anemia from BabyCenter.com:

"Your iron requirements go up significantly when you're pregnant. Iron is essential for making hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to other cells. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases until you have almost 50 percent more than usual. And you need more iron to make more hemoglobin for all that additional blood. You also need extra iron for your growing baby and placenta."

I was turned away once in college while trying to give blood for not having enough iron, and given my other blood issue (my outrageous blood pressure) I'm not entirely surprised. I'll start tonight taking my supplement to make sure Peanut has all the iron she can get her hands on.

Also - did you read that? The amount of blood in my body is almost 50 percent more than usual, which I read elsewhere equals roughly two pounds. I have TWO WHOLE POUNDS of extra blood in my body. That is just bonkers.

I mentioned my high blood pressure, so I might as well just get that out there too. I've "struggled" with hypertension since I graduated college, and realistically, probably before then - although I wasn't aware of it yet. It's a little bit due to genetics, a little due to stress and a little due to weight. When I lost 30 pounds in 2011, my BP went down enough that I was able to stop taking the medication I'd been prescribed for it. Unfortunately, as I've gained that weight back (thanks a lot, Texas), my blood pressure has risen again. I've been able to manage it pretty well with exercise, but pregnancy throws your body for a loop, and generally causes your BP to rise anyway. So that's another thing my doctor and I are monitoring closely. High blood pressure can be a sign of preeclampsia, a medical condition associated with pregnancy. More from BabyCenter.com:

"Preeclampsia is a serious condition that affects about 5 percent of pregnant women and typically starts after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Elevated blood pressure is the primary symptom, but there may be others such as protein in the urine, liver or kidney abnormalities, persistent headaches, or vision changes.

Preeclampsia can progress slowly or rapidly from mild symptoms to severe, life-threatening complications if not diagnosed and treated promptly.  Your doctor will screen you for the condition at every prenatal visit by taking your blood pressure and checking your urine sample for protein.

The more severe the condition and the earlier it appears, the greater the risks for you and your baby. Most women who get preeclampsia develop mild symptoms near their due date, and they and their babies do fine with proper care.

But when preeclampsia is severe, it can affect many organs and cause serious or even life-threatening problems. That's why you'll need to deliver early if your condition is severe or getting worse.
Preeclampsia causes the blood vessels to constrict, resulting in high blood pressure and a reduced blood flow that can affect organs in your body, such as your liver, kidneys, and brain.

When less blood flows to your uterus, it can mean problems for your baby, such as poor growth,too little amniotic fluid, and placental abruption (when the placenta separates from the uterine wall before delivery). In addition, your baby may suffer the effects of prematurity if you need to deliver early to protect your health."

I realize this all sounds very scary, but I have complete trust in my new doctor, and I'm sure she'll do everything she can to make sure Peanut and I are as healthy as possible. Plus, I may not even develop preeclampsia, high BP is just one symptom.

Okay! Scary stuff out of the way!! Given how long this post has run on (and all the medical information you've never always wanted to know) I'll close it off at this point. I don't have much on the docket for the rest of this week, so I'll try and get you a 29-week post ASAP (although I'm going to need to buy some chalk since mine is packed away somewhere for the duration of our stay here in K Falls). I'll also take some pics of our new house so you can imagine our little life here, and see where Peanut will be spending her time once she arrives.

Have a great Wednesday!

27 Weeks: Home Sweet Oregon

We made it!!

At least, Peanut and I did. Jeff's still making his way to Oregon, with an extended stay in Vegas to visit his family, which he's enjoying a lot. 

Because I'm late writing this, we've been back in Oregon for a whole week now. I (we) arrived around noon last Saturday, running on barely two hours of sleep. I was exhausted, but happy to be home, and glad to give up the sleep to be able to attend 14-05's Drop Night. Since being back I've wasted no time making plans and visiting with friends and family, most of whom I haven't seen in over a year. 

It's good to be back in Corvallis, but this little town certainly doesn't change much. It's a little bit comforting and a little bit nostalgic, like knowing a piece of your childhood can never be altered. I'm glad to be back within range of home too; Klamath Falls is just a four hour drive from this little town that raised me. 

Had to take a little bit different bump pic this week, since we're no longer in Texas. Excuse the poor photo quality, the lighting wasn't great and I had an inexperienced photographer (although I appreciate your help, Mom). Since I knew I'd be without my chalkboard for a while, I'd prepared it in advance. Here's the mashup:

At 14.5" Peanut is more than a foot tall, and it sure feels like she's growing fast. A few times I've felt what I believe are hiccups, spasms that feel like her whole body is jerking out at once. I'm pretty such that's what they are. I've also felt consistent pushes from her little limbs, not just kicks and punches. Sometimes she'll press into my belly, and if I push back with my hand, I feel a little limb there. Very crazy. 

Just in the last week or so, it seems her kicks have gotten a lot stronger. Especially her early morning wake-up sessions. She seems to be an early riser, that's for sure. 

I'm starting to feel better about our "nest" for Peanut too. Since I've been home both Jeff's family and mine have been making VERY much-appreciated contributions for our little girl. She's now got a stroller, car seat, crib, and dresser with changing table, plus both the crib mattress and changing pad. Most of the pieces we'll need for her nursery, and a car seat to bring her home. I'm sure in the next few months we'll collect eveything else we'll need to feel ready for her. At least, as ready as two brand-new parents can feel.

I'm ready to have Jeff home (I'm ready to actually BE home, in K Falls) and to truly start nesting and preparing for our little nugget. Thanfully, we've got some time before Jeff starts training again to settle in (and put all her furniture together, hehe).

I think that's about it for this week. Next week will be my 28-week post, which I'm counting as a few big milestones. It'll officially be the beginning of our seventh month of pregnancy, and also the third and final trimester. Very, very exciting. 

Man, this journey sure has flown by. 

26 Weeks: The End in Texas

Good Morning from the West Coast, friends!!

This is a very, very delayed post, but last week was quite hectic for us, and although I intended to take one more photo with our chalkboard in our house at Sheppard, that didn't happen. However, we did take one upon vacating our home there for the final time, so this is our official 26-week bump picture:

We weren't able to do a chalkboard photo last week because our house was completely packed up on Monday, including chalk and chalkboard. We lived bare-bones on Tuesday and the moving company came and collected all of our things on Wednesday. About now, our stuff is probably traveling west, if it hasn't already made it's way to Idaho (the main hub for the moving company). 

The driver thought he might arrive earlier than our move-in date of the 15th, but we've still not heard anything final, about that or our house. We mailed a deposit and are hoping to hold the house we wanted, but I won't feel 100% about it being "ours" until we actually sign lease papers. 

So we're in a little bit of a limbo for a few weeks. I'm back in Oregon now, spending time with friends and family while Jeff makes the drive to Oregon (with a stop in Vegas to visit his family and spend time with his brothers). We're hoping to begin our lease in K Falls on the 15th and move our things in on the 16th, but like I said-we're in limbo, so we'll just have to wait and see. 

In terms of Peanut, everything seems to be going well. She's adopted the same attitude as my friend Kristin's son-practicing for her teenage years by partying all night and sleeping all day. I don't mind terribly, although she's active enough to wake me up some nights. 

Not much else is new with baby, although by now the book tells us her eyes are open, and she's starting to form very basic memories that she may carry with her through her birth. We're encouraged to read her the same story and play the same songs, in the theory that these familiar things will comfort her outside the womb. We'll see.

Hoping to take another photo on Wednesday of this week, and match it with my ready-made chalkboard photo. So stay tuned!!

25 Weeks (3 Days Late!)

Hello friends and family!!!

I've just got a quick note to update you with (technically last week's) bump pic!! We were 25 weeks last Wednesday, and the Peanut girl is growing and growing!! 

Here's this week's picture:

I definitely have days where I feel VERY pregnant, and some where I feel less so. Although I have an inkling that the "very pregnant" days are going to come more frequently. 

Luckily I'm still pretty much a-symptomatic, although my appetite is starting to return, which is nice. I think Jeff was worried about me there for a bit, and let's be honest, I've never been the kind of girl to order a salad when I wanted a steak. But everything seems to be pretty much returning to normal as I approach the last few weeks of my second trimester. 

We've likely got just one more weekly bump photo in this house before all our things are packed up and shipped off to Klamath Falls. I spent some time today doing future chalkboards so I can still pair them with weekly bump pics. I tried to convince Jeff that my chalkboard needed to travel with me to Oregon instead of on the truck, but he didn't buy it. So I've got two weeks of future boards all made up and ready. Yay!!

That's about it for updates. Little girl is kicking away, and she's definitely getting stronger. Jeff has felt some pretty big kicks too. If only he knew how they felt from the inside!!

Well I'm off to spend my last Saturday night in Wichita Falls with friends doing something fun. Not sure what that is yet, but I know it'll be great!!

Hopefully another update soon!!!