Sewing mama.

I feel pretty good about myself today! I completed a few sewing projects that have been on my to-do list. Sewing is something that has only recently become a skill of mine and this was after many years of watching my mom sew LOTS of projects. Today I felt confident enough to take on a few projects myself!

• I fixed the seam on one of my pants (no I did not break out of them haha I bought them defective but got a giant discount for them! Go me!
• I hemmed curtains (this one impressed me--simple task and yet they could have went wrong)
• I made a few burp cloths
• I made a family of four set of nesting puppets. (Idea found here )

FRONTS:

 BACKS:

 They all fit inside eachother too to teach sizing :)

Pretty productive for a girl who napped all morning ;)

Emails to Baby.

Whoooo's Nesting??

Corny, right? Yep, but the cute owl is from a birthday card my sister sent me and I had to come up with a way to display it. So there it was :)

I feel like I got so much done today I could not be more proud of myself. 

From my to-do list, I....

• Registered us for the car seat installation class
• Washed all of baby's bedding and clothes through 0-3 months.
• Purchased all the last of the stuff I need for packing my hospital bag

Thank you doctor for motivating me to get going with my finishing preparations for baby. Somehow her "maybe I will see you at the hospital to deliver before your appointment next week" kicked me into high drive.

I have so many ideas for blog posts that need to be posted before mini bee arrives. Kind of wondering how many days I have to write them and yet if he decides to bake awhile longer, I dont' want to use them all up. Dilemmas.

Well here is one of the ideas. Check out this video. It is absolutely amazing and a great idea. Not sure if we will do it or not.



I only wish this was something my parents could have done for me when I was little. It would be so fascinating to see what they captured and had to say back then.....

36 Weeks.

36 Weeks!!

Baby Development:
Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft, gums are rigid, his liver and kidneys are in working order, and his circulation and immune system are basically good to go. His lungs are the only organs that still need to full mature but everyday he gets a little closer to breathing on his own.

Dr. Checkup:

Today was the first of my weekly checkups. I found out some encouraging news. I am currently 3 cm dialated and my cervix is 70% effaced. I could stay in this state for awhile or I could go into labor soon. The doctor seemed very surprised that I was already so far and I was relieved to hear that progress is being made. Even better that I am dialating without too much pain. I figure less to dialate when the contractions actually begin! Mentally I am preparing for becoming a mommy possibly very soon with results like this! Also, doctor mentioned I am at a safe point to go into labor and that they would not stop me. Good to know :)

Cravings:
None too many. I just seem to be enjoying food overall. Never has it tasted so good in my life and I feel like I need to eat a lot to begin to feel full. I think Mini Bee is growing like crazy and trying to steal all my food :)


Mommy Symptoms:
Still occasional swelling which I feel is pretty old news by now. Sleeping is becoming a hard thing to manage at night. Naps are key to helping me function! I also have been experiencing back labor pains. Not real enjoyable and make me worried for how I am going to handle real labor pains since honestly some of these seem really unpleasant.

Big Accomplishments:
Let's check out the to-do list to see what progress has been made.



Here is an update on the to-do list we made:

• Wash baby's laundry--this will need to happen soon
• Pack our hospital bags--Pretty much packed minus bathroom stuff
• Put together a playlist for the nursery--not yet but did buy a projector with soothing baby sounds that could be used for a while.
• Make a labor playlist--Well I always have playlists on the ipod but none specific for labor yet.
• Clean out the cup cupboard to make room for bottles--Nope
• Finish baby book up to birth part (new addition)--Yep!
• Write up our birth plan--Yep!
• Clean the Garage--YES!!! And it's amazing to walk into.
• Put up gates--No but these are more for the dog for now.
• Finalize baby's middle name--we have a few finalists. This may have been determined!
• Take a babymoon-Yep!

What i am Excited For:
I mentioned to the doctor that I have been having a hard time sleeping and she mentioned that I could try a Tylenol PM so honestly that is what I am excited for at the moment because I am so tired and sleep sounds amazing :)

happy birthday.

A birthday card from my husband. Gotta love him :)

Countdown.

It's a big day today for a few reasons.....

Til Mini Bee's Due Date!

Until My Birthday!

And... we have a clean garage folks!! 

Woo-Hoo!!

It feels good :)

The Nursery.

Highly anticipated, right? I feel like I am letting a big secret out of the box....
I have strung you along long enough and finally everything in the nursery is complete! Boy does it feel good.
All of the decor in the nursery is based off the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. Being a preschool teacher, I have loved this book for a while but even more than the story and the important concepts it teaches, I love the colors! They are so vibrant!
I could not be more pleased with the way the nursery turned out and before the big reveal I must say thank you to my mom. Without her, the room would be pretty empty and lacking color. She completed all the sewing projects and helped me to wrap the canvases.

I think Mini Bee may already be the luckiest boy! :)

All of the wall art is fabric wrapped on blank canvases, except the caterpillar above the rocking chair. Mini Bee's daddy very carefully cut apart lots of paint samples to make the special art piece for the nursery. (So touching!)

 Above the crib is blank because we will hang Mini Bee's name above the crib. I am so proud of the letters. Wish I could share them because I mod podged bright colored fabric on the letters to spell out his name. I will have to share it after he is born :) 

Also, in the crib are stickers for the wall. Oops. They aren't put up yet.

 Curtains my mom made. They have the caterpillars food running down the middle.

 Hard to see but on top of the book shelf on the left, there is a white frame next to the diaper cake. Inside that frame there is Mini Bee's ultrasound and under the picture it says "My First Picture". Fitting right, for a photographer's son!

Can't wait to bring home Mini Bee to his nursery!

Thank you Mom! Love you!

What to Pack.

I decided to compile several suggested packing lists I have found to share with other expecting mommies looking for the same list. Keep in mind, I like to be prepared for anything otherwise I stress out about forgetting/needing something. Being in labor is the minute in my life where I want an extra stressor. So somebody a little more minimal could cross off a few things possibly.

What to pack for Mommy:

• Robe
• Slippers/Socks
• Pajamas
• Nursing Bra/Tank
• Nursing Pads
• Nursing Cream
• Boppy Pillow
• Pads
• Purse w/ insurance info, phone, & charger
• Comfy Pants
• Going Home Outfit
• Pillow
• Underwear
• Snacks
• Birth Plan
• Toiletries (hair care, toothpaste/brush, contacts, solution, glasses, hair dryer, makeup, soap, shampoo/cond, comb, prescriptions)

Our Lamaze Instructor also mentioned some "Princess Box" Items that aren't necessary but make labor a little more pleasant. These items include:

• Ponytail Holders
• Squeezy Ball
• Cards
• Chapstick
• Hard Candy--sugarfree
• Focus point (book with pics, stuffed animal, etc)
• Massage Lotion / Oil
• Small Fan
• Massage Tools
• Ipod with Dock
• Vending Money

What to Pack: Hubby (A tech-saavy one in my case)

• Clothes
• Snacks / Drinks
• Computer
• Ipad / Charger
• Phone / Charger
• Camera / Charger / Memory Stick
• Video Camera (for after delivery haha)
• Toiletries
• Pillow / Blanket

What to Pack: Baby

• 1st Picture Outfit
• Socks
• Mittens
• Wipes
• Diaper Bag
• Hats
• Blankets (min of 3)
• Going home outfit
• Carseat
• Baby book
• Boppy Pillow

Maybe I will pack our bags tomorrow :)