Christmas wrap!

I LOVE Christmas.  I love the decorations, the smells, the snow, the music, the joy, the meaning, the gift wrapping...I could go on and on and on.

I am proud to say I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done!  I only have three things to buy.  Everything else is in the mail on its way to me.  I did receive two gifts today and promptly wrapped them.  I love wrapping gifts and making them pretty.  This year I decided I would go an eco-friendly route and wrap all my gifts in fabric.  One thing that encouraged me to wrap with fabric is wrapping paper is expensive and typically comes with designs I DON'T fancy.  So, I went through my fabric stash and found some pieces I was willing to sacrifice to gift wrapping.  Above are my first two gifts, wrapped in some old curtains I found at the thrift store a while back.  I think they are great and now my tree doesn't have a bare spot under it.  

week 32

week 32

These last few weeks time has really been flying by for me.  Before I know it I'll have my sweet little baby in my arms.  Actually I am sure once we celebrate Christmas and New Years time will slow down.  I'll get into the waiting mode and January will be the longest month of my life, hopefully not.  People keep asking how close to my due date am I planning to work.  I am for sure going to work full time until January and then see how I feel.  I'll probably work full time for a few weeks into January and then cut back to a few days a week.  January 19th my mom comes in so if I haven't tuckered out from working by then I'll have the 18th be my last day.  

I am still feeling pretty good, no serious back pain or anything.  I feel pretty blessed to have had such an easy pregnancy so far, lets hope it continues. 

baby center:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

the bump:

Was that a contraction? Yup, but it's just for practice. Those strengthening Braxton Hicks contractions are just your body's way of prepping for the real deal. (If you feel more than four in an hour or have discharge, call the doc.) Farther north, your nipples are getting darker and (yes, it's possible) bigger -- all the better for baby to see (and latch onto) in a few short months.  Baby's now the size of a squash!

Ready or not, baby's getting ready to emerge. She's probably in the head-down position by now, with her bottom facing up. This is the comfiest way for her body to fit in your increasingly cramped womb and will make her eventual exit (only a few months away now!) much easier. (If she's still head-up, don't panic -- there's still time for a flip before birth.)

Today I put our Christmas tree up.  The thought of dealing with a real tree while nearly 9 months pregnant wasn't appealing to me at all.  So, this year we have a fake one!

Dan says it is too plain and needs more stuff on it.  I kind of like how simple it is.  We will see what happens as time goes, I might add more stuff.    

We have made some progress on our room swap.  Currently we have our bedroom set up in a corner of the "junk" room.  All the baby room stuff lived in the living room for a few days but is now in the baby room.  These picture's were from our work and progress last weekend.  I'll take more some day when we have gotten a little more done.  

I managed to cram all my stuff into one corner!

ignore gross carpet, maybe one day we will put different flooring in.  The right side of the photo is the corner our bed is currently in.

Dan's side still needs a little work.

The living room with all the baby stuff in it.  Thankfully it doesn't have all this stuff in it anymore. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

photo stolen from Hannah's blog

I worked until 2:00 on Thanksgiving and then headed over to Dan's parents house.  We arrived and started helping prepare stuff.  I cut up some veggies for the salad and helped put all the delicious food on the tables.  Once everything was set we all washed our hands and sat down to eat.  Dan dad, who hasn't been able to join us for Thanksgiving for a while, prayed and then we all dug in.  There was sooo much food we all ate ourselves silly full.  Some of us weighed ourselves before we ate so we could see how much the food we ate weighed in us.  The average weight was 3 pounds, but Dan's cousin Nathaniel's food weighed 7 pounds in his belly can you believe that.  Once we all ate to our maximum capacity we all helped clean up then sat around with food babies and played games and chatted.  Once our good settled we got out the desert.  Dan aunt Lisa always makes the desert and it is always the BEST ever.  This year she made a cheesecake apple crisp hybrid (delicious), a coconut cream pie, a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie.  I had a piece of the cheesecake and the coconut cream pie.  They were both to die for.  I was so full that I sat on the couch and couldn't move.  The baby in my belly was moving a whole lot though, I think it liked the pie.  Everyone put their hands on my belly and felt the little bean going crazy.  Once I was able to move Dan and I left for home.  Sadly we forgot to grab some leftover's, which I am regretting big time right now.  

It was a beautiful day and I hope everyone's was as great as mine.

week 31

Only 9 more weeks!!!! Give or take a few... 

I currently feel the same as always.  The only problem I have been having constantly this entire pregnancy is the need to pee a million times at night.  I think lasts nights tally was somewhere around 7, YES I said 7.  I am going to be so happy when the constant need to pee at night is GONE!

The baby is still moving around like crazy in there, sometimes it looks like it is trying to escape.  Sadly it's favorite spot to dance is my bladder, which doesn't help with the peeing issue I have.  

Lately I have been thinking a lot about this little baby and who its going to take after more or less.  Is it going to have Dan's eyes, my hair and so on.  I am also obsessing over what its personality will be like.  It will be a Ewing, and if you have ever met one you know they have strong personality genes.  I can spot a little bit of Dan in each one of his nieces and nephews.  I just wonder what out kid will be like, soon I will know. 

The other day I got some pretty good advice from a customer at work.  He said looking back he realizes he was always thinking about future and past instead of just living in the now with his kids.  Like when the baby was a newborn, he was always thinking about how he couldn't wait for the little baby to grow up and talk and walk and do all that.  Then when it got older he was wishing for the newborn days again.  So, he told me to remember to live in the moment and savory every second of it.  I think I will.  

Baby Center:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

As far as our room swap is going.  Yesterday we moved our bed and some dresser's into our new room.  All the stuff that is waiting to go into the baby's room is currently in the living room.  It is all happening slowly but surely.  

Sang this song during worship at church today.  I love it, really makes me think about how much I love Jesus and how much I am thankful for what he did for me. 

maternity photo's and shots

I feel like I am starting to feel better...crossing my fingers...let hopes it continues.  

Today Hannah and I were able to get out and get some maternity photo's taken.  The few she has already sent me copies of are AWESOME, I can't wait to see the rest.  It was a beautiful day out so Hannah made the suggestion of going on the cruise ship docks downtown.  We took a few up there then walked down to where some boats are tided up in like a mini-harbor.  A man, who happens to be a customer of mine, saw us taking the photo's on the dock and told us we could take some on his boat if we wanted.  We took him up on his offer.  His boat was so rustic inside and had tons of personality it made for some good photo's.

Here is a little peek. 

  

In other news, we had Dan's blood tested to see if he is a negative blood type like I am.  Turns out we have the exact same blood type, O-.  So, we don't have to worry about our baby (or future babies)  being a positive blood type.  Which in turn makes it to where we don't have to worry about the Rogham shot, or me ever becoming sensitized to our babies.  Woohoo, one less shot I have to get!
I also love this set up and colors for a party (baby shower).  Check it out here..

Baby boom.

I am the giant one

This is all the ladies that were either pregnant recently or are pregnant.  I am so excited all our little rug rats get to grow up together..

week 30

So, here I am at week 30 and I have a horrible cold, the second one since becoming pregnant.  There is seriously nothing I like less than being sick and pregnant at the same time.  I hate feeling miserable and not being able to take a thing for it.  Sorry about all the complaining.  

Other than being sick the pregnancy is still going smoothly.  The baby moves like crazy in there and the movements are becoming more pronounced.  The baby is also very responsive if you poke or push on my belly.  

baby center:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

How far along? 30 weeks

"Waist" measurement: 38 inches still

Total weight gain/loss? 15 pounds

Stretch marks? absolutely none (yet!).

Sleep? with a cold and being pregnant, pretty much non-exsistant 

Movement? all the time

Food cravings/aversions?  None

Gender? Its a surprise.

Labor signs? I have been having the normal Braxton Hicks contractions.  They are interesting.

Belly button in/out? Complete outty

What I miss the most right now: Not having a cold

What I am looking forward to: Getting over this cold.

baby talk

As I have mentioned before there were seven, now five, pregnant women in our Church family, me included.  Well, Teri had her baby at the beginning of October, she was the first, and just this morning Christine had her baby, she was the second.  Guess who is the third.  ME.  This makes it that much more real to me.

Jesus Culture

My husband and I recently discovered this band and all I have to say is they are simply amazing.  Nearly every song gives the two of us goose bumps.  This song (Jesus Culture - Dance with me) I can't get enough of.  It is such a beautiful song...  Enjoy!

from nothing to something

I thought it would be fun to see how much I have grown from not being pregnant to being really pregnant. So many changes, not just to my body, have happen since becoming pregnant.  Along with my swelling belly my mind has changed to be more excited than ever at the thought of becoming a mommy.  Ill be honest and say I never ever wanted to become a mom, not even when I was a little girl.  The thought never appealed to me. I liked kids to a certain degree and could never see myself caring for a little baby.  Now, I am so excited to birth, nurse and care for my baby.  Feelings I never thought I would have, and am so glad I possess now.  I am can't wait for this new chapter of my life to start.  

Also the thought of my husband holding his own little baby melts my heart.

week 29

I am starting to feel a little less energetic these days, I think it is a combination of the gross weather and being in my third trimester.  Also I got my 28 week blood work back and I am low on iron, so that is another reason for no energy.  I did get some iron supplements and have been taking them for a couple days now.  As far as sleep... Well its really hard for me to find a comfortable position I normally just give up and sleep in an uncomfortable one and wake up a million and a half times a night.  

I can't believe its only two and half months until our due date.  Since realizing its sooo close Dan and I are putting more effort towards the rooms.  Its an obnoxious process of going through things and deciding wether we want to keep it or not.  If we keep it we then have to think of where will it go.  If we don't want it anymore we have to decided wethers its garbage, thrift store worthy or consignment shop worthy.  

Your baby is as big as a butternut squash, weightwise -- about 2 1/2 pounds. (Length: a tad over 15 inches, head to heel.)

baby center:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 12 pounds my last appointment.

Stretch marks? absolutely none (yet!).

Sleep? lame 

Movement? all the time

Food cravings/aversions?  None for either

Gender? Its a surprise.

Labor signs? I have been having the normal Braxton Hicks contractions.  They are interesting.

Belly button in/out? it is really close to being a full outty

What I miss the most right now:  Sleep

What I am looking forward to: Being done with the room swap

"Waist" measurement: 38 inches, I grew an half an inch!

I miss my husband

Dan left this morning for California.  Him and his sister went down to attend the Calvary Chapel Worship Leaders Conference.  They will be gone until Thursday night.  He just left town this morning and I already miss him and want him home.  ha.  I guess I can look forward to the extra room I'll have the next few nights in bed, but with my luck i'll find that I can't sleep without him.  This is the first time since we have been married (actually since we've met) that he's left town and I didn't and I already know I don't like it.  Now I know how he felt all the times I have left town and he's stayed home.  

Cali sunshine, these two are lucky...