A note about baby food: Mac and Cheese!

I am a HUGE advocate of homemade baby food! Max has only had a few store bought baby food items: apples and chicken, sweet potatoes and chicken (I don't have the equipment to blend the chicken up enough for him to eat), oatmeal, and yogurt. He occasionally has apple sauce from the store, but it's the same kind I eat at this point.

Let me just tell you...we figured out that making your own baby food is EXTREMELY cost effective! It costs about a third of what store bought baby food costs, and it is so extremely easy!

The basic rules? Cook (in whatever way you will lose the least amount of nutrients- usually baking or steaming), add a bit of water or breast milk, and blend! We put it in ice trays and freeze for later, then just pop them out when we are ready to use them. At this point, we occasionally add some seasonings and are trying to add more variety by mixing different things together, etc.

Our newest venture? Mac and cheese! I simply took a little bit of spaghetti noodles (leftover from last night's dinner), put some butter and a little cheese on top, and microwaved it all for a few seconds. Then I just put it all in the blender with a splash of water and puréed it until it was the right consistency. Max. Loved. It. And it was so simple and easy to make! Please, moms, do not let me catch you buying store bought baby mac and cheese for your little ones!

As we are getting a bit more adventurous with Max's diet I will be filling you in a little more about how we do things over here :)

Here are a few pictures of my sweet boy enjoying his dinner!

Learning how to cook

So, since I am now a stay at home mom, at least for a little while longer...and that is my "job"...I have decided I need to get better at it :) And that means that I need to learn to cook.

For those of you who may not know me very well, I am a terrible cook. I have actually improved a little bit over the last few months- at one point, while I was still pregnant with Max, I was attempting to make spaghetti for dinner and the noodles were all sticking together, and not cooking properly as a result. I remember crying and telling Nick, "I can't even make noodles!" Well, I have come a LONG way since then :) I even made breakfast (including homemade gravy) for 6 people on Christmas Eve.

However, I still feel like I have no idea how to make a decent meal for my family on a daily basis. And that definitely has to change.

Tucker an Chelsea (my brother and his lovely wife-to-be) gave me an apron for Christmas that I completely adore (Anthropolgie...what's not to love?!?!) and it has inspired me, somehow, to be fearless in the kitchen!

I'm going to set goals for myself to make two new things- one dinner type item and one baked item- each week, for a while anyway. AND I'm going to tell all of you about those adventures in the kitchen so I will actually stick to it :) All of this will be starting next week, because we have way too much going on before then. I am so excited to get started...wish me luck!

Yes, I am back, again.

I know, I said I was moving to tumblr. But Blogger got an iPhone app, and so I am back again! I just don't have the time right now to blog on the computer. Plus Max thinks he loves the computer, which makes it that much more difficult! I will have to update the look of our blog, now that it's not all about having a baby ;)

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Ours could not have possibly been better...and Max loved it! However, our house (which was spotless before everything started on Christmas Eve) is now a complete disaster. Our very generous family's gave Max tons of fun toys, but I have no clue where to put them all just yet. And we hosted our first Christmas eve brunch with Nick's family, which of course we never had time to clean up after before leaving for Wilkes. It was all completely worth it!

I will leave you (for now) with a picture of our sweet boy, helping us get ready for Christmas!

our blog has moved!

Since I never ever have time to write a real blog post now that Max has arrived, I have moved this blog to tumblr :)

Tumblr is much easier, faster, AND I can post to it from my phone with no problem!

My goal on tumblr is to post a picture of Max each day so that we can see how he changes, document fun moments, and add some motivation for me to actually take pictures!

Great idea, huh?

So...hop on over and check it out!

On Love and Family

Surprise, surprise...I LOVE being a mommy. It is hands down the best thing I have ever done.

I knew that the second that Max came into the world things for Nick and I would change drastically, but you never really know what exactly how the change will occur until it does. His birth changed EVERYTHING, and I am not exaggerating at all...our responsibilities, our feelings about life in general, and the way we tackle everyday tasks/how we live our daily lives among other things. Most surprisingly to me, however, is how it changed our love for each other.

I am a firm believer in the common advice that babies don't fix relationships. Nick and I really had no relationship problems before Max arrived though, so please don't misunderstand me. We had an enormous love for each other and for our life together prior to having a baby. Now...that love has grown even more. I never realized that we could love each other quite as much as we do and in the way that we do now. Seeing my husband as a father has caused my love to expand for him in drastic measures...and it seems that he feels the same way about seeing me as a mother. I LOVED being married and living our life together before Max came along, but I have learned very quickly that I love my life even more now that we are a family.

Max has completed our relationship in a way (at least for a few years...we want a big family, so there is definitely room for growth in the future!)...everything just feels right, and I love it.

This picture was taken by my Momma...at the exact moment that I was realizing how much I love being a family of 3 (literally. That is one of the things I can remember very clearly from my labor and delivery experience). The look on my face says it all...

Max's Arrival

We had the most amazing delivery experience with Max :)

He was delivered at Women's Hospital in Greensboro. We had a great nurse throughout the day on Wednesday, and she played such a big part in how well everything went. She previously worked in a birthing center and had lots of tips on how to control pain naturally prior to me getting an epidural. She taught Nick to read the monitor, which he loved, and was very supportive. By the time Max arrived we were very comfortable with her and it made a big difference in our overall experience. I really believe that it was all because of our nurse and my amazing doctor that everything went so well and so smoothly.

I was given Cervidil overnight on Tuesday, which very slowly started my contractions. By Wednesday morning I was in active labor, and my contractions were coming pretty regularly by themselves. However, they went ahead and gave me Pitocin to help me along a little quicker. Honestly, a lot of the day was a blur. I do know that my contractions were pretty intense after I was given Pitocin, and I don't think it was long after that that I got an epidural. I do remember that getting the epidural was not nearly as bad as I had expected it to be. I expected it to be very painful, but it really wasn't. It was more of just a strange feeling, and was a little uncomfortable, but so much less painful than the contractions I had been having (I guess labor pains will put everything into perspective for you)! After I had the epidural I started progressing a lot more quickly and even took a nap. I did get sick twice, but it was pretty insignificant really didn't even phase me. After they checked me and told us that I was 10cm dilated, Nick asked the nurse how much longer she thought it would be before Max arrived. She responded by saying that since I was a first time mom that I would probably be pushing for about 2 hours. BUT...apparently we exceeded the odds...because I only pushed for 35 minutes and he was here!!! :)

Turns out, Max is quite the little miracle baby. We knew that his umbilical cord had only 1 artery instead of the usual 2, and that it was attached to the side of the placenta rather than the top...none of which really worried us. However, after he was delivered we discovered that his umbilical cord was barely attached to the placenta and could have easily become detached. Our nurse was very interested in it...she said that she had never seen that because they very rarely ever make it to delivery apparently.

I absolutely cannot say enough thanks to Nick and Momma, who were both in the delivery room with me. They were both so very supportive and helpful, and I couldn't have asked for two more perfect people to have with me for such an important event.

Nick and I are so extremely happy, and we just love being a family :)

He's Here!!!

As I imagined it would be, life as a new mother is crazy. And of course completely wonderful!

But honestly, my priority has not exactly been posting news about our precious little boy all over the internet...so, sorry it has taken some time ;)

Max Parker Brown was born at 6:32pm on March 30th. He weighed 7lbs 13 oz and was 21 inches long...and is completely perfect, in our opinion!

We came home on Friday morning and we are all doing wonderfully. Nick and I love being parents and everything is going really smoothly (so far so good)...

I will post more about our new addition and our labor and delivery experience later on, but for now, here is a picture for your enjoyment!

This was taken just moments after Max arrived

My Sweet Sweet Husband

I just have to say...I am the luckiest gal in the world, just because of my husband (not to mention all the other countless ways I am blessed)

He is going to be the most wonderful father, and I am so very thankful that I get to call him my sweetie.

Husbands/fathers don't really get a lot of credit for the whole pregnancy bit...it is all about the mama. In some ways I can agree with how that works...we (women) have to sacrifice a lot to have a baby. I personally have gained almost 40 pounds, I can only wear about 3 pairs of shoes that I own because my feet are so fat, and I have had multiple people tell me in the last week that I look exhausted (so very kind of them). And lets not forget about the birth itself, breastfeeding, all the changes in diet that you are expected to follow through with during pregnancy, lack of sleep...I could go on for days. Really.

But lets not forget about our loving husbands. They are responsible for a lot, too, if you think about it, and I think they actually deserve some credit. At least my amazing husband does, and I hope the rest of you ladies are at least half as lucky as I am in the husband department. Nick has done so much for me while I have been pregnant.

He has provided for me like you wouldn't believe. I don't have a "real" job, and he is just fine with that. He works his butt off so that we can have everything we need and then some. We also have a wonderful understanding about my eating habits, and he is very supportive of them. Even though he jokes that I eat away his paycheck, he encourages me to eat as much as I want to and makes sure that both Max and I are completely satisfied 100% of the time in the food department. He has fixed doors so they will close, repaired the kitchen sink, hung a million shelves and hooks and picture frames, put together countless pieces of furniture, and even reorganized the pantry. Funny thing is, I haven't had to ask him more than once to do any of that. He is happy to do those things for our "family."

Probably the most important thing that Nick has done during this pregnancy is be a huge emotional support for me. I am an emotional person by nature. And I will be honest, it can occasionally get out of hand. So lets just go ahead and add being pregnant on top of that natural emotionalism and what do you get? Emotional basket case. Seriously. I can't stand myself most of the time, and it amazes me how patient he is with me. Sometimes I don't realize how irrational I am being until after my sob-fest is over (you know...20 minutes to an hour later), and then I also realize how wonderful he is for putting up with my craziness. I am so thankful that he is such a supportive husband and understands me like he does. I have LOVED being pregnant, but it has definitely been an emotional time for me as well. I have cried over everything from a spilled cup of orange juice to Ikea not having the crib in stock the day we wanted to buy it to absolutely nothing...depends on the day. But each and every time Nick has made me feel better, and best of all has not criticized me, not even once, for being so emotional. He gets me, pregnant and not pregnant. And I am so very thankful for that.

I love you, sweet husband, and I can't wait for us to become a family of our own :)

Just for fun, this is the oldest picture I could find of us, at least on my computer. I think I was 15 or 16 and Nick was 18...

One week...

...and YES I am counting! :)

It is still a little unreal to me that in just a week I will be going to the hospital to have a baby. Obviously, not a bad sort of unreal, but unreal nonetheless.

We have been preparing for this for months...thinking about babies constantly, getting our house ready, getting our cars ready, registering, having baby showers, doing research about labor and delivery, preparing myself mentally for motherhood (as much as is possible) and going to a million doctor appointments, etc. It's a little strange that after months and months of preparing we are finally on the home stretch, and Max will be here in just a few short days.

I am a little overwhelmed with emotions! The hormones, I am sure, are not helping much. I am excited to become a mother, but scared that I will not be as good at is as I hoped. I am anxious about giving birth and nervous about being in the hospital. I am happy and ecstatic about holding my sweet boy in my arms. But most of all I am overjoyed that "Nick and I" are becoming "Nick, Max and I"...a FAMILY.

Family is and always has been one of the most important things in life to me. I have ALWAYS wanted children. I was never that teenager who was gagging at the thought of being a mother and swore I would never have children. I have always valued being a parent, and have always known that it would be the most important role I would ever take on. Even when Nick and I were dating as teenagers, it was extremely important to me that I did not continue to date a boy who didn't eventually want children (much later on in life at that point).

This is a dream come true for both of us, and I cannot wait to see what our lives will be like with our new addition!

Induction date is set!

I woke up this morning feeling wonderful! I slept well for the first time in ages, the sun was beaming in the windows, it's Friday, Nick doesn't have to work late tonight, I have the whole weekend off with my Nick, baby shower and seeing family tomorrow, Ikea Sunday...you get the picture! NOTHING was going to be able to ruin my good mood! Then I checked the mail and it only got better :)

I got a letter in the mail today from Women's Hospital to schedule my induction! It is set for Tuesday, March 29th at 7:30pm...and yes, you read that correctly. We have to be there at 7:30 AT NIGHT (actually we are supposed to be there by 7:15, but once again, you get the picture). We are so excited! I really thought that it would be at least Wednesday or Thursday of that week at least, but I am happy about it being Tuesday. I moved my last day of work up (again!) to the 25th so that I will have Saturday, Sunday and Monday all off to prepare for Max's arrival.

Even though it is still possible that I could go into labor before my induction date, it is actually nice to have a date set for induction. This way we can plan ahead! Making sure everything is ready for his arrival, making sure family is available to help out where we need it, etc...so much easier this way!

AND here is the picture from this week that I promised :) Yes, I am huge...haha. 37 weeks 2 days...

Playing the waiting game

Yesterday was my weekly doctor appointment, and we had an ultrasound to check on my amniotic fluid levels, too. Last week Dr. Taavon told me that depending on fluid levels this week that I may be induced as soon as next week (around the 23rd at 38 weeks pregnant). When we had our ultrasound yesterday, we found out that my fluid levels have remained stable and that I will be induced at around 39 weeks!

Dr. Taavon basically said that he would "keep me on the monitor" for next week (which I am assuming means ANYTHING could happen- I could kick myself for not clarifying!) and that someone from his office would be calling me to schedule a birthday, probably by next Friday.

So at this point we are just playing the waiting game! We know that unless Max comes along by himself that he will be making his big debut sometime in the last week of March, so that actually helps us plan ahead a little bit for his arrival. He is now past the 37 weeks mark, so he is technically full term, meaning he could really come along any day! I had to change my last day of work before Max's arrival (originally scheduled for March 31st) to March 26th, and Nick was able to give Lowe's a heads up that he would likely be out for a week starting close to the end of March. He is the department manager of the Garden Center at one of the busiest Lowe's stores in North Carolina, so needless to say this time of the year is sort of crazy for him!

In the mean time, we still have plenty to do to keep us busy! This weekend we have another baby shower in Wilkes, and we are going to Ikea on Sunday to get a few things that we would like to have before we have a baby in the house. Not to mention keeping the house clean (easier said than done when you are a nit-picky and humongous pregnant woman) and a few other random projects that I know...if we do not get them finished before Max is here they will probably never get finished!

I will try to take a belly picture later on today and post it...some of you have been asking! :)

Nursery updates!

Oh what a beautiful day it is today :) The windows in our house are all open and I am cleaning away! FYI...today may be my last day off work that I don't have something else going on before Max arrives (depending on what they tell us at the doctor Wednesday, of course). So needless to say I feel like I have no choice but to get a ton of things accomplished today. I am off work next weekend, but we will be in Wilkes for another baby shower on Saturday, and we are planning a trip to IKEA on Sunday to get a rug for Max's room.

I decided to take a short break from my preparations to post a little update on the nursery...here are some pictures of it for your enjoyment!

The moose on the wall is from IKEA...anyone who knows my husband very well knows that he has a small obsession with moose. This one doubles as decoration and hooks to hang various things on! The rocking chair is one of my favorite things in the room. Also from IKEA, my parents gave this to us as a shower gift...I sit in it all the time and daydream about our sweet baby boy :)

The art on this wall was made by Max's Aunt Chelsea and her friend Stephanie...inspired by "Where the Wild Things Are." We love it!

Changing table area, all ready to go!

I am not posting pictures of the crib are yet...my Aunt Leslie and Nanny got us the bedding (Thank you so much!) but it is not here yet, and I haven't hung the letters on the wall above his bed yet.

Not too much longer til this room will be occupied :)

HOW much longer???

So...Wednesday was my weekly doctor appointment, and I thought I would update any of you who actually read this blog.

I asked Dr. Taavon what his thoughts were about when Max would be making his appearance, and I wanted a straight answer. He has sort of gone back and forth throughout my entire pregnancy about whether or not I would be induced prior to my due date, and after last week's appointment I was really curious about what he was thinking.

His answer? Still not too sure. This coming Wednesday when we have another ultrasound we will talk about a specific date to induce labor, unless of course I happen to go into labor on mu own before that date, depending on my fluid levels and Max's growth (and I understand completely...Dr. Taavon is a great doctor, and I know that he can't predict everything). What he did say is that we should plan on welcoming Max into the world before my due date, probably around 38-39 weeks. He said it is likely that I WILL be having a baby in March, and he said he would not be surprised if it was closer to 38 weeks (I will be 38 weeks on March 23rd). He is considered full-term as of this coming Wednesday at 37 weeks, and Dr. Taavon says it is fine for him to be born anytime after that...so no worries!!!

So I went to the doctor Wednesday morning thinking we had 4 weeks left, and came home from the doctor knowing that Max may be here in 2 weeks! If that won't light a fire underneath you I don't know what will! Needless to say, Nick and I have been busting our butts over the last 2 days trying to get everything spotless and perfect for the arrival of our little one and the company that is sure to come along with him!

We are excited, but a little stressed too. Please keep us ALL in your prayers...that our stress levels will be minimal and that everything will go smoothly Wednesday :)

35 Week Appointment and Such :)

Just 5 more weeks!

Nick and I went to the doctor today for another ultrasound and some other routine sort of things. The ultrasound went great! Max is weighing in at about 5lbs 8oz, which is actually on the low side of babies at his gestational age. That little bit of information surprised us a teeny bit since before now he has measured so big, but he is healthy and adorable, so everything is good!

This is the ultrasound 4D picture that we got today...but of course it is just a picture of a picture that was taken with my phone. I will get it scanned and add it on here as soon as I can so you can see what a good picture it is! The umbilical cord is in front of his mouth, but you can see most of the rest of his sweet little face :) I am already in love with his chubby little cheeks!

Dr. Taavon went over the plan with us for Max's delivery today...all the information about what has to happen before we page him and when we should go to the hospital, etc. It sort of seemed as though he expects to be inducing me at around 39 weeks, but that we are just going to wait and see how things go for the time being. We really thought today would be the last ultrasound we would have before Max is born, but Dr. Taavon wants to do one more in 2 weeks to check my amniotic fluid levels and just make sure everything is still okay...

SINCE going to the doctor just this morning I have developed a fever...ick. I have had what seems to be a sinus infection all week, and this afternoon I started feeling particularly disgusting. I checked my temperature and it was 101.2! The nurse's advice was to take Tylenol, rest, don't go to work (which may kill me...I really hate not going to work when I am scheduled), and call them if my fever doesn't come down or if anything gets worse. Being sick and pregnant is no fun at all...normally if I get a fever with a sinus infection I don't worry, and I just see it as my body trying to get rid of the infection (I get sinus infections at least 4 times a year probably, so I am sort of used to it). Since Max is also involved, I have to worry about the fever a lot more. The nurse assured me that as long as my fever doesn't get extremely high or last a really long time that it wouldn't harm him in the least, but she also wanted to make sure I realize that I need to take care of myself and REST (easier said than done...I am absolutely itching to get this house ready for Max!). Just say a little prayer for me that this gets over with REALLY quickly! ;)

Max and I hit the 34 week mark yesterday! You know what that means...only 6 more weeks until his due date! :) <---yes, my countdown is probably going to start driving you crazy. Get over it...haha! We are excited, and we should be ;)

I had yet another doctor appointment this morning, and will have one every week until he arrives from here on out. The first thing Dr. Taavon said to me when he walked in the room was "so, are you ready for the home stretch?!" Holy cow, he's right. Max's arrival is sooo soon in the scheme of things. Granted, at the moment I am sort of inbetween feeling like it will never get here and feeling like he is sure to come before everything could possibly be ready for him! Dr. Taavon also told me that it still looks like I am "trying to grow a big one," but next week I have another ultrasound so we will see just how Max is measuring up.

This weekend is sure to be awesome! Our first baby shower is Saturday...for my side of the family, and I can't wait. I know it sounds bad to be so excited about a party that is just for giving gifts basically, but I am a huge sucker for baby stuff, and it makes it seem real- that we really are having a sweet little boy in a few weeks!

The other awesome thing about this weekend is that I get to see all of my wonderful family! Since Nick has to work (and I forbid him from taking a vacation day for a shower...I would rather him save those for when Max is actually here!) I will be riding back to Wilkes with my brother! I haven't seen him or Chelsea, his girlfriend, since pretty close after Christmas, I believe, and I can't wait to see them and spend time with them. The scary part? The next time I see them they will likely have a nephew! (Yes, Chelsea= Aunt Chelsea in our book...she is practically family!)

Life is getting so exciting...I love it!

A Note About Nesting

I have always heard about nesting from other pregnant women...but honestly never knew how crazy it could get until I experienced myself!

I remember in particular when a pregnant friend posted in her Facebook status about how much cleaning she had done on that day...and thought "wow...that is a lot to do in one day"...my nesting has affected me a little differently though (I guess it is just like all those other pregnancy symptoms...everyone experiences it a little differently).

For the past couple of weeks I have only thought of two things: Max and cleaning. Literally...I woke up extremely early one day and as I was laying in bed trying to go back to sleep all I could think about was how I really should be getting up and going to scrub our kitchen floors. I eventually talked myself out of this, but it was not easy. And for me, the cleaning bit hasn't been for me to do a million things in one day (dishes, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, organizing, etc.)...

Instead of tackling a million tasks in one day, I have instead been feeling the need to do everything very meticulously. Today, for example, I started washing dishes at 10am (that is the normal part). After that was over, I decided to vacuum the couch with the hose of our vacuum cleaner to get the cat hair off of it. THAT turned into taking all the cushions off, including the big one that you sit on, vacuuming each one, and steam cleaning the entire thing. THEN I slid the couch out of the way (it slides very easily...no worries! No heavy lifting for this momma!), vacuumed underneath it, cleaned the legs of the couch which are made of wood, and mopped the floor underneath the couch with a sponge on all fours. Let's just say our couch is definitely clean now.

This is how it is every day for me...it is all about the little things for me I guess. It might be interesting to see how in the world I will get everything done by March 1st- the deadline I set for us to have everything spic and span and completely ready for Baby Max's arrival!

Happy Weekend!

Seriously...I have never looked forward to weekends so much in my entire life! At my job I work 6 days a week (every day but Sunday) but every shift is only 4 hours or so. Even though I am really not there long every day, it still makes for a long week, and I LOVE Sundays and having them off. (PS- I really do like my job and the amazing girls I work with, but lets be honest, no matter how much you love your job everyone still prefers days off to days at work!)

This week has been a pretty good week :) Monday was Valentine's Day (duh), which Nick and I don't really celebrate very much. BUT he did buy me donuts from Krispy Kreme that I had been having a major craving for and had resisted...even though it is literally 2 minutes from our house, I drive by it at least once a day, AND they have a drive thru. It pretty much made my week...I love my husband so very much! We also went to Women's Hospital, where Max will be born, and took a tour last night. I have to say, I really appreciate how supportive Nick is. He was the only husband/significant other that came along for the tour...most of the women were alone! I was thinking the whole time that it was really more important for him to know things like where to take me for admission and where things are in the hospital, etc because goodness knows when I am in labor I won't be much help with such things.

This weekend is going to be especially awesome! Nick and I are going to our hometown (Wilkesboro) tomorrow after I get off work to stay through Sunday...for the first time since Christmas! I have seen my parents and my oldest sister, Evie, a few times since then, but I haven't seen my other three sisters and I miss them so very much! I am so excited to see everyone and spend some quality time with my family.

Hope you all have a perfect weekend too!

33 weeks!

33 weeks...you know what this means, right? Max could be here anytime between 4 and 7 weeks from now!

So, this past week...my appetite has been completely out of control! No joke...I can currently out-eat my husband without even trying and then be truly hungry an hour later. We are not talking just eating to be eating kind of thing. My stomach is growling within an hour of eating a full meal!

And I have another thing to add to the "You know you are in your third trimester when..." list-

-...you start using the handicapped bathroom stalls just so you have a little extra room...seriously.

And last but not least for this week...here is a picture update on the ever-growing belly :)

Yet another observation...

I have made a few observations about life as a very pregnant woman in the last few days...

Story 1) Last night Nick and I went out to eat. While we were waiting on the waitress to bring back the check, Nick went to the bathroom. She brought it back, and when I picked it up the card somehow flew across the table and into the floor. I got up and walked to the other side of the table, and the card was nowhere to be seen from where I was...and then the two guys at the table next to us got up and helped me look for it AND picked it up out of the floor for me. So about this...normally if I was in a restaurant and two guys approached me it would only be to flirt or makes some smart comment. Because I am pregnant, they were just nice :) and I really appreciated it.

Story 2) I went to Target this morning to get a few things and as I was leaving I pulled my phone out of the side pocket of my purse. My chapstick also came out of the pocket and fell on the floor :/ I was about to bend down to pick it up, but the couple walking behind me literally JOGGED over saying "no! we will get it for you!" I mean, this was a very kind gesture...and I hesitate to say anything bad about it because they were just being extraordinarily nice. But I think you can all probably guess what I felt like after that one.

My observation? Because I am huge and 32 weeks pregnant, people go out of their way to help me with things. In some ways I really appreciate it. In some ways, it makes me feel like I have lost some more of my independence. Can we say mixed feelings? In reality, it was much easier for those people to get things out of the floor for me than to do it myself, and it was REALLY NICE OF THEM...I guess I will just keep letting people do nice things for me and enjoy it while I can :)

Finished Projects

I finally finished painting the last piece of furniture for Max's room, and I love it! :) It is basically just a storage chest, but it really helps make his room feel less empty.

I forgot to take a true "before" picture...but here it is with just primer. It was originally "yellowish" with a crackle finish.

This is the after :) I am so happy with the finished product!

32 weeks...

Yes, I may start to drive ya'll crazy with all these blog posts...there is just so much going on in these last few weeks, and I really want to share it!

Again, nothing going on in the baby news department...not really. Max is growing so much though! I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, so if anything new comes up during that I will keep you all updated!

Several people have still been asking about how I am feeling, so here is an update ...honestly, I still feel great outside of the tired bit. I think I will actually be happier to be tired when it is because of Max waking me up in the middle of the night to be fed or changed or held...rather than my bladder needing to be emptied or my stomach needing to be fed. I AM starting to get frustrated about all the things that I can't do very easily alone anymore. I really like having a sense of independence, and with some things I have completely lost that. I am also really ready for some normal emotions, rather than the over the top ones that I have had lately :). Last week I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things and went WAY overboard on the budget (note to self: going to the grocery store pregnant and hungry is never ever a good idea)...and I cried the entire way home, regardless of the fact that my loving and understanding husband was on the phone with me the whole way home telling me that everything was fine and it wasn't a big deal and that we probably needed all that food anyway. Did I mention how much I love him?

And I guess the nesting has set in...I spent over an hour on Sunday scrubbing a 3'x4' section of wall in the kitchen. And yesterday morning when I woke up at 7am I was laying in bed trying to decide if it was more important for me to get up and finish scrubbing the kitchen floor or if I should stay in bed. Awesome :) I mean, who thinks about kitchen floors being clean at 7am?????

Well...I am off to clean up the house and work on a few projects :) Check back later for pictures of our latest complete nursery project!!!

Lullabies that you will actually like!

A friend of mine introduced me to Rockabye Baby much earlier on in my pregnancy, but I just got a few of these yesterday, and I am completely in love!

This company has turned "rock and roll" songs into lullabies. It is amazing. They have everything from AC/DC to Bob Marley to Coldplay. And everything in between! It doesn't even sound like disgusting elevator music.

If you are pregnant or have a baby you definitely have to have some music from Rockabye Baby :) So go ahead...click that hyper-link up there in the first paragraph! You know you want to ;)

31 weeks??? what?!?!?!?

I can remember very clearly the days when I was so impatiently counting down the days to the ultrasound where we would find out if our little one would be a boy or a girl. So how the heck did I get to 31 weeks so quickly?!?!? I keep thinking to myself..."Wait, what?!?! We are having a baby in 9 weeks or less?!?!?" Time has passed by so extremely quickly...

Everything with Max seems to be going splendidly, and I really don't have much of anything interesting to share with you at the moment about him...but...

I have found that the more pregnant I get the more likely people are to say something outrageous and completely inappropriate to me about my ginormous belly and or the baby that has taken up residence inside of it. Just thought I would share a few of the best ones from the last couple of days:

1)This morning Nick and I went out for breakfast. I was wearing a Piggly Wiggly t-shirt and we ran into a man that Nick happens to know from back home (Wilkesboro). The man, who shall remain nameless, and whom I have never met before, reaches out and touches my belly (first of all WHO ARE YOU AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS OK TO TOUCH MY BELLY??). He says, "Congratulations! Looks like you are looking a little 'Piggly Wiggly!'" Gee, thanks. Not even sure what to say to you right now.

2) After breakfast we went to Target. We were in line and were only buying one item, and the lady in front of us had a buggy full. She looks at us and asks if that was all we were getting, and then lets us pass her. Then she points to my belly and says "looks like you have way more important things to worry about!" Yes, it was very nice of her to not make us have to wait 10 minutes in line behind her just for our one little item. But what does that have to do with me being pregnant? Confused. But thanks.<--this one is really not that bad, I know, but still.

I have saved the best one for last... enjoy!

3) I came across a lady yesterday that approached me and told me congratulations. She then started quizzing me about all sorts of birth related things..."have you taken a childbirth class? Are you choosing natural childbirth? Are you planning on using a Doula?"...and that does not even cover half of the embarrassing and inappropriate questions she felt the need to ask me. I guess she finally got the idea that I was not really interested in discussing such private matters with her, so she ends the conversation by saying, "I work with teen moms at my job, so every time I come across a teen mother I really feel pulled to reach out to them." EXCUSE ME. WHAT?!?!? NOT A TEEN MOTHER. 22, ALMOST 23, AND HAPPILY MARRIED. THANK YOU.

You know you are in the third trimester when...

I have quickly learned some interesting things about being third trimester pregnant...and let me be clear- I am still more than happy to be pregnant, for now! (I also realize that I will probably be tired of being pregnant by the time Max is born). I am just trying to turn all the unpleasant things as funny these days instead :) So here is my list...I am sure I will add to it as my third trimester progresses! I stole a few of these from the Baby Center website...

You know you are in the third trimester when...

...you spend more time at night on the toilet than you do in the bed! seriously...I have to get up and pee about every hour to 2 hours in the middle of the night lately!

...it has become an Olympic sport to shave your legs.

...your husband looks at you and says "Wow, babe. You really are pregnant!" yes, dear. I have been pregnant for 7 months now...

...you go to the bathroom when there is one nearby "just in case"

...you drop something in the floor and have to think about whether it is really important enough to pick up.

...your husband is getting in practice for the baby...by putting on your socks and shoes every day!

...it takes 5 minutes to get turned over in bed, and by the time you are comfortable again you realize you have to pee!

...elderly people off to stand and give you their seat (for example, while you are waiting to be seated at your table when you go out to eat)

...you can no longer take that tiny but awesome parking space that you just KNOW you could squeeze your car into because you know you can't squeeze YOURSELF out of the car door or between the two cars! Forget "sucking it in"...

...you can't watch commercials on TV anymore because the food ones always make you have ridiculous cravings.

...you cry over everything. Especially food and anything to do with the baby.

...every time you cry over something ridiculous your husband comforts you but says "you are so pregnant, dear"

...every time you make a grimacing face or groan your husband freaks out and says "is everything ok?!?!?!? are you sure?!?!?"

...EVERY person you come across in public asks when your due date is. And then they either follow up by saying "wow you look like you are about to POP!" or "really? There is no way you are that far along!" The other option is that they tell you some horror story about the birth of their child or when they were about as far along as I am. I work at a dance wear store and as you can imagine, most of our customers are women and children. I am sure you can also imagine that almost every single customer that I help asks me about the baby. Quite entertaining.

...it takes you 2 tries every time you get out of the car or off the couch or out of bed.

"Dear Non-Pregnant Person,..."

So I stole this from a friend of mine's blog who also happens to be expecting her first baby (it really seems like everyone I know is pregnant right now!)...or at least I stole the link from her blog.

Be warned...it is a teeny bit harsh and pretty honest, but completely hilarious, especially if you have ever been pregnant.

It is basically written to make fun of all the crazy things that people say to you when you are pregnant...enjoy!

http://soupbelly.com/2010/04/28/i-wish-i-wrote-this-but-i-didnt/

30 Weeks and other news

Well, here we are! Wednesday marked 30 weeks pregnant, and everything is going well.

I went to the doctor (yes, again) on Wednesday for a 30 week check-up and it was brief and uneventful. Dr. Taavon measured my "belly" and said that Max is measuring 2 cm bigger than most babies do at 30 weeks, so he is still a big baby...no surprise there! I guess it runs in the family? I weighed 8lbs 8oz when I was born, and my brother was 9 lbs. My Granny weighed a whopping 10 lbs when she was born! Dr. Taavon has decided to cut back on the ultrasounds since Max is obviously doing fine. I will probably only have one more before he is born!

He is moving like a champ, and has the hiccups at least once a day. There is still nothing more amazing to me than to feel my sweet boy move. Even when it is keeping me awake after one of my every 2 hour bathroom runs in the middle of the night, I still LOVE it.

My parents went to Ikea on Thursday, and THEY HAD OUR CRIB! So they picked it up for us and brought it to Greensboro on Friday. I have to say, it makes a huge difference in how the room feels, even if he won't be sleeping in it for the first while. Thanks, Momma and Daddy, for saving us a trip to Charlotte! :)

We are finally winding down on all of the BIG projects, which is good...since there is a limited amount of time left that I am going to feel like working on them (if I had to guess). Not to worry though...there is plenty of little stuff to do to keep me busy during these last few weeks to satisfy my nesting needs :)

I included a picture of the crib, along with another picture of the dresser...I am so in love with this furniture!

New furniture!

Nick and I went to Ikea yesterday to get the furniture for Max's room! We got a dresser, a couple of lamps, a mattress, and a few other things. The plan was to also get the crib yesterday, but as luck would have it the crib was not in stock.

Ikea is all about "take it with you today" and "put it together yourself"...which is actually pretty awesome because we would have been able to fit ALL the furniture, including the crib, in my Toyota Corolla. Nick put the dresser together last night, and it looks awesome!

This is what it looked like BEFORE he put it together...fun, huh?

And THIS is what it looks like now! Please just excuse all the mess in the background; that room is definitely a construction zone....it is driving me crazy, too.

I am a little more than anxious to finish getting all the extra furniture and things out of the room so that we can get the furniture that belongs in there in its place. Unfortunately there is not very much that I can do about it at the moment so I am trying to have patience. Easier said than done when you have a 29 week pregnant woman wanting to get in her baby's room and get it looking beautiful! (and for those of you who know me, you know I have about a million projects up my sleeve...but I really need to be able to get in there to get it done!) My goal is to have everything in its place by the first week or so in March, just in case!

Only 11 weeks left until my due date!

One major project down, a million to go...

The changing table is FINALLY finished! It was originally a "buffet" that was in the dining room at my parents' house many years ago... and then they used it as Toby Ann's changing table when she was a baby. After that, I used it in my dining room for a couple of years, and when we found out we were expecting I immediately decided it would work perfectly as Max's changing table too! It has tons of storage built and is going to give his room a little punch of something interesting :)

Before: The trim was red to match the dining room...we have also cleaned up a lot of the "junk" that was in his room in between the 2 pictures...

After: Apple green trim to match the bedding we have picked out and new hardware! I am so happy with how it turned out!

Ultrasound and other "stuff"

We just got home from the 28 week doctors appointment and everything was just peachy :)

I had to take the 1 hour glucose test (which was awful...for those of you who somehow don't know about this nastiness...you have to drink this sugary drink and then wait an hour and see what your blood sugar is, which basically tells you if you could have gestational diabetes. My drink was orange, and sort of tasted like cough syrup without the medicine part. All syrup. And the amount is a lot more than a little dose of cough syrup.) My results came back great though, thank goodness! I guess it has really paid off to cut back all those soft drinks that supposedly increase your risk for gestational diabetes!

We also had our third ultrasound, and Max is definitely growing like a weed. He weighed in today at 2 pounds 11 ounces, which puts him in the 78th percentile for weight! We were so worried about him and how well he was going to grow and gain weight with the single artery umbilical cord issue, and now, as my doctor says, I am "having a big baby." I have really enjoyed having all these extra ultrasounds because I get to see my sweet boy so much more often!

Everyone has been asking how I am feeling, so let me answer that while I am at it :) I feel great! I have had a little bit of back pain, but nothing intolerable. Obviously every-day sorts of things are constantly getting more difficult and more tiring (Nick helps me put my shoes on most days because I can't get to my feet so easily for example)...but of course that is expected. I can't really complain about no longer being able to efficiently being able to clean the tub :) It just means that my hubby gets to do it instead! I have been a little less energetic over the last week or so, but I still have a lot of motivation to get things done around here so again, not such a big deal. Nick has been completely amazing about getting things done where I can't. It seems like the "more pregnant" I get the sweeter he gets. He is such a good husband and takes such good care of me, and is very understanding of what is going on with me. And of course he is completely in love with Max :)

Here is a picture of me at 28 weeks...hopefully I will be able to scan in some ultrasound pictures soon :)

What have we been up to?

We have had so much going on lately, it seems! I am beginning to feel like Baby Max is going to arrive before we can possibly get everything on our to-do list completed, but have been told this is a normal feeling to have as a soon to be mom.

I feel like we have been cleaning out Max's room for months. And we have. Like I have said before, that room somehow became a storage room of sorts...it is full of furniture that needs to be taken to Goodwill and craft supplies mostly. The good news is...we are finally starting to make some progress! When my parents came to visit last week they took home a couple of items of furniture, and they will be doing more of the same in a week or so. I have found other places to store most of my craft supplies, and I finally started painting all the furniture that will go in his room.

We finally finished our baby registries this past week too, and even though it doesn't sound like a big accomplishment, it truly is. Babies R Us is a scary place!

I think we have also decided on all the furniture that will be going in Max's room as well...

We are going later this month with my parents to Ikea to get the crib and rocking chair and maybe another item for storage purposes...thank goodness my parents have a van that they don't mind hauling it all in! I think Ikea is the way to go for baby furniture. I cannot imagine paying very much for a crib. The one we want is a mere $140 and is great quality, plus we can haul it and put it together ourselves :)

I also included pictures of the bedding that we have picked out for him, and the rug we want for his room. His changing table is going to be green and white :) I can't wait to see how it all comes together! Stay tuned for pictures of nursery furniture makeovers and finished products!