I just couldn’t resist writing another post this week, dealing with the topic of “nursery” decor! On another blog I’ve been reading lately, the mommy-to-be is trying to decide how to decorate the baby’s room. This was something we didn’t actually put a whole lot of thought into before having Sam, mainly because his crib was going to be in the living room to start with. :) Eventually, we did move him into his own room--sort of--it was also where Jim’s desk, a bookcase, and huge file cabinet resided, though, so it still wasn’t really just Sam’s room. Plus, since we knew we would be leaving the trailer soon and moving into our house, there wasn’t a lot of point in putting work into decorating there. We did buy a crib set, however--that was one of the first things we bought for the baby, early in my pregnancy. We didn’t have a lot of money to spend, and ended up with a very cute Raggedy Ann and Andy set in primary colors, which was on clearance at Walmart for about $40. Later on, other family members contributed matching accessories, and a good friend made a beautiful matching quilt. We figured this would be pretty much a “gender-neutral” theme that we could use through all our children, and we still plan to. After all, the baby only stays a baby for so long, and then will be moving into a bigger bed, and probably then you will be picking out all different things anyway!
This brings me to the even more fun topic of children’s rooms--moving beyond the nursery stuff. I want to decorate my children’s rooms (or room, at this point) in a way that will grow with them and be appropriate for a good while. For Sam, I have decided to do a cowboy theme. I think that is so cute for a little boy, and I have already collected a lot of things to go in his room--many have been gifts. He now has a twin-size comforter (to go on a bed that Jim hasn’t built yet :D), a growth chart from Olive Kids in the "Ride 'Em" theme, a bunch of cowboy themed picture frames, shelf brackets, and some other little wall hangings with his name, etc. We are still going back and forth on how to do the walls in the room . . . we may do them in all wood, or we may do wood wainscoting (natural color) and paint on on the top half of the walls. If we go that route, I’m thinking a medium blue paint would be nice. I want to keep the walls in a color scheme (if we use color) that will go with both a cowboy theme as well as the Raggedy Ann and Andy things, since both kids will be in the same room, at least for a while. If we have another boy, that will make things easy anyway, since I can just do cowboy stuff for him, too, when he gets bigger. Having a girl would present more challenges, but I’m sure we could come up with something fun!
Eventually, of course, a girl would need to be in her own room . . . and I have all kinds of ideas for what I would LOVE to do to decorate. I so hope that we are blessed with a girl eventually!! Anyway, here’s what I would like to do in a girl’s room: Make it a storybook theme. Copy pictures (or find calendar pictures, etc.--I already have some) from my favorite girls’ books, and frame them. I’m thinking of “Anne of Green Gables,” “Betsy-Tacy,” “Little Women,” etc. Maybe even some Little House. I would want to decorate the walls with either old fashioned looking wallpaper, or old-fashioned, delicate colored paint. Maybe a pale sage green and cream stripe, or something like that. I don’t want all pink, though! Probably paint would be the way to go, because then if she wants to redecorate as she gets older, it would be easier to paint over that than change wallpaper. I’m not sure what would be nicest for bed coverings--maybe a simple cream colored spread, or maybe a toile pattern of some kind--but I would definitely want to get this afghan as a part of the decor! Maybe to drape over a rocking chair. It would also be nice to have an old-fashioned looking mirror and dried flower arrangements here and there. Oh, wouldn’t that be the most fun room ever! Now, hopefully my daughter would enjoy it as much as I would!! :)
So here’s another QUESTION FOR THIS WEEK: How are your children’s rooms decorated? Specific themes, or just well-loved accessories? How would you like to decorate as they get older? Anyone can chime in here, not just moms--because some of you will be moms in the future and may already have ideas! I would love to hear them.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Monday, January 23, 2006
24 week update
Here we are at 24 weeks already! Yes, I know that the baby belly isn't showing up too good yet . . . but I"ll try to take more pics in the same shirt later in the pregnancy to compare. It will definitely pop out more in the weeks to come! :)
Front view:
Side view:
First of all, I should report on my midwife appointment last week. I had been scheduled to see Sherry on Monday, but as she was at a birth that day, I got rescheduled for Friday. Everything is continuting to go well with the pregnancy. My blood pressure was lower than usual this time--102/80, whereas it's normally right around 120/80. So that was fine with me! Baby's heartbeat was find-able right away, now that the little one has moved up a bit and is growing bigger. The heart rate was in the high 140s/low 150s this time. We talked a bit about a few questions I had--such as, what happens to the placenta after the birth? Do I dispose of it, or does she? She told me that often people will bury it and plant a tree over it, which I think might be a neat idea. Otherwise we can double bag it and throw it away, or we can donate it to a midwifery school for study. :) She told us about this one guy who flushed it down his toilet!!! Can you imagine? Then later he was on some tour or the local water treatment plant, and they were telling about strange things that they had found that wouldn't go through the grate . . . "Yeah, one time we found a placenta!" He didn't say anything, but he knew it had to be the one from his kid! I don't think the average person would come up with that method of disposing of it. :)
Last week I was fighting off a urinary tract infection and thought I had it beat a few times. But after doing the urine test at my appt, it was evident there was still something going on in there, by the higher than normal count of leucocytes, etc. Sherry recommended that I watch it closely and go see a dr. if it didn't clear up soon. I decided to give it till today and see if it got better over the weekend, but I could tell by last night that it was still there. In fact, we ended up skipping church again because by the time we got all ready to go, I was really dragging, and all I wanted to do was lie down. Standing up, and even continual sitting, made me feel like I had to go to the bathroom all the time. Jim told me to go take a nap, which was definitely the best thing for me right then. I later got up for a few hours, then went back to bed and slept well all night. This morning I called a dr. and got right in to get the UTI checked out. Sure enough, it was still hanging on, so it was a good thing I went in. I got a prescription for amoxycillin and have started taking them 3x a day. So I should be feeling a lot better soon. I'm the type that hates to take meds. while pregnant, but sometimes it's just a necessary thing to prevent a more serious problem.
Of course, the baby's constant activity in utero this week hasn't helped my feeling of needing to go all the time! :) A few times it's felt like he or she is using my bladder for a trampoline. And I still have 16 +/- weeks to go!
Jim was reading over some of my posts here a while back and commented that I should clarify something I had written in Sam's birth story. Right at the end of it, I wrote this: I never even got to use the labor tub, as I had hoped, but in the end, I didn't even care! I was just so focused on getting him out, it didn't really matter what means were used to accomplish it! My dear hubby thought that last sentence made it sound like I didn't care how he came out, whether it was all natural (as planned) or via c-section, or with the use of suction, or having to have an episiotomy, etc. What I really meant was that I didn't care that I didn't get to use the tub for labor. :) Now just to clarify a little more, of course the most important thing of all to me, was having a healthy baby. If the means of episiotomy, suction, c-section, etc. (in other words, less "natural" things) had to be used to accomplish this (as they occasionally are), then I would have been OK with that, even though I'm sure it would have been somewhat disappointing. And I'm not criticizing anyone who may not have been able to have an all natural birth, not at all! I know that totally depends on the individual mom, caregiver, and circumstances of the birth. I'm just very thankful that I was able to be blessed with a straightforward, med-free birth, as I had hoped. And I pray that the same will be true for this next time!!
Now, for the QUESTION OF THE WEEK: (I realized that "question" is a better term to use than "poll" since I'm not asking anyone to vote on anything!) I get a lot of people who ask if I know what I'm having, or if I'm planning to find out. Nope, I don't and I'm not--I like to be surprised. :) But I was wondering about the other moms who read this blog--did you/do you like to try and find out the gender of your baby ahead of time? Why or why not? Have fun sharing your tales!
Front view:
Side view:
First of all, I should report on my midwife appointment last week. I had been scheduled to see Sherry on Monday, but as she was at a birth that day, I got rescheduled for Friday. Everything is continuting to go well with the pregnancy. My blood pressure was lower than usual this time--102/80, whereas it's normally right around 120/80. So that was fine with me! Baby's heartbeat was find-able right away, now that the little one has moved up a bit and is growing bigger. The heart rate was in the high 140s/low 150s this time. We talked a bit about a few questions I had--such as, what happens to the placenta after the birth? Do I dispose of it, or does she? She told me that often people will bury it and plant a tree over it, which I think might be a neat idea. Otherwise we can double bag it and throw it away, or we can donate it to a midwifery school for study. :) She told us about this one guy who flushed it down his toilet!!! Can you imagine? Then later he was on some tour or the local water treatment plant, and they were telling about strange things that they had found that wouldn't go through the grate . . . "Yeah, one time we found a placenta!" He didn't say anything, but he knew it had to be the one from his kid! I don't think the average person would come up with that method of disposing of it. :)
Last week I was fighting off a urinary tract infection and thought I had it beat a few times. But after doing the urine test at my appt, it was evident there was still something going on in there, by the higher than normal count of leucocytes, etc. Sherry recommended that I watch it closely and go see a dr. if it didn't clear up soon. I decided to give it till today and see if it got better over the weekend, but I could tell by last night that it was still there. In fact, we ended up skipping church again because by the time we got all ready to go, I was really dragging, and all I wanted to do was lie down. Standing up, and even continual sitting, made me feel like I had to go to the bathroom all the time. Jim told me to go take a nap, which was definitely the best thing for me right then. I later got up for a few hours, then went back to bed and slept well all night. This morning I called a dr. and got right in to get the UTI checked out. Sure enough, it was still hanging on, so it was a good thing I went in. I got a prescription for amoxycillin and have started taking them 3x a day. So I should be feeling a lot better soon. I'm the type that hates to take meds. while pregnant, but sometimes it's just a necessary thing to prevent a more serious problem.
Of course, the baby's constant activity in utero this week hasn't helped my feeling of needing to go all the time! :) A few times it's felt like he or she is using my bladder for a trampoline. And I still have 16 +/- weeks to go!
Jim was reading over some of my posts here a while back and commented that I should clarify something I had written in Sam's birth story. Right at the end of it, I wrote this: I never even got to use the labor tub, as I had hoped, but in the end, I didn't even care! I was just so focused on getting him out, it didn't really matter what means were used to accomplish it! My dear hubby thought that last sentence made it sound like I didn't care how he came out, whether it was all natural (as planned) or via c-section, or with the use of suction, or having to have an episiotomy, etc. What I really meant was that I didn't care that I didn't get to use the tub for labor. :) Now just to clarify a little more, of course the most important thing of all to me, was having a healthy baby. If the means of episiotomy, suction, c-section, etc. (in other words, less "natural" things) had to be used to accomplish this (as they occasionally are), then I would have been OK with that, even though I'm sure it would have been somewhat disappointing. And I'm not criticizing anyone who may not have been able to have an all natural birth, not at all! I know that totally depends on the individual mom, caregiver, and circumstances of the birth. I'm just very thankful that I was able to be blessed with a straightforward, med-free birth, as I had hoped. And I pray that the same will be true for this next time!!
Now, for the QUESTION OF THE WEEK: (I realized that "question" is a better term to use than "poll" since I'm not asking anyone to vote on anything!) I get a lot of people who ask if I know what I'm having, or if I'm planning to find out. Nope, I don't and I'm not--I like to be surprised. :) But I was wondering about the other moms who read this blog--did you/do you like to try and find out the gender of your baby ahead of time? Why or why not? Have fun sharing your tales!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
The best things about pregnancy
First of all, I was looking back over my posts and found a comment from my friend Elisha that I hadn't seen before--sorry about that Elisha!!! I just hadn't gone back and scanned the comments for a while. Anyway, thanks for commenting and feel free to visit often! :) Thanks for the recommendation about Old Navy pants, too--I actually just bought my first pair of jeans from there while we were in Ohio, and I really like them for the most part. The only problem is that I had to get a large (to get them to fit everywhere else) but the waistband is a little big still, because of that. So they tend to slide down--I know they're supposed to be low-rise, but I don't like feeling like they're always falling off! Other than that, though, they're very comfy. :)
I keep meaning to share the things I enjoy about being pregnant. Others have already mentioned many of them: knowing there is a precious baby growing inside me is probably the best thing! I love feeling the kicks and wiggles, and also I think it is so fun when the baby gets hiccups! I think I may have felt a few of those already. I love it when Jim is able to feel the movements, as well--seems to bring us closer together in regards to the baby, somehow. And I think it makes the whole thing more real for him, too. I love thinking about this new little one and wondering who he or she is, what his/her personality will be like, etc. As my friend Mindee mentioned, it is also fun to be able to eat all those good things "for the baby." I've been really bad about that over the holidays!!
Things that I'm not as crazy about: feeling tired most of the time, having to go to the bathroom more and more often, aches and pains, heartburn, and (this time around) not being able to jus take a nap whenever I feel like it, because I have another little one to look after! I have mixed feelings about seeing my tummy expand. On the one hand, it is neat to see and special because I know there is a good reason for it. Plus, it is fun to wear my maternity clothes again. On the other hand, I miss my waistline! I am not one of the women who feels beautiful during pregnancy--more just large and clumsy!
So those are some of my pros and cons. In the end, of course, the pregnancy experience is well worth it, in spite of the things I don't like so much. It also makes a fun bond with other moms because I've found that most of us enjoy sharing pregnancy-related tales, as well as birth stories. :)
POLL OF THE WEEK: BABY NAMES
No, I'm not asking you to help me decide on a name, but I'm curious if others have a hard time deciding on names with your hubby? Jim and I seem to have very few names that we both like. He likes very old fashioned names, some of which are ones I like OK, but others which I don't! I'm not all into trendy names, but I like a lot of names that he can't stand. I know we will end up with a good name, but the process seems to take a while. So, share your naming stories! I've heard of some couples that take turns picking out their kids' names, but I would be scared to do that! :)
I keep meaning to share the things I enjoy about being pregnant. Others have already mentioned many of them: knowing there is a precious baby growing inside me is probably the best thing! I love feeling the kicks and wiggles, and also I think it is so fun when the baby gets hiccups! I think I may have felt a few of those already. I love it when Jim is able to feel the movements, as well--seems to bring us closer together in regards to the baby, somehow. And I think it makes the whole thing more real for him, too. I love thinking about this new little one and wondering who he or she is, what his/her personality will be like, etc. As my friend Mindee mentioned, it is also fun to be able to eat all those good things "for the baby." I've been really bad about that over the holidays!!
Things that I'm not as crazy about: feeling tired most of the time, having to go to the bathroom more and more often, aches and pains, heartburn, and (this time around) not being able to jus take a nap whenever I feel like it, because I have another little one to look after! I have mixed feelings about seeing my tummy expand. On the one hand, it is neat to see and special because I know there is a good reason for it. Plus, it is fun to wear my maternity clothes again. On the other hand, I miss my waistline! I am not one of the women who feels beautiful during pregnancy--more just large and clumsy!
So those are some of my pros and cons. In the end, of course, the pregnancy experience is well worth it, in spite of the things I don't like so much. It also makes a fun bond with other moms because I've found that most of us enjoy sharing pregnancy-related tales, as well as birth stories. :)
POLL OF THE WEEK: BABY NAMES
No, I'm not asking you to help me decide on a name, but I'm curious if others have a hard time deciding on names with your hubby? Jim and I seem to have very few names that we both like. He likes very old fashioned names, some of which are ones I like OK, but others which I don't! I'm not all into trendy names, but I like a lot of names that he can't stand. I know we will end up with a good name, but the process seems to take a while. So, share your naming stories! I've heard of some couples that take turns picking out their kids' names, but I would be scared to do that! :)
Monday, January 09, 2006
22 Weeks--Over Halfway There!
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted a pregnancy update. First, I must back up and fill you in on my 19 week appointment! Everything was good-- it took a while to find baby's heartbeat, just because he/she kept moving away from the doppler, but once Sherry found it, it was nice and strong. And fast, around the 150s this time. My weight is still good; I think I've gained about 7-10 lb. depending whose scale you go by. I think I'll go with my scale, which is the 7 lb. one! Sherry said 10 was just fine, though. My blood pressure is still staying very consistent, which I'm thankful for--right around 120/80. So far so good! We also talked about birthing tubs and she has done a lot of water births, and gave me a name of a lady in Maine that has a business of renting the Aquadoulas, and she even comes and sets it up for you, and then comes back and takes it down when you're done. Her price also sounded better than the one I found at the Aquadoula website. So we may look into that. She thinks waterbirths are great, but even if you just use the tub for parts of labor, that that is great too. Just whatever the individual mom is comfortable with. I've always been interested in the idea of a waterbirth, and having the option of using the tub would be nice, I think.
So it was a good appointment, and I'm looking forward to the next one, which will be next Monday! I'm NOT looking forward to getting on my scale and seeing how much I've gained over the holidays, though--too much sweet stuff!!
I'm definitely getting a bigger tummy all the time, and baby is also getting a lot more active, which is fun. :) The movements are strong enough for Jim to feel most of them, now. I've started to have a little heartburn now, but nothing too bad. Usually having one Tums will take care of it, if it gets bad enough for me to even bother with the Tums. I know it may get worse, the farther along I get, as it did with Sam, but I'm hoping not.
The other big news (not really pregnancy related, though) is that I was able to finally get Sam completely weaned around the beginning of December. We had been down to one nursing a day for quite a while, but even that was just starting to get to me, since I was already tired from being pregnant. We finally just stopped, and it was a lot easier and smoother than I expected. I guess we were both ready! It's a little bittersweet, but I am SO thankful to have a break before starting in with nursing the next baby. There is nothing more special than the sweet bond that nursing your child creates, and I'm happy that we were able to continue for so long, but I am also glad that I was able to accomplish my goal of weaning him before Christmastime.
I'll try to be more timely with my next update, which should be after my next appoinment. Thanks for reading!
So it was a good appointment, and I'm looking forward to the next one, which will be next Monday! I'm NOT looking forward to getting on my scale and seeing how much I've gained over the holidays, though--too much sweet stuff!!
I'm definitely getting a bigger tummy all the time, and baby is also getting a lot more active, which is fun. :) The movements are strong enough for Jim to feel most of them, now. I've started to have a little heartburn now, but nothing too bad. Usually having one Tums will take care of it, if it gets bad enough for me to even bother with the Tums. I know it may get worse, the farther along I get, as it did with Sam, but I'm hoping not.
The other big news (not really pregnancy related, though) is that I was able to finally get Sam completely weaned around the beginning of December. We had been down to one nursing a day for quite a while, but even that was just starting to get to me, since I was already tired from being pregnant. We finally just stopped, and it was a lot easier and smoother than I expected. I guess we were both ready! It's a little bittersweet, but I am SO thankful to have a break before starting in with nursing the next baby. There is nothing more special than the sweet bond that nursing your child creates, and I'm happy that we were able to continue for so long, but I am also glad that I was able to accomplish my goal of weaning him before Christmastime.
I'll try to be more timely with my next update, which should be after my next appoinment. Thanks for reading!
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