Nursery Reveal

 Here is it - our daughters first room! Several months ago, Thor attempted to talk me into not having a nursery for love bug since we will likely be moving in the next year anyway, and as persuasive as my hubby is I held strong that it was important that our girl have "her space". Since we might be moving I did not want to paint or do anything to involved like hanging lights or wall decals. Even with these limitations, I still feel we were able to create a space that is comfortable, functional, and light. I have already spent many hours just relaxing in her room, talking on the phone or reading and day dreaming about cuddling with our girl.

The quilt on the crib was handmade by a friend of Thor and I; She was able to take inspiration from the balloon photo and the result is incredible! 

This is a convertible crib so it will transition to a toddler bed and a full size bed as our child grows..... but that doesn't need to happen too fast!!!!!

The only thing I'm not loving here is the mint laundry basket... its just too much, so I am heading to exchange it for a more beige/grey basket.

Loving our little change station! I am actually excited to get to diaper duty although I am sure the novelty of that will soon fade. Still need to get my diaper champ/rubbish bin put in place but priorities eh?? The change table topper does completely remove so when diapers are a thing of the past, it can still be utilized as a dresser.

The maternity photos above were taken by Rosalie Black - my hope is that Lovebug knows how very excited we were for her arrival and how loved she was from before we even were able to hold her.

My nursing/reading/rocking chair. LOVE! It is not a huge chair but fits me just perfectly! I also like that it is a chair we could potentially transfer to a different area of the house one day.

The "I love you to the moon and back" lamp was actually given to us as a wedding gift from my brother Harrison. He purchased it while we were on a little post-wedding family trip to Leavenworth. I think the nursery is the PERFECT home for this sweet gift!

Anybody who knows Thor and I, knows that we both love reading. We are so excited to share this past time with our little lady and I love the collection of books already began by so many friends and family!

These are just some of the newborn and 0-3 month headbands created for baby girl at the shower. In the case of no hair, she will not care! I used a candle vase from our wedding table centerpieces to display them but will need to come up with a different option for the larger sized headbands.

8 week, 12 week and 19 week ultrasound photos. Grow baby, grow!

Basket of swaddling cloths will be close at hand. Will utilize for swaddling, feeding covers, light blankets, snugglies, burp cloths, etc....

The only thing missing is the baby (and the diaper champ, and the new laundry basket, and the monitor...)! We are a week away from meeting her and so very excited! I actually had a couple of Braxton Hicks contractions last night that woke me from sleep, so maybe it will be sooner!!! You can always hope!

Weeks 36 & 37

Baby is the size of a Winter Melon

At 37 weeks pregnant, your baby’s lungs are likely mature — but that doesn’t mean he’s finished growing yet. In fact, until the end of week 38 he’s technically considered “early term” and he's still packing on about a half an ounce per day or half a pound a week. At this age, the average fetus weighs about six-and-a-half pounds — though boys are likely to be heavier at birth than girls. And here's a bit of baby boy trivia to back that one up: Moms carrying boys tend to eat more than those expecting girls (a foreshadowing of teenage refrigerator raids to come!). That makes it a little crowded in your uterus, so he may not be kicking as much, though he’s probably stretching, rolling a bit and wiggling (all of which you’ll be able to feel!).Practicing for Birth - So what's keeping your little one busy while waiting it out until D-day? Practice, practice, practice. Right now, your tiny superstar is rehearsing for his big debut, simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, sucking his thumb, blinking and pivoting from side to side (one day you feel his bottom on the left side, the next it has flipped around to the right).Baby’s Head Is Huge! Here's an interesting fact: Your baby's head (which, by the way, is still growing) will be at birth the same circumference as his chest. And guess what's making an impression (literally) these days on those shoulders and hips? Fat — causing little dimples in those cute elbows, knees and shoulders, along with creases and folds in the neck and wrists.



Baby watch has officially commenced and I have just about made the transition from wanting to put off the day that our love bug has to enter the "real world" to anticipation and feeling a little more ready. This is mostly due to my own growing discomfort - I hate to complain because I know that I have had such a healthy and active pregnancy on the whole, but the back pain and fatigue is getting real. One particularly rough evening I had to just assume extended childs' pose in bed and wait for the throbbing to subside- it actually crossed my mind that it might be the start of labour and gave me a bit of a scare into really getting things ready! Over the next week I packed the hospital bag, visited our fire station for a car seat check and prepped some freezer meals for after the baby's arrival. 

Another big to-do item that we were able to finally check off the list was a new automobile! Thor and I agreed that my little Subaru Impreza was not the ideal family vehicle and we have  spent months looking into other transportation options for our growing family. After driving mini-vans and SUVs and trucks galore, we settled on the Volvo CX 90. I LOVE it - feels safe and sturdy for our "precious cargo" (salesman speak when referring to a child that drove Thor and I bananas), spacious for visiting family members and a bit classy for mum! hehe

I also taught my last RIP and Zumba classes. It was a blast and I will miss teaching for the next couple of months but I knew I just couldn't commit to being there and being on my A-game for the students for much longer! I have continued to take a few classes but I am slowing down a bit now!

I also did what will likely be my last pre-baby hike up Canfield - I feel so fortunate that I was still able to climb mountains in the final couple of weeks of my pregnancy and I can not wait to share that past time with the love bug. 

The nursery is just about done and is waiting for me to snap some photos for a 'Nursery Reveal' on the blog - goal for this week!!!

As I mentioned earlier, I have prepped a few meals for after the babies arrival. So far in the freezer we have Lentil, Potato and Carrot Soup, Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, Veggie Chili and 2 versions of Shepard's Pie. Waiting to be made is a yummy vegan lasagna. I'm clearly anticipating enjoying some fall comfort foods! I also made a batch of Oatmeal, PB and Chocolate chip cookies last night- but there is a chance that between myself and a certain cookie monster I live with, they will suffer the same fate as the banana muffins and vanish before d-day! :). 

Our love bug still gives me lots of wiggles and rolls to enjoy in my belly, although I can tell she is running out of room as she sometimes tries to occupy the same space as my rib cage. Thor still loves to feel her motions as well and I can tell he is getting anxious to have her on the outside and be able to really snuggle with her. He also gets very worried and concerned about her well-being when she has the hiccups - it is a little distressing since she gets them at least once a day and her entire body will jump every second or so. We hope that they do not bother her too much!

Well I think I am going to sign of and possibly make a lasagna or photograph the nursery! Or make lunch and take a nap....

Only a week to go so its time to get moving on those final to-do items!

Weeks 34-35

Baby is the size of a Honeydew Melon

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds . Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete. He'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

My goodness, this pregnancy is on warp speed! I could swear it was just last week that I handed Thor the chia seed and told him it was the size of our baby, and now there are only 23 days left till the big day - how did that happen?!?! A few big things have taken place in the last 2 weeks so let's dig in.

Week 34 started with a growth ultrasound at the doctors office. The great news was that our lil Love Bug is growing like a champ! Already weighing about 5lbs and 9oz and measuring in the 67th percentile she is on her way to being a lil chunky monkey. The midwifes estimated that she would be "in the low 8's" at birth so we will have to wait and see... I know it can all vary greatly. The not so fantastic news is that she is still snuggled up in her breech position. Due to some medical factors such as the shape of my uterus, their is not much chance at this point she would turn head-down on her own. The midwives suggested that at our next appointment we meet with Dr. Woods to discuss an External Cephalic Version, a hospital procedure to manually rotate the baby using pressure on the outside of my stomach. In the case that he either advised against the procedure or it did not work, Dr. Woods would perform our C-Section. 
Even though we had to wait for nearly 2 weeks for this appointment, Ill cut right to the chase for you here. Dr. Woods was very clear with us that he did not feel this was an ideal situation for the Version technique. He was willing to try it if we wanted, but put our odds of success at less than 50/50. While a Version is a relatively safe procedure, like any medical intervention it does come with some risks and Thor and I has already discussed that if the doctor was not confident in our chance of success, then we would opt out of the procedure. The next step was to talk to Dr. Woods about scheduling the c-section, which we did for the later half of week 39.
I would be lying to myself, and to you reader, if I pretended like I was not disappointed about not being able to have a "natural" birth. It feels as though part of the motherhood experience has been taken away. As I type that I know how silly that is, that mothers come in all forms - from birth in the woods to c-sections to adoptions and surrogacy and so forth. How a child enters the world does not make a mother - that is created in the quite moments of embrace, the tears at a sick childs' bedside, the joy of watching your child laugh, the sleepless nights of worry, and the look of trust that child gives as they place their hand in yours. I'll give myself a day or two to wallow in my disappointment that it is not the birth that I envisioned or dreamed about, and then I will pull on my big girl panties, aka Mother Knickers, and embrace our story, our beginning and my role to continue to be the best advocate I can for our daughter no matter what the circumstance. Just a note that Thor has of course handled all of this just great! He is so supportive of me when I have to wrap my mind around a change in plans but has had this unwavering faith from the beginning that our daughter is doing exactly what our daughter needs to be doing and we just need to take our cues from her because she knows better than we do. I can already tell that Dad and Daughter duo is gonna be inseparable and it warms my heart to no end.

Thor and I did celebrate our 1 year anniversary on August 29. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at The Boathouse on Hayden Lake, which is the lake where we took our vows. It has been such a crazy year, starting with the wedding day itself, to learning we were pregnant and to Thor making a big transition with his career, and I am so proud of how we handle the joyful times and the stressful times together, as a team and support system for one another. I have so many questions and uncertainties of what our lives will look like as we head into new territory as parents, but I can say undoubtedly that I can not fathom doing this with anyone other than Thor.

Baby Girls room is nearly ready!! We just need to finish hanging a couple of pictures (hopefully this weekend) and then I can post an official nursery tour on the next blog post! I have started washing all blankets, 0-3 clothing and so forth and I have so much more fun doing baby laundry that I do doing my own!! I spend quite a bit of time in her nursery, reading books in the rocking chair or organizing drawers and shelves - I hope she enjoys the room as much as I do!

I've also started to meal planning for those first weeks home from the hospital. So far I've only made a Lentil, Potato and Carrot soup and some Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins to store in the freezer, but I will get to work on some more meals in the coming weeks! Would any readers be interested in my sharing the recipes for what I prep?

Since Im wearing the same dress, check out that growth!!!! No wonder my body aches!!! hehehe

Week 33 - Tea Party Baby Shower!

Baby is the size of a Pineapple!

This week your baby may be anywhere between 16 and 17 or more inches in length and could grow up to another full inch this week — especially if she has been on the shorter side. She weighs more than four-and-a-quarter pounds and is still gaining weight (about half a pound a week — weight gain can range from a third more to a full doubling before the big debut). With that much baby inside your uterus, your amniotic fluid level has maxed out at 33 weeks pregnant, making it likely you have more baby than fluid now. That's one reason why some of her pokes and kicks feel pretty sharp these days.

Baby Differentiates Day From Night. If your uterus had eyes, here's what you'd see: your fetus acting more and more like a baby, with his eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping your baby differentiate between day and night (now if only baby can remember that difference on the outside!).

Fetal Immune System Is Developing. Good news! Your baby has reached an important milestone about now: She's got her own immune system. Antibodies are being passed from you to your little one as she continues to develop her fetal immune system, which will come in handy once she's outside the womb and fending off all sorts of germs.

This past Saturday was love bug's baby shower and it was wonderful! I was so overwhelmed with the love showered on us from friends who worked hard to help host the shower, to the people who took time out of a HOT Saturday afternoon to celebrate with us. One of the Grandma's to be, Thor's mom, flew into Spokane the Day before to attend the shower and it was very special to have her there!

The shower had a "English Tea Party" theme and I really wanted to keep it feeling a little more grown up. We held the shower in my back yard and with the tables, tea sets and decor all laid out it looked really wonderful! Guests were encouraged to wear a hat or fascinator for the event and most took to the idea enthusiastically! I also requested that in lieu of cards or gifts, guests bring a favorite childhood book for baby girl. I LOVE that I made this decision as her book collection is already quite impressive and I loved seeing who selected each book. Ill admit that since the shower I have been reading a lot of children books during quiet moments and I am getting really very excited to curl up in a chair with love bug and read. Many guests ignored the "in lieu of" part of the request and also brought gifts for baby girl- it seems most people LOVE shopping for baby girl clothes-and who can blame them!!! hehe. Grandma Anderson has joked that I never have to do laundry!

The menu for the baby shower was all vegan and included: Cheeze and Cucumber Sandwiches, Chick Pea Salad Sandwiches, Black Currant and Cream Cheeze Sandwiches, Kale Salad, Pasta Salad, Fruit Salad, Salt & Vinegar Crisps, and a teapot cake and cupcakes! Beverages included hot English Tea (which despite the heat was still very popular), Iced Tea, lemonade and strawberry lemonade and Blush wine (very popular item...). It was a beautiful spread lovingly prepared by team-work of the hosts and well received by guests.

The shower also featured a headband making station where guests could design and create headbands for Baby Girl to wear throughout her first year. It was fun to watch the creative juices flow and I love now having such a special collection of head bands ready to go! Some guests REALLY enjoyed this station and created 6+ headbands! Hostess Emma lovingly took the reigns on making the headband station and I am so grateful for the beautiful job she did with it!

One of the guest favorite activities was the photo booth. Hostess Melissa put so much love, attention to detail and thought into this project, I can only hope that she was proud of the outcome and knows that baby girl and I will enjoy looking at the photo booth pictures for years to come. Hostess Stacey had the camera and tripod set up covered and it turned from something that I had no idea how to make happen, into a great guest feature!

I wanted to include a sweet little party favor for guests and found the idea for these candles on Pinterest. I attached some tea to go along with the theme of the shower and I love how they turned out!

Before I get to just sharing all of the photos, I would like to thank my fellow hostesses - Adrienne, Emma, Melissa, Stacey and Ally. They made sure the shower was beautiful and attempted to keep this mama-to-be relaxed throughout the process. These ladies hold a very special place in my heart and I know they will in Baby A's also. 

Weeks 31 & 32

Baby is the size of winter squash

What's up with your baby? She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at three-and-a-half to four pounds and topping out at 15 to 17 inches. In these past few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to thrive outside the womb — from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. In anticipation of that momentous transition to mouth feeding, your baby's digestive system is all set and ready to go. And though you're weeks away from D-day, your baby's looking more and more like a newborn: As fat accumulates under her skin, it's no longer transparent and is now opaque.

Childbirth classes, Infant first aid, summer concerts, maternity photos and baby shower preparation... I think that sums up the last two weeks! I do need to keep todays post rather short due to the fact that the baby shower will begin at my house in about 7 hours! I will share pictures and stories on the 33 weeks post - I am SO EXCITED!!

Thor and I did attend our first of two childbirth classes. The take-away- its going to really, really, really hurt but don't tense up or it will hurt more. Right- no problem! In all seriousness, for some unknown reason, I do not have a lot of fear or anxiety about labour at this point- I figure that it can't last forever and I have no choice that the process has to happen at some point, so why worry about it... I'm sure Ill change my tune in about 7 weeks and all bravery will be out the window! 

It was fun to watch Thor soak in all the information from not only the childbirth class but also the infant first aid and CPR class we took. He always has such insightful comments and questions after each class and after 10 years I still love to see how is brain works and processes. I am so excited to see him interact with our daughter in less than two months - he is going to be such a caring, thoughtful and attentive dad!

I did have a doc appointment during week 31. Everything was measuring well including my belly size, weight (up 21lbs!), blood pressure and so forth. The only slight concern is that baby girl is still breach (head up) in her womb room. While there is still time for her to go head down, I just have this feeling in my gut (pun not intended), that she is pretty darn cozy and not planning on flipping around any time soon. They scheduled a growth ultrasound for 34 weeks to check on her measurements, position and if it looks like she might consider turning for us. To be honest, I have a lot more anxiety about a possible c-section than I do a natural labor- even though I know it is incredibly safe and performed routinely. A C is just not what I had envisioned and if we go that route I will definitely need some mental readjustments! Thor has been a great support and I know that in the end, our family story will be my favorite story.

Thor and I were so excited that Rosalie Black, our awesome wedding photographer, offered to do some maternity photos for us. I am not sure that I would have scheduled them otherwise, we have had a lot of photos take in the past 18 months, but I am really glad we did. We have just received some sneak peak shots from Rosalie and they are amazing- I am looking forward to seeing the rest!

Time to shower and start the baby celebration day! Get your hats and fascinators on ladies!

Week 30

Baby is the size of a cabbage!

Your baby's length is about 16 inches—about as long as a laptop computer—and she measures almost 11 inches from crown to rump. She weighs approximately 2 1/2 to 3 pounds.

From now until delivery, every baby will gain weight at a more individual rate. Your baby has doubled in height over the past six weeks, and from now until delivery, she'll gain only a few more inches in length. Don't worry if she's in a strange position (what your care provider might call a "transverse lie"). There's still plenty of time for her to get settled into the head-down (cephalic) position for birth.

She's floating in about 1 1/2 pints of amniotic fluid and has some room to move. Your baby's most important organ, her brain, continues to develop at a rapid pace. Her eyes are able to track light, and some researchers have theorized that exposing your belly to light may stimulate development. Try moving the beam of a flashlight slowly over your belly in a dim room, and see if she reacts.

This week baby girl and I tried tennis. Tried being the operative word. Thor is fairly excited though - he thinks that tennis scholarships could be in Sweet Pea's future. Of course, he has said the same of soccer and gymnastics. We can take a pretty good guess that she will be compact and strong but hopefully she doesn't take too many clumsy genes from me or it could be a uphill battle :).

My pregnancy hardship this week came in the form of the "Glucose Challenge Test". For those unfamiliar, the glucose challenge test is a screening for gestational diabetes. The mother has to consume a beverage containing 50

g of glucose and have her blood drawn and tested for glucose levels after one hour. Anything under 140 (don't ask me what that number represents) passes the screening and anything above needs a 2nd  3-hour screening to diagnose gestational diabetes. 

The glucose drink was disgusting. Imagine drinking jello liquid concentrate and you will have a fairly good idea. I was worried I wasn't going to keep the drink down but I got past that and ended up feeling OK, I drove to the lab to get my blood drawn. I have never been one who enjoyed having my blood drawn. In most cases I wind up feeling like the walls are closing in on me and everything gets dark. I have to lie down for 5-10 minutes and then can usually regain normal human function. Unfortunately, this screening was not the exception. I did make it out of the lab before I starting to feel faint, but then had to lie down on some chairs in the middle of the medical building. Im sure an 8 month pregnant lady lying across three chairs in a hallway was a sight to see. After lying for about 10 - 15 minutes I realized I might vomit soon. Now I was in a predicament, if I stood and tried to walk to find the bathrooms I would get more dizzy and potentially pass out. If I stayed on the bench I might start vomiting in the middle of a hallway. I chose to take my chances with walking and was able to hobble my way (walking while trying to keep head at heart level) to a bathroom that was mercifully close. I was sick but am happy to say that I felt much better afterwards and was even able to then drive home! Apparently my body just needed to get that glucose drink out of it! There it is folks, the glamour and sexiness of pregnancy! I felt fatigued and drained for the rest of the day and the following day, and was quite anxious that it might mean I had failed the glucose challenge. My friend who is a nurse (friends in high places folks) was able to look up my results in the hospital system and let me know early that I had passed with a 100! Woo hoo! Hopefully no more blood tests till D-day!

In less disgusting news, the Baby Shower count-down is on and I am so excited about the plans being made. It is shaping up to be a beautiful celebration of a young lady who is already so very very loved!!

Playing tennis while carrying two babies should be a new Olympics game.

Weeks 28 & 29

My heart already overflows with love, yet I've only gotten to hold you in my womb. Im torn between wanting to keep you cocooned and protected from the world forever and anticipation of your arrival, cuddles and discovery of life.

Baby is the size of a Butternut Squash

At 29 weeks pregnant, your baby weighs two-and-a-half to three pounds now and measures 15-and-a-half to 16 inches long. Though she's getting pretty close to her birth length, she still has to chub out a bit. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, she'll more than double — or even come close to tripling — her weight. As more fat is deposited under the skin surface, her wrinkled skin is smoothing out. This white fat, as it's called, is different from the earlier brown fat your developing fetus accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation, while white fat (the same kind you have, Mom) actually serves as an energy source.

Everything is running smoothly here at baby central. I feel so lucky and fortunate to be having such a "easy" pregnancy. While the first trimester was a little rough at times with fatigue, nausea and food aversions, the second has been a joy. And baby, are we packing in some fun things here or what!

Week 28 started with a very special visitor, my friend Kelsey came to visit for the weekend! Kelsey and I met on the bus stop the first day of 7th grade and were pretty much inseparable for the rest of junior high and high school. We did go to different colleges and now live about 5 hours apart, but every time we get together is like reuniting with family. I wanted to make sure that Kelsey enjoyed her time here in north Idaho in order to increase my chances of getting her to make the drive over more often; so I packed our weekend with some of my favorite activities! Hiking Canfield Mountain, dinner at Syringa, paddle boarding on Hayden Lake, a summer concert at arbor crest winery, and lazy mornings drinking coffee on lounge chairs in the back yard. While I can't speak for Kelsey, I had a terrific weekend!

The following weekend, Thor and I took a quick trip to Seattle to celebrate his friends 40th birthday. Thor recently transitioned to a different advisory firm and has been working really long hours to make his transition complete and successful. It was such a necessary treat to get him out of town for just a day and see him laughing and relaxing with friends from childhood. Even though car travel is not very comfortable for me right now, trips with Thor are one of my ultimate favorite things to do. The two of us can spend hours in the car having the most wonderful conversations that otherwise might not get the chance to happen. I sure hope baby girl enjoys road trips!

Other that those two fun events, I have nothing too special to report. I continue to try and shop for items for baby girl and am currently in the process of planning and preparing for the baby shower. 

Baby Movement: I am FINALLY starting to feel her all throughout the day and I LOVE her wiggles. I try to make a very conscious effort to stop whatever else Im doing and just be in the moment with her an her movements.

Food: Not much change here, still loving salads, fruits, sandwiches, potato chips and sweet treats.... 

Sleep: Getting slightly less consistent but really not too bad. I am very very lucky to have the ability to take naps on days when I did not sleep well the night before. 

Exercise: Starting to feel that baby weight a bit but I am still teaching Zumba and RIP, hiking 7+ miles, gardening, and paddle boarding. 

Mood: Generally complete bliss with moments of anxiety and worry. My biggest concern has been the actual delivery process. I know that a lot of it will be out of my control and I need to just trust that and trust in the experience and knowledge of the hospital staff.

Baby Daddy: Loves feeling the belly and talking to baby girl. Was trying to loudly kiss my belly the other night so that baby girl would be able to hear the kisses!