Winter Wonderland?

So, yeah. Lily still doesn't like the fluffy white goodness. But look at the tiny little footprints next to mine. So cute.



She did manage to humor me with one half-smile, when asked.





She was glad to be back inside, wedged between the stools where it was safe. And she could really smile.

Say "Cheese!"

This is the face Lily makes when you tell her, "Smile!"



Hahahahaha! Thanks to the nursery workers last Sunday for encouraging this cuteness.

Not Again...

I forgot to mention the one grumble-worthy part of my appointment. This was the first time they were able to tell the baby's position by feeling my belly, and though I was very happy to hear that the head was down where it should be, I left with that old familiar word ringing in my ears:

Posterior.

*grumbles*

Though there is still PLENTY of time for baby to be somersaulting and switching positions multiple times a day, it was just discouraging that the first ever baby position announcement for this pregnancy was the exact one I didn't want to hear. When I think back on labor, I don't think "pain" - I think "exhausting!" And that's because Lily was posterior and apparently needed 31.5 hours of labor to decide she was ready to turn around and come out.

Tina assured me that the baby will know what to do this time around - which didn't make much sense to me, because this baby hasn't ever been through labor, so maybe I misunderstood - and that there will be plenty more room in there this time to wriggle around into proper position more quickly.

I sure hope so.

Then she asked me if I was sitting on my exercise ball.
Um, no.

She asked me if I was tailor sitting.
Um, still no.

Which basically means it's MY fault for not doing the things I knew I should have been doing but was just too lazy to do. Here's hoping lots of proper posture and practice will get this baby facing the right direction consistently. And now that my appointments have switched to every two weeks instead of once-monthly, I'll have plenty more opportunities to hear how we're doing.

Ok, baby...TURN.

How I'm Feeling - Week 28

Yesterday, I had my 28 week appointment. It was good finding out how far along I am, seeing as I can never quite keep track myself. This Saturday, I will be 29 weeks, so that's the official count.

My gestational diabetes test results came back fine. My number was 129, I believe. The baby's heartbeat was strong and well-paced. Lily seemed mesmerized by the sound of it...mouth wide open, staring at nothing, listening intently. Tina said, "It's so funny how little kids are hypnotized by the sound of the baby's heartbeat!"

On the weight scale, I only gained two pounds in the last month. Not too shabby...1/2 lb a week. Especially considering the baby is growing 1/4 lb a week at this point. That puts my total weight gain thus far at 16 pounds, or 23 lbs above my first pre-pregnancy weight, putting me at 156 lbs total. Fortunately, Ryan has also put on a few pounds in the last couple of years - though you'd never know it to look at him - so I'm not so close to matching his weight at this point of my pregnancy as I was last time. There's something demoralizing about nearly matching your husband's weight even though you are nearly a foot shorter than him.

This is the first time in any pregnancy that I really feel like I'm starting to lose my appetite. I have no strong desire for food, which is something I never thought I'd hear myself say. Ever. Maybe that has something to do with this month's lower-than-normal weight gain. Even when I didn't have a lot of room for food (at the beginning or end of any pregnancy), I still WANTED to eat a lot, even if I couldn't fit it - hence the frequent cases of overstuffing and feeling awful afterwards. But now...? Mmm, no thanks. I wonder what this is from? It certainly didn't happen last time. I wonder if it will last?

I'd better wrap this up and get in the shower while Lily's still asleep. I have to make the most of every moment alone!

The Phil & Teds has arrived!

Our RED Phil & Teds is here! We are super excited and have already tried it out in every configuration imaginable - and there are plenty. Lily climbed right into it the minute we let her out of her booster seat from dinner. And she looked snug as a bug in a rug riding down below in the back 2nd seat, as well. That would probably be a good spot to take a nap...it's nice and dark and she can't see out the front.

I'm dying to take it outside and try it out (so far, we've only taken it for walks around the downstairs), but the ground is covered with snow and slush and mud, and I'm not quite ready to get our brand new toy that dirty yet. Maybe we'll take it to the mall for its inagural run ;)

We ordered our Phil & Teds from a place called PishPoshBaby.com. We chose them because they offered a free 2nd seat and free shipping, so we ended up saving a bunch of money and got a new stroller for about what we would have paid for a used one on eBay, once you figure in their crazy shipping prices. Plus, the really cool part was that I ordered it on Monday, and lo and behold, it sat on our doorstep waiting for me when I came home on Tuesday! That was pretty cool.

Hopefully, Lily and baby #2 will like their new stroller!

Glucose Tolerance Test

Today, I went for my 1-hour glucose test. Hopefully, I will pass it like last time and not need to go back for the 3-hour test. I drank a 50-gram bottle of this orange-flavored solution, which kinda tasted like orange soda without the bubbles, then sat around for an hour so they could test my blood at the end to see how my body reacted to all the sugar. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything during the test, but I brought projects with me (thank-you cards to write for Freecyclers, sewing, etc.) and had plenty to do while my mom stayed home with Lily.

It's amazing that in just over three months, I'm due to have another baby. Didn't I just get pregnant? Didn't I just HAVE a baby?? I made the comment last night that it feels like I've been pregnant for years, but then when I thought about it, I HAVE been pregnant for years - well, for some amount of time within each of the last four years, that is.

2005 - May-July (miscarriage)
2006 - March-December (Lily)
2007 - August-December (pregnant again...)
2008 - January-May (...still pregnant)

My goodness. If I get pregnant again at the end of 2009, that's just gonna be too funny.

Though probably not "haha" funny.

Superbowl Baby

Guess why the Giants won the Superbowl Sunday:





Because they have the cutest fan EVER. That's why.

Good thing her Oma got her this outfit, or they might not have won.

Freecycle Rocks

Have I mentioned before how much I love Freecycle? Because I do.

When we first moved into the house, we got our washer/dryer and our stove from Freecycle. For free. They were all beautiful and way less scary than what we inherited with the house. And then this week, while continuing my Freecycle perusing (looking for things on the garage sale list), I managed to score our little family a few more free and necessary baby things:





(The colored bottles/plastic in the dishwasher were ours already.)

Yes, that's right: 5 MILLION Avent baby bottles! With extra nipples. Do you know what this means? I will never, ever have to wash a bottle again. OK, so I'm exagerating, but that's how it feels. How does it feel? Excellent!

Can you tell I'm excited?

Notice anything else? Like that free container of Enfamil Lipil NextStep formula in the back with alllll the $8 Shoprite coupons and $5 manufacturer coupons? The coupons will end up saving us way more money than the little can of formula itself, and they were just a bonus thrown in the bag by the homeowner!

And today, I go to pick up a changing table pad and two tan or cream colored covers for it. I figure once it goes through the wash, it's no different than all of Lily's hand-me-down clothes that I love, right? The pad is for our currently non-existent 2nd changing table dresser that will go next to the currently non-existent new baby crib.

One thing at a time ;)

I have thank-you cards ready to send to all these people. I figure with all the money I'm saving and the generosity they're displaying, it's the least I can do. That's not too creepy or too personal, right?

Here's a parting photo:

Garage Sale List

I have a list of things I would like to find at garage sales this spring and summer...stuff I don't necessarily need new and don't feel like paying for new. I'm going to distribute this list to family and friends who I know frequent garage sales, so they can be on the lookout for me.

AND having a list gives Ryan a good reason to stop when we drive by a sale. His typical male mentality queries, "Why should we stop? What do we need? What specifically are you looking for?" My answer is usually something like, "I'll know when I see it!" and that never works...he just keeps driving. So having a list is a great motivator for him to stop. That and his recent attraction to "Antiques Roadshow." Hehe.

OK, the list. Right.

1. A sewing machine (see post)


2. Neat fabric (I'll need to TEST my new sewing machine, after all)


3. A dresser for me


4. A changing table dresser for the new baby


5. A baby fence (for basement toddler proofing)


6. A crib for the new baby (see post)


7. "Alphabet Soup" bedding for the new crib (a girl can dream...) (see post)


8. A crib mattress (this is a little iffy 2nd-hand...)


9. A 2nd baby monitor set (to have one for each baby's room)


10. A small sauce pan


11. A teaspoon rest


12. A CD/tape player for Lily's room


13. The Little People nativity

There's a bunch more stuff, I just can't think of it now. I'll add it to this list (and edit what we've gotten) as I think of it, so keep checking back.

Items in purple are most necessary for new baby.

* Note: Last updated July 26, 2008 *

Little Stinker

I just changed a diaper that smelled like manure. Seriously. Gross.