week 40, handmade blankets and first bath

 This was an amazing transformation, the human body is truly remarkable.  God sure knew what he was doing!

 A beautiful handmade blanket by Janet, Ruby loves it and so do I.

Ruby had her first bath last night.  She actually liked it and didn't cry until we took her out of the water!

today!

Ruby has a slight case of jaundice so she got to bask in the sun this morning for a little while.  She loved it!!

She also loves to make funny faces and try to nurse off anything near her. 

She also got to nap with her papa on the couch!  

Since her little belly button nub fell off this morning Ruby will be getting her first bath today!

a week old, already.

Ruby is a week old today.

Our week has been filled with lots of cuddle time, kisses, lots and lots of nursing, and heaps of LOVE.  

she is here!

Ruby Winter Ewing

born 1-20-2011 @ 7:38am 

7 pounds 4 ounces

20 inches

We are happy, healthy and resting.  Will post more in a few days.

Unemployed

I am officially unemployed and a stay at home mom.  Feels sort of weird considering I have had my last job for nearly five years and have never been unemployed in my life.  Once this baby comes I am sure I will have my hands and time filled with lots of stuff I wont even think about being employed or not.  Lucky for me my mom comes in today, I am sure she will help distract me from obsessing overing being unemployed and when this baby is going to come.  I have been having more frequent BH contractions.  I have been getting around 4-7 an hour for the last 2 days some I can't feel, other than my uterus getting rock hard, and others I can feel with cramping low in my pelvic area and in my back.  Hopefully my baby was just waiting for its grandma to get into town and after today it'll come out! 

My mom will be here until Feb 9th...she didn't want to miss a thing!  She will stay with Dan and I all but the first week or so of our babies life.  I am glad she is able to be here for so long.

So long.

Delicious!!!

On my list of suggested things to bring to the Birth Center it suggested you bring a post labor meal.  So, last night I successfully made some delicious Split Pea with Ham soup.  I thought it would be super hard and time consuming.  Turns out it was the simplest soup I have ever made although it did take 3.5 hours to cook!  So worth it though.

Smoky Split-Pea with Ham soup:

2 Ham Hocks (I just used some cured ham purchased at a local deli)

1 pound green split peas

2 carrots, chopped (I doubled this cause I like lots of stuff in my soup)

2 celery sticks, chopped (double this as well)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I put 6 cloves)

2 32oz containers chick broth

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or

   1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Rinse the Ham and place in a stock pot or Dutch oven along with all other ingredients. 

everything in the pot

 Bring to a boil.  

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 3.5-4 hours. 

after 3.5 hours

Removes and discard bay leaf.  

If using ham hock, remove them to a plate and let cool.  When meat is cool enough to handle. chop or shred it and return it to the soup.
 ENJOY!!!

Husband approved!

week 39

I am ready....

week 38

Hello, week 38! 

 I feel like this week is going to be a good week in pregnancy land for me.  I don't know exactly why I feel that way but I do.  It might be because its my last full week of work, it might be because I feel my body preparing more than ever for the impending birth of this baby, who knows?  It'll just be a good one.  

I have been going on walks nearly everyday, doing exercises on my stability ball, doing yoga and doing some serious nesting.  Even if I have my baby late it still feels so close.  I had an appointment with my midwife today and she asked if I wanted to be "checked" and since I have been having some minor cramp like contractions for the past few weeks I was curious so I gave her the go ahead.  She began and immediately said the babies head was super duper low and that my cervix was super thin.  It was nice to hear that my body is doing the necessary tasks to prepare.  It was also nice to hear that the baby was super low and that I have in fact dropped.  Everyone I run into likes to tell me I haven't dropped and that I am not going to have this baby anytime soon.  

How far along? 38 weeks 

"Waist" measurement: 41 inches

Total weight gain/loss? 20 pounds

Stretch marks? absolutely none (yet!).

Sleep? Challenging, but I am getting used to it.

Movement? lots of BIG movements

Food cravings/aversions?  None!

Labor signs?  Just the minor cramp like contractions.

Belly button in/out? out

What I miss the most right now:  My favorite tea, which I haven't been able to have since I got pregnant.

What I am looking forward to right now:  Eating Ben & Jerry's Pistachio Ice Cream

baby center:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Baby room:

 I took the embroidery hoops off the wall in the living room and moved them to the babies room. 

 The antique crib my Dad got for me!  I love it.  Eventually those pillow with have covers and this crib will have a mattress and it will be functioning as a "couch" then eventually a toddler bed. 

I am not particularly a fan of characters such as tiger and pooh but a dear customer crocheted them for me.  

week 37 aka FULL TERM

I just found that I never published this post, better late than never. 

How far along? 37 weeks 

"Waist" measurement: 40 inches

Total weight gain/loss? 18 pounds

Stretch marks? absolutely none (yet!).

Sleep? Challenging, but I am getting used to it.

Movement? Not as much as before but still a lot

Food cravings/aversions?  None!

Labor signs?  I have been having lower cramping at night that are intense enough to wake me up.  Yesterday was the first day I felt them in the day time.  I have defiantly noticed a change in my body these past few days.  I now have a waddle and baby feel lower than before!

Belly button in/out? out

What I miss the most right now: Sleeping on my stomach 

What I am looking forward to right now:  Holding my little  baby.

baby center:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

We have names!!!!!

I think we have finally settled on names.  It took along time to figure them out and they could still change.  Now we are just playing the waiting game to see who we are going to have.

Not sure which order the middle names will go in, but they are after the grandpa's of this little one