34 Weeks

Sorry for the absence last week- things are certainly getting busier the closer we get to go time.

Size: Girlfriend is packing on the pounds and should be weighing in around 5 lbs. at this point.  The good news about her size is that at this point an earlier arrival (please no) would likely mean only a very short stay in the NICU and limited developmental delays.

YAYS: I think my nesting instinct has started to kick in.  I woke up the other night with the incredible urge to repaint every room in the house.  Luckily the logical side of my brain told the pregnant side to go back to bed and so far no painting has occurred.

NAYS:  Pretty much the same- heartburn and occasional backaches.  Plus I had the mother of all pregnancy melt downs last week (we're talking 2 hours of ugly cry- my husband is a saint).  But the biggest nay of all is that little bit does not have her head down.  She prefers an oblique presentation (horizontal, rather than vertical), so the pressure is on to get that straightened out by my 36 week appointment.

Happenings for the last 2 weeks: Two big things happened in the last 2 weeks.  First, my boss and his wife very generously threw a shower for Seth and me.  The shower was wonderful and my coworkers were so generous.  I swear, we have a solid supply of diapers, wipes, and baby soap.  Thank goodness for all the veteran moms in my office.  Funny note- I asked some of those mamas for some advice and one coworkers said to me "there will come a time when you want to, but really, don't shake the baby.  Just put her down, let her cry, and pull yourself together.  But don't shake the baby."  That's some pretty solid advice.

And on Tuesday, we started our birth and baby class.  Truthfully, Seth and I can't stand the instructor and the chairs in the education center are terribly uncomfortable.  I mean really, these things are held at the labor and delivery hospital in Greensboro- clearly very pregnant ladies will be using these chairs, is a little comfort too much to ask for?  We have 4 more classes, so here's hoping that they get better...

32 weeks

Size:  Little one is roughly 4 lbs., which is about the same weight as a large jicama (seriously?  Where do they come up with these comparisons?).  From here til delivery, she should gain roughly 1/2 lb. a week, making my own weight gain not so bad (just blame it on the baby).

YAY:  So after weeks (months) of playing the cranky pregnant lady, I read this great post on Offbeat Mama.  The whole post was about how isolating pregnancy can be, expect that really, as a mama to be, you're not alone.  This time is all about Ella and me, just the two of us.  I know things about her that no one else knows (like when she moves), and that is special.  That is something that will always be between us.  While there is no danger of me becoming a happy, glowy pregnant lady, I am at least trying to remember that this time is special and should be enjoyed as much as possible.  Plus the heartburn has gotten a bit better and that'll put anybody in a good mood.

NAY:  After packing on 4 lbs. in just two weeks, I finally got the talking to.  My overall weight gain is still okay (not great), but I do need to slow it down just a little bit.

Happenings for the week:  We had a meeting with our fabulous doula.  She came over and we talked a lot above positioning, mainly ways to get your pelvis to open up more.  While I am less than thrilled to be doing lots and lots of squats, I know that it will be beneficial once we hit go time.

Quick Gallery Ledges

How bout a quick project post?  And one that is super easy and really cheap! 

When I lasted updated y'all on nursery progress, we finally had most of the furniture in place.  I figured we needed something on that huge expanse of wall above the crib.  I knew I wanted to display family pictures and other fun stuff, but wasn't sure of exactly how I wanted to proceed.  A quick search over at Ana White and  I knew I had my solution- $10 ledges.

I won't bore you with details on how to pull off the these bad boys because Ana's directions are easy to follow.  Plus, we forgot to take pictures as we went.  I think they took us all of 10 minutes to put together.  Seriously, these are really freaking easy.  Plus I like that ledge has a lip on it, so no major worries about things falling into E's crib.

Once we had the ledges up and secure (we actually did this the proper way and found studs to attach them too.  We are serious when it comes to Ella's safety), it was time to think about decorating.  I didn't want to spend a ton on new frames, so I took a quick trip to Goodwill.  I was able to snag 7 frames in several sizes for less than $20.  The frames were scary to start with, but a quick spray with white spray paint quickly fixed that (sorry- no pictures again.  My brain doesn't work right). 

I then tasked Seth with picking out some family photos and I did the same.  After some quick editing and resizing, they were ready to go.

And up on the ledge they went, along with some other items we collected...

On the top shelf: A Babar Book, a sign that says "though she be but small, she is fierce," a picture from our wedding of my mom, sisters and me, a picture of Seth's parents, a picture from our engagement session, and a book called the Littlest Elephant.

On the bottom shelf:  An E sign that I found at Michaels, a picture from when Seth and I first started dating, a picture of Seth and his brother, a picture of my dad and me, another book, a picture of Seth and his mom, a sign that says "let her sleep for when she wakes she will move mountains," and a stuffed zebra that Seth couldn't resist (my husband is such a softie- this little girl has him wrapped around her finger already).

In all, I love how the shelves turned out.  They are sweet and sentimental without being too in your face.  AND for all of y'all that are wondering about her pulling shit down, we are pretty sure that we put them high enough that she won't be able to reach them.  If we didn't, we will certainly make changes when that time comes.