How Many New Parents Does It Take to Hang Up Letters on a Wall?

First of all: SCHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL'S... OUT... FOR... SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, sorry--had to get that out. I can't believe I made it, but it feels good knowing that I won't have to worry about getting up and stressing about work for a few months.

In other news...

Here are some photos of me a couple of weeks ago. I was almost 34 weeks. I'm getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. I may just explode! I'm probably even bigger now--yikes!





Well, it has finally happened--we have hung up the things that needed to be hung on the walls of KJ's room! I do believe that the only thing left to do in there is put up her window treatment, which should be done fairly soon. There are also some cute things at Storkland (where we got her baby furniture) that I may try and check out after my doctor's appointment on Tuesday.

So, you may ask... why does this post have the title it does? Well, it probably took us an hour or two to get the letters ready and hung up.

Our first dilemma was how long we should cut each piece of ribbon. Well, it was kind of a look and see type deal, but after some attempts, we finally figured it out. At first, some were too long and that would make the others too short. Then we thought we may run out of ribbon. Ahhhh!! Finally, after some tweaking, we were able to work it out.

Then, we were going to try and tie our ribbon like Brad and Megan have Carson and Parker's letters in their room, but we couldn't figure out the best way to do that. Our frustrations were also getting in the way. :) So we decided to Google what other people had done. Some people had used eye screws, some had used velcro and some had used hot glue. So we decided that we would try hot gluing the ribbon on the back of the letters. Now, I am majorly OCD, so I had to make sure that the ribbon was glued the exact width apart on each letter, so I had to measure all 8 letters in order for this to happen. Then I had to mark the positions. Finally, I had to glue all the ribbon. Okay, so this was done... not quickly, of course.

Next step, hanging them so they are the same distance apart. Well, we measured the width we had to work with--45.5 inches. So we figured, hey--divide that by 8. Uhm, no. That doesn't work for future reference! Luckily, we didn't go ahead and hammer in the nails. We just used pushpins at first so we could get an idea of where to put the nails. So they didn't leave that big of a hole. We had the first one and the last one up, then we put the final 6. Between the 7th pushpin and the last pushpin, there was a HUGE gap. After looking at it, I finally figured out you have to divide by 7 (not 8) in order for this to work since we wanted the first nail to start at 0 and the last nail to end at 45.5. Confusing, I'm sure... but they are nailed on the wall... and I must admit, they look pretty good! Who knew this task could be so difficult? I'm sure for most people it's not. But Aaron and I sure did a great job at making it hard!!



Then, Aaron hung up the toy hammock in one corner of the room. We were able to clear out some of the closet space that was taken up by stuffed animals. Aaron arranged all the animals so they were all facing the front and you could see all of their faces. Who knew a man could care so much about something like this? :) If you look in the top right corner of the picture below, you'll see the hammock.



We also got the two pictures and mirror up that we had bought a few weeks back. And we also decided to move the chair, so that it wasn't so cluttered around the window. Really, I think the main reason Aaron wanted that to happen was so that Marley and the cats could still look out the window--haha! But I really like it better. Plus, we will be able to see the window treatment more with the chair on the other side. See below for updated pictures of the nursery.







But, like I said earlier... now the room is almost done--I'd say 90-95% complete. We also have 2 bags packed for the hospital for Kerrigan and I have my bag packed--for the most part. I need to go back through and make sure I have most everything ready. If you look in the picture that shows the toy hammock, you'll see the two bags hanging on the door--an easy grab and go.

We're almost down to the final month now. This is a good thing, even though I'm still really nervous about giving birth and being a new mom, because being pregnant is getting harder and harder everyday! It's so hard to move and walk and bend over and get off the couch or out of bed and get dressed and shave, and my legs/ankles/feet and fingers are so swollen, etc., etc.

My next doctor's appointment is on Tuesday, so I'll try and give an update on it soon afterward. I have a CST and then I meet with Dr. Tamucci. Hopefully everything is still going well and I'm measuring okay. I don't think I'll get an ultrasound this visit--I think I remember her telling me it would be the next appointment.

Since summer has officially started for me, I've seen more rain than sun. Hopefully these thunderstorms will stop, but it looks like it may rain most of the week. But I'd like for AJ and I to try and get some pool time tomorrow since he'll be off work for Memorial Day.

PS: Aaron's birthday is on Wednesday--call, text, email, or Facebook him and wish him a happy day! ;) Monetary gifts are welcome............................... teehee!

lj

5 weeks & 2 days until the due date...

I will be 35 weeks pregnant on Wednesday. It's hard to believe how close I am until my due date. This pregnancy has really seemed to fly by. There hasn't really been too much going on in our lives the past couple of weeks. I have definitely hit that third trimester tired stage because I haven't even had the energy to log on and blog about nothing. But today I took the day off because our school has Field Day and I definitely would not have made it with the combination of the heat, humidity and my poor swollen feet and ankles. So I am taking advantage of it and going to write about a few things.

Last Wednesday, I went to the doctor for a Nonstress Test. I was hooked up to a heart monitor for about 20 minutes so they could check Kerrigan's heartbeat. For the most part, it was averaging between 135 and 140. In order to pass the test, her heart rate had to escalate 15 beats (around 150 or so) for 15 consecutive seconds three times. Apparently hers did because I passed. I was also hooked up to a blood pressure cuff the entire time, so that was a good way to get my blood pressure checked. It was normal the whole time. The thing that really was interesting is when the nurse said, "You're having a contraction right now. What does it feel like?" If she wouldn't have said anything, I wouldn't have had a clue! I had a few contractions but they were mild. Just felt like a little cramping and tightening in my abdomen. I also had to click a button whenever she moved. It seemed like she moved a lot which was unusual for the time of day.

My doctor told me that I was going to have these tests each week until I deliver. However, with this week being the last week of school, the only day I would have been able to go back this week would have been today. At first she was okay with that but I guess she figured it wouldn't hurt to go past a week, so I go back next Tuesday, June 1. This time I will have to have a CST (contraction stress test). I am not really sure why I will have this test this time. While I had the NST, there were a few instances where Kerrigan's heart rate dropped. But the nurse was not concerned about it. She said that it could have been that Kerrigan rolled over on her cord or the amniotic fluid got low. I will update that doctor's appointment next week.

After I had the NST, I went to see Dr. Tamucci. All she had to do was look at my results and she said it was a great heartbeat. Since my BP was already checked and we just spent 20 minutes testing the heart rate, all she had to do was measure me. She noticed my feet and ankles and she was not concerned. She explained that they were preparing my body for labor--basically they serve as a type of "IV" because once I deliver, I will lose lots of fluid/blood and the fluid built up in my legs, ankles and feet will help replenish that. Hopefully I explained that correctly. Not being a doctor, all this stuff tends to confuse me. But I thought it was interesting.

On Saturday, Aaron and I went to a Prepared Childbirth Class. It was an all day class that concluded at the hospital, where we were given a tour. We saw a lot of video clips and learned a lot of information. Not that I was considering anything differently, but I am now 110% sure that I will get an epidural. They showed us several clips of women having contractions and giving labor without one. And, uhm... no. I don't think I can handle all of that! We did do some breathing exercises, which I couldn't help but laugh while I was doing. I doubt I'll be laughing when I'm really having contractions!! I won't go into everything we learned about, but it was pretty helpful. When we got to the hospital, we were able to see where we go when I get dropped off. We saw some birthing suites and postpartum rooms. We also saw the Well Baby Nursery; although, it was empty. It really just made everything that much more real.

As far as Kerrigan's room, it is almost completely done. Mom's friend Debby is in the midst of doing a window treatment that should be finished soon. We have to put up the KERRIGAN letters still. We also have a couple of pictures and a mirror that we need to hang up. We got a mobile the other day that Aaron put on the crib. We also bought a net/hammock to hang up in the corner of the wall to put stuffed animals in. Aaron will have to work on putting that up, too. Just a few more loose ends to tie up and we will be set.

Yesterday was the first day Aaron and I got to use my parents' pool this year. So glad this time of year is finally here! After Friday, it will be summer vacation for me!

lj

We got everything put away in Kerrigan's room!

You can actually walk in Kerrigan's room now! We took a few hours tonight to organize all of our gifts and put things away. We have laundry going with little girl clothes, blankets, sheets, etc. The nursery is so close to being finished; all we need now is things for the wall! I took some pictures--you can click on them to make them bigger:

This is a picture of her room when you are standing in the doorway. It's hard to get a good angle.


Here is the picture of the new rug we got:


Here are some pictures of the new chair we got. You can see we have caught the cats in it!


Here's Hershey in the chair:


These are the letters Aaron and I painted to go on the wall above Kerrigan's crib. We haven't hung them up yet. I just finished painting them on Friday.


Here is a picture of a bouncy chair we got at my Baby Tea last Sunday:


Here is a picture of the high chair we got at my Baby Tea:


So we are getting there. There's still some minor things we have to do, but I think we are better off than we were a month ago. I have realized that I am going to need to reorganize some cabinets in the kitchen (or build some more) so that we can store baby items. That may be something I do when I am out of school.

I also wanted to post a few pictures of the lilies Aaron got me for our anniversary.






I must say that he did a great job picking those out.

Well, this marks the 3 week countdown until summer break. I sure hope that my kids understand that their teacher is super tired and super pregnant and that they will take it easy on me. Wishful thinking! :) I go to a Breastfeeding Class on Tuesday night. That should be interesting. I think Aaron may try to go with me. I hope so so that I can remember some stuff! Other than that, no other plans that I am aware of except for Aaron playing soccer tomorrow night. And I think Do Dah Day is on Saturday--so we may take Marley up to that.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there! I hope everyone has a great week!

lj

More Things for the Room, Baby Tea, Anniversary, Doctor's Appointment

Okay, it's a good thing that there are only a few more weeks of school left because I am so tired. I mean, I get home and know that there is stuff that needs to be done like laundry, picking up, emptying/loading the dishwasher, etc., so I go ahead and do some of it. But it's a pain and just makes me more exhausted. We have got to clean this weekend. Kerrigan's room looks like a tornado has come through and she's not even born yet, we have random stuff all over the place and our floors could use a cleaning. Sorry, complaining... we need a maid. Wish we could afford one!!

Alright, so thinking back to when I last posted...

Last Friday, Jenni and I went to Staples to print my Thank You cards that Jenni designed. The guy who worked there was not very pleasant and talked to us like we were idiots. We finally got them printed, though. They are designed to look like the pattern on Kerrigan's bedding. They are so cute! Then I went to get tanned that evening...whoop, whoop!

On Saturday, Aaron and I went to Tuscaloosa with my parents to visit a baby store that my mom had been to--Lily Pads and Baby Bundles in Northport. We wanted to try and get some accessories/decorations for Kerrigan's room, but they really didn't have that many. However, we DID end up getting a rocking chair that was marked down about 50% and we got a rug for her room. The rocking chair looks more like a recliner that doesn't recline. It's brown with pink polka dots... cute and super comfy! We also got a pink "ruffle" rug. I don't really know how else to describe it. Once we get some things cleaned up, I'll have to take some pictures to post on here.

Sunday was my Baby Tea. Once again, it was raining on the day of a shower for Kerrigan. I bet she'll be born on a rainy day, too... hmmmmmm. Anyway, a lot of family, family friends and friends showed up and it was great to see everyone. I haven't seen a lot of the people who came in a long time!! Kerrigan got hooked up once more! She got a TON of cute clothes, a high chair, a bouncer, some blankets, a bouncy seat/activity center, some practical items from friends who are mom's and a ton of other great stuff. This is why her room is such a mess. We brought all the gifts inside and haven't done anything with them since Sunday night!! Weekend project!! I've started thank you notes... gotta finish those!!

The beginning of the week was pretty uneventful. Yesterday (Wednesday) was our THIRD anniversary!! I can't believe it has already been three years. It's also hard to believe that that was our last anniversary where it's just the two of us. After my doctor's appointment (I'll talk about later), I met up with Aaron. That morning, I had left Aaron's gift at home for him to see when he woke up...since he's still sleeping when I leave for work (gag!). (It was a gift card to Home Depot to put towards a grill, in case you were wondering. Hahahaha!) After I met him, he put on this big front that he didn't think I was going to get him anything so he didn't get me anything. We had to kill some time so we went to the store and Aaron asked if I wanted to pick my own card out--no thanks. LOL! So, we went to Ruth's Chris for dinner. I had never been there before, so I was excited! We came up to the table and there were BEAUTIFUL flowers on the table...colorful lilies...and lilies are my favorite. There were also some books to read while I'm laid up and some little UAB gear for Kerrigan (booties, cap and bib) that my dad had brought Aaron earlier. So Aaron was trying to act like he hadn't gotten me anything when he had really gone to the restaurant beforehand and left the stuff to surprise me. What a sweet and wonderful husband I have! We got steaks and shared some scalloped potatoes and a Caesar salad. That was THE BEST steak I have ever eaten in my life. To top it off, our waiter brought us a piece of chocolate mousse cheesecake on the house for our anniversary. Needless to say, I did not check my sugars last night!!!

My 32 week checkup was yesterday afternoon. The heartbeat sounded good and she showed me where she thought she was laying in my belly based on where I feel her moving and where the heartbeat is coming from. Then I was surprised when she told me I was going to get an ultrasound. It was very brief, but I did find out that Kerrigan was 4.1 pounds, which I think she said was in the 34th percentile. I wish that I would have made sure that's what she said because I can't find anything on the internet showing the percentile your child is in based on fetal weight. She did say that was normal though, so maybe 34th percentile is right. According to her length she measured 31 weeks and 5 days and I was 32 weeks so that's good. Seems that the gestational diabetes isn't causing her to be large. At least, I hope that's the case. I got a picture showing Kerrigan playing with her feet. How cute is that? We didn't really get a good picture of her face... it was kind of smashed up against the wall or whatever. I don't know proper terms, obviously. I was told to drink more water so the fluid won't get dangerously low.

My next appointment will be on the 19th. I have to get a Fetal Non-Stress Test. My doctor told me this was precautionary since I have high blood pressure. They are going to hook me up to check Kerrigan's heart rate for about 15 or 20 minutes just to monitor and make sure everything is okay. Apparently, I am "high risk" since I do have high blood pressure, gestational diabetes AND am a teacher--around germs, germs, germs. I have to do this test once a week until the baby comes. Wow.

I'm so thankful tomorrow is Friday. I have training all day, so I'm sure I'll be ready to snooze when that's over. I'll have to get in a Friday nap for sure.

I think it's time for me to put my feet up... they are very swollen.

lj